1. Who is Jesus?

2. Introduction
Biblical Christology
Conciliar Christology
Contemporary
Christology

3.  The Question of
Relevance: Why Important?
Jesus is God’s response to
our deepest human
longings.

4. 1. Christology “From Above”
An approach which begins with the
pre-existent Word who is in
heaven/from eternity, and who
descends into human history,
becoming incarnate in Jesus
Focal point: Incarnation
Starting point: Church’s dogma

5. 2. Christology “From Below”
An approach which begins with the
human Jesus of Nazareth, and traces
his story from birth to mission,
culminating on his death and
resurrection
Focal point: Resurrection
Starting point: Jesus of history (esp. as
contained in biblical accounts

6.  over/exclusive emphasis on “From
Above” may result to a denial of Christ’s
humanity (e.g. docetism – physicality,
crucifixion, death were all illusion)
 over/exclusive emphasis on “From
Below” may result on a rejection of Jesus’
divinity (Arianism – Jesus as the highest
creature, subordinate to the Father)

7. Preference for the “From Below”
Approach: Why?
- Helps us appreciate the full humanity
of Jesus and hence his solidarity with
us
- Inspires discipleship in the context of
a world which identifies more with
stories rather than dogmas

8.  The Gospels As Principal Source for the Life and
Teaching of Jesus
 Other historical sources are scarce and
authenticity is suspect
 Mark: between 60 – 70 AD
 Matthew, Luke (Acts): 80 AD
 John (Revelation): 90 AD
 Synoptic Gospels – Gk syn + optic meaning “seen
together”; taken from same source(s)

9.  The Nature of the Gospels: Are they strictly
historical accounts?
 “testimonies of faith” = historical basis + faith
interpretation
 not histories or biography in the modern sense
 stages in the development of the Gospel
tradition: words and deeds of Jesus → the
preaching of the apostles → writing of the
gospels

10. “basileia tou theou”
 best translated as “reign of God”: dynamic, not
static; a situation/event, not a place
 “a situation wherein the will of God is perfectly
upheld”
 eschatological tension: both present and future
(“already but not yet”)
 It is present in the person and ministry of Jesus
but its definitive form is yet to come.

11. Problem: How to understand the meaning of the
parables (which are many and varied)?
John Dominic Crossan
 suggests a basic and helpful framework to
approach the study of the parables
 three-fold pattern in most, if not, all of the
parables: advent, reversal, and action
 two parables in Matthew as paradigmatic of
this pattern: hidden treasure, pearl of great
price (Mt 13:44-46)

12.  Advent - the Reign of God is coming as a gift;
something unprecedented, something beyond
expectations is coming or is found which is a
cause of great joy
 Reversal - the encounter with the Reign of God
turns the values of the world upside down;
change in outlook and priorities
 Action - the Reign of God is not a mere
information; calling for a
response/transformative action

13. o Mt 13:44-46
44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field, which a man found and
covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search
of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of
great value, went and sold all that he had and
bought it.

14.  In some parables, the element of
advent/discovery is the focus: e.g. lost sheep,
lost coin
 In other parables, the element of
reversal/change is the focus: e.g. rich man
and Lazarus (sin as omission), prodigal son
(mercy and forgiveness)
 Still in others, the emphasis is on the element
of action/new praxis: talents, unmerciful
servant

15.  sickness or infirmity was attributed to
demonic power and sin
 healings show that the power of evil over
human beings is broken
 The miracles may be understood as
symbolic anticipations and foretastes of
what the fulfillment of the Reign of God
will bring to the lives of people: holiness,
healing, liberation, reconciliation, a new
unity and integration of life or wholeness.

16.  importance of meals in the ministry of Jesus;
frequency
 Cf. Mt 11: 18-19
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, 'He has a demon'; 19 the Son of
Man came eating and drinking, and they say,
'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of
tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
vindicated by her deeds.

17.  in the Middle Eastern culture even today, to
share a meal is a sign of communion
 in Judaism of Jesus’ day, it signified fellowship
with God
 a proclamation of forgiveness of sins in deeds;
in God’s reign everyone is welcome; we are all
brothers and sisters in the family of God

18.  cf. Ben Meyer, The Aims of Jesus (London: SCM Press,
1979), 159-161
Jesus’ openness to sinners did not mean that he
submitted passively to or tolerated sin. He
reversed the normal pattern – conversion then
communion. His offer of communion with
sinners triggered repentance – “conversion
flowered from communion”.

19. The Death of Jesus
 The meaning of the cross
Today, no longer seen as a scandal, as
instrument of torture and humiliation
More an article of jewelry, a fashion
accessory, mark of episcopal authority, an
ornament
Sometimes misunderstood as promoting
passive acceptance of suffering and
injustice

20. The Death of Jesus
1. Cross as salvific - (scholastics) by the
cross Jesus has redeemed the world
2. Cross as sign of misinterpretation –
(Bultmann) Jesus’ religious message was
misinterpreted as a threat to Roman rule;
Jesus’ purposes were misunderstood
3. Cross as not salvific or redemptive –
(Schillebeeckx) a rejection of Jesus; not
willed but permitted by God; death as
negativity that God overcomes by the
resurrection

21. The Death of Jesus
 International Theological Commission 1979:
“A death undergone in a purely passive
manner could not be a ‘Christological’
saving event. It must be… the willed
consequence of the obedience and love of
Jesus…”
 What is salvific is the entire Christ-event,
the perfect life of obedience of Jesus which
culminated in the cross and vindicated in
the resurrection.

22. The Resurrection of Jesus
 Importance and centrality
1. CCC 638: the crowing truth of our faith,
regarded as central truth by first Christian
communities
2. 1 Cor 15:14-17: without the resurrection,
in vain is our preaching and faith
3. Source of hope for us; our own promise of
eternal life
 Origin/Basis: empty tomb tradition +
resurrection appearances

23.  Transition in Language: From Stories to
Concepts (hypostasis, substantia,
homoousios, phusis, prosopon, persona)
 Challenge when church expanded: how to
express the faith in a manner understandable
to a new audience
 From biblical to philosophical language:
difficult but necessary

24.  Nicea (325)
- issue: divinity of Christ
- Arius: Jesus as greatest, most perfect
creature
- Church: Jesus is “homoousius” (of the same
substance) with the Father, “true God from
true God, begotten not made, one in
being...”
- Hence, not subordinate but equal to the
Father

25.  Constantinople (381)
- issue: full humanity of Christ
- Appolinarius of Laodicea: Logos took the
place of the rational soul in Christ hence
Christ is not fully human because he does
not have a rational soul
- Church: Jesus had a human soul

26.  Ephesus (431)
- issue: two natures but one person
- Nestorius: a human Jesus, “indwelt… as in a
temple” by the divine Christ, hence two
persons (the human as ‘shell’ of the divine
person); Mary as the mother of Jesus but
not the mother of God
- Church: the two natures (divine and human)
are united in the one person of Christ; Mary
as Theotokos

27.  Chalcedon (451)
- issue: distinction of the two natures of
Christ
- Eutyches: monophysitism – the union of the
divine and human natures in Christ result in
only one divine nature; the human is
absorbed by the divine
- Church: the human and divine natures are
united “without confusion, without change”
and “without division, without separation”

28. Some Christological issues today:
 Humanity and Knowledge: What sort of
knowledge did Jesus possess?
 Humanity and Sinlessness: Without
concupiscence, what was it like for Jesus to
be tempted?
 Ecological Crisis: What does our faith in the
incarnation and resurrection say about
environmental issues?
 World Religions: Is Jesus the savior of non-
Christians as well?