Christology

The study of Jesus of Nazareth’s personality traits, in addition to the doctrines and works he wrought as based on the New Testament, is termed Christology. The word is derived from two Greek words. The first, christos, means "messiah," but is more commonly transliterated as "Christ." The second word is logos, which means "the study of a subject," as well as "word" in other contexts. This should not be confused with Logos Christology, which is the relationship of Jesus in a divine trinity.

In the general Christian ideology, Jesus is the prophesized messiah (savior) of the Old Testament. The twelve tribes, or Children of Israel, were often oppressed and put into bondage over the course of their history. The Messiah was thought to be a man who could give them a temporal solution and victory over their enemies.

Background

After the Jewish diaspora, Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life. There, the members of the Sanhedrin largely decided local matters based on religious laws. These were according to their interpretation of the 612 Laws given to Moses by God. A major problem ensued because sages rendered varied opinions over the years, with foreign philosophies influencing the Judaic culture.

The teachings of Jesus were firmly based in the tenets of Judaism. However, by the time of his ministry, the letter of the laws had become more important than what the intention for giving them had been. Jesus met scrutiny and opposition on many levels. He came from the northern part of the region, and Jerusalem’s leaders questioned how anyone outside Jerusalem could be educated in the law.

Jesus approached the common man and woman on their level of understanding, to the chagrin of his detractors. He frequently used parables to teach: an ancient tool used before reading and writing among common people became available. In those parables, people learned what his mission was, the nature of God, and what to expect when doing their creator’s will, all by using familiar references. Hence, the familiar concepts of farming, fishing, and shepherding were used to instruct. He abandoned ancient rituals, also referred to in the modern day as ordinances, and substituted two major rules that covered it all: love your creator (God) and your neighbor.

There have been controversies regarding the nature of Jesus throughout history. The early church had those who did not understand the full nature and doctrine of his ministry and controversy surrounded several concepts (as it does today) that include the following: while he never declared himself God, he said he was doing his divine father’s will; the ancient Hebrew concept held that God is formless with no human attributes; it was heresy and worthy of death to compare oneself to God; the apostles brought gentiles into the covenant, which was a previously forbidden practice; the New Testament accounts demonstrate the disdain Jesus held for politicians, and they feared the following gathered posed a challenge to their authority.

Impact Today

The understanding of Christology has morphed over the centuries with the explosion of Christian denominations. Most resources indicate between 34,000 and 45,000 denominations. While many share similar beliefs regarding who Jesus of Nazareth was, none are exactly the same, which is reflected in their differing doctrines.

Christology in the twenty-first century is diverse. While, with few exceptions, Jesus of Nazareth is accepted as a divine being and was resurrected, this is largely where similarity stops. There are major variations regarding the relationship Jesus has to God. The Trinity, in one way or another, is common. The Trinity consists of three entities: Father (God), Son (Jesus), and Holy Ghost. Some ideologies consider God and Jesus one. Others believe Jesus is a distinct being.

In his many books, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) frequently discusses why multiple denominations will likely never unify their beliefs and doctrines. They all see Christ differently. For example, some denominations do not recognize other churches as part of the Christian faith. Oddly, while Jesus advocated for peace and harmony, many of his followers fail to do so, just as they did during the years of the inquisitions. An interesting aspect of this scenario is the number of churches claiming to be "the one true church." In the Bible’s Book of 1 Corinthians 1:10, readers are told Jesus wanted those who believed in him to speak in agreement.

Because of differences in interpretations and understanding, Christology is rarely the same between churches. One of the many reasons for the differences is directly related to the translations and interpretations of the Bible. Some readers believe every word should be taken literally. Others believe it is more about the lessons. Another factor not to be overlooked is how the original Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic has been interpreted. Words change meanings over time, as do idioms. Scriptures were hand-written for hundreds of years, and scribes made mistakes, in addition to intentional and inadvertent changes.

There are additional records of Jesus that are not related to religious texts, such as the writings of Josephus and Eusebius. Josephus was an early historian who was commissioned by the Romans to detail and explain the history of the Jewish people. (This was common practice for the Romans after they conquered a nation, so they could better understand the nature of the population.) Eusebius is often dubbed the Father of Church History. In their histories, written approximately during the first and third centuries after Christ’s death, readers begin to understand the environment Jesus came into, while also grasping what the early church thought, taught, and understood about Jesus.

Some religions did not permit congregants to have access to the Bible, fearing they would misconstrue the teachings. Reading and interpretation were left to ministers and priests, largely until the second half of the twelfth century. Finally, Christology can encompass two factors: theological and personal. It can differ with religious affiliation tenets and adherence, or the philosophy adopted by individual research. Though Christology was historically studied in North America and Europe, contemporary Christology is explored by scholars across the globe. This has led to unique divisions of study. African and Asian theologians have opposed the Western view of Jesus and proposed his nature to be that of a liberator who arms his disciples with spiritual weapons. Feminist theologians have disputed the male-dominated narrative of traditional Christology.

Bibliography

Cassidy, Richard J. John's Gospel in New Perspective: Christology and the Realities of Roman Power, vol. 3, Wipf and Stock, 2015.

Crisp, Oliver, and Fred Sanders. Christology Ancient and Modern: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics. Zondervan, 2017.

Daniels, Joel C. "Christology, Evolution, and Cultural Change." Anglican Theological Review, vol. 96, no. 3, 2014, www.anglicantheologicalreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/daniels‗96.3.pdf. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Hahn, Karrie. "5 Recommended Resources on Christology." Ligonier Ministries, 7 Feb. 2024, learn.ligonier.org/articles/recommended-resources-christology. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Migliore, Daniel L. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. Eerdmans, 2014.

Murphy, Francesca Aran., and Troy A. Stefano. The Oxford Handbook of Christology. Oxford UP, 2015.

O’Collins, Gerald J. Christology: Origins, Developments, Debates Jul 1, 2015. Baylor UP, 2015.

Schillebeeckx, Edward. The Collected Works of Edward Schillebeeckx Volume 6: Jesus: An Experiment in Christology. Bloomsbury, 2014.