What does it mean for the Christian Church to proclaim that God revealed Godself in Jesus Christ? This article tries to capture the answer given to this question by Rowans Williams, who defines and understands Christ as the 'heart of creation'. The problem at the heart of Williams' thought is the relationship between the finite and the infinite. If God is merely a being amongst others, the finite and infinite disintegrate into identity. If God is totally other to creation, we end up with a duality between God and creation. For Williams, the answer lies in the noncompetitive union of the eternal Logos and the human individual in Jesus Christ, in whom the finite entirely and asymmetrically depends on the infinite, whilst retaining its own integrity. In clarifying Williams' answer to the question above, firstly, I will illuminate his philosophical and metaphysical assumptions to shed light on his interpretation of Christ as the logic (logos) of creation. Secondly, Williams' reading of the history of Christology, steering between identity and duality, will be narrated; and, thirdly, the political and ethical implications of his Christology will be discussed for the Church today. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : This philosophical and dogmahistorical study into Christology as narrated by Rowan Williams claims that God reveals Godself in a non-competitive relationship between the infinite and the finite, between God and the human individual in the person of Jesus Christ. This asymmetrical relationship challenges our modernistic competitive view of history, societies and human beings as consumers. ; http://www.ve.org.za ; am2021 ; Dogmatics and Christian Ethics
Son of Man (2006) is the first Jesus film to be produced in South Africa and the first Jesus film with an all-black cast amongst all films about the life of Jesus. Son of Man retells the story of Jesus from the pre-1994 South African context and the transition to democracy. The film portrays a Jesus who is concerned about social justice and seeks to dismantle systems that perpetuate and maintain subjugation, oppression, discrimination and marginalisation. The film reinforces the ideology of black consciousness and the praxis of black theology creatively and artistically through film. Jesus in Son of Man embodies the life of Stephen Bantu Biko, and Steve Biko is thus given a Christ-figure around four things: non-violence, ideology, disappearance and death. A black Christological perspective is used to analyse the nature of Jesus Christ in Son of Man. ; Mr Mokoena is participating in the research project, 'Social Cohesion', directed by Prof. Dr Vuyani Vellem, Department of Dogmatics and Christian Ethics, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria. ; http://www.hts.org.za ; am2017 ; Dogmatics and Christian Ethics
The basis for theological reflection about freedom is the truth about creation of man in the image and likeness of God who is absolutely free. Here is the source of human's yearning for freedom, pursued through endless tension between good and evil. Abstracting in the definition of freedom from the religious foundation inevitably leads to replacing the truth about freedom with the ideology of freedom, the example of which may be modern and contemporary liberal world views, converting themselves into totalitarian social and political systems. Though just in itself, the mere desire for freedom leads humans to nothingness and enslaves them, if it takes the form of lawlessness and Promethean struggle with God. Christianity shows that freedom is not a human prey, but a gift of God, grounded in ontology; the man is free because he was created and saved — he is a son in the Son. Christ is a new Prometheus, who "cast fire on the earth," in the gift of the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of freedom. What constitutes the way to man's freedom is not autonomy, but grace, leading to love.
У статті розглядається історико-богословський контекст формування відносин між державою і Церквою в Римській імперії IV століття. ; The Nicene Council did not put an end to the Arian polemic. After the Council there came a long period of the struggle for reception of the Nicene Christology. The controversy became a subject of an interest for the Emperor since it was perceived as a threat for the imperial unity. For this reason, the custom of the Emperor to intervene in the ecclesiastical affairs began to increase even in the field of doctrine. Such situation evoked a reaction of bishops and became an opportunity for defining the role of the Emperor in the Church. There are two main standpoints in this regard in the fourth century: one of the pro-Arian bishops and the other of the anti-Arian bishops. The chief purpose of this paper was to illustrate the pro-Arian bishops' standpoint concerning the Emperor in the Church. The analysis of historical sources and literature proved that the attitude of the pro-Arian bishops towards the Emperor was the position neither of an absolute submission nor the whole independence. Their model of relations between the Church and state was influenced primarily by Eusebius of Caesarea, who transformed to the Christianity the ancient Hellenistic political theory and Hebrew view of authority. In the context of these ideas the Emperor as the alive law had a special role in the Church. It was manifested especially on the synods. The pro-Arians allowed the Emperor to intervene even in the sphere of Church doctrine. Their attitude towards the Emperor differed greatly from the model elaborated during the ante-Nicene period. On the other hand, the pro-Arians tried to remain faithful to the teaching of Church Tradition. In this perspective they could not consider the Emperor as the head of the Church. The end of the Arian controversy did not discharge the Church of intervention of the Emperor, but underscored the role of the Emperor in the Church. The Eastern Church in the period of reception of the Nicene Christology was programmed to be dependent on the Emperor. Thus, the pro-Arian attitude towards the Emperor sowed the seeds of future Byzantine Caesaropapism.
Christology is the effort to find the answer on Christ illustration of human life which always experiences a development. Christology should build based on the inter-textual and intercultural. With noticing the cultural context, so Christology can develop itself widely and always up to date, the literary quality aimed to find the dynamics of the development of Christology in the Javanese farmer community context. The Research obtains the important findings about Christology. Learn from Christological thinking which always develops according to the times, it might be developed the Christological thinking in the Javanese farmer communities' context. The myth regarding Dewi Sri (and Sadono) and Ratu Adil, which has become ingrained in the Javanese farmer community, can be appointed the development of a distinctive Christology for Javanese farmer community. The developed Christology should describe that Christ as the incarnate form of Allah can be found in the realm of agriculture. Christ presents in nature (Panentheism) becomes increasingly context for Javanese farmer community, Christology which emphasize Jesus as incarnation form, Jesus is the compassion of God, Jesus is the political act of God's love which experienced by Javanese farmer community. This finding has benefit for the efforts to develop the Church in the context of agricultural society in Java. ; La cristología es el esfuerzo por encontrar la respuesta a la ilustración de Cristo en la vida humana, que siempre está en desarrollo. La cristología debe construirse a partir de lo intertextual y lo intercultural. Al darse cuenta del contexto cultural, para que la cristología pueda desarrollarse ampliamente y siempre actualizada, la calidad literaria tuvo como objetivo encontrar la dinámica del desarrollo de la cristología en el contexto de la comunidad campesina javanesa. La investigación arroja importantes hallazgos sobre cristología. Aprenda del pensamiento cristológico que siempre se desarrolla según los tiempos, podría desarrollarse el pensamiento cristológico en el contexto de las comunidades campesinas javanesas. El mito sobre Dewi Sri (y Sadono) y Ratu Adil, que se ha arraigado en la comunidad de agricultores javaneses, puede considerarse el desarrollo de una cristología distintiva para la comunidad de agricultores javaneses. La cristología desarrollada debería describir que Cristo, como la forma encarnada de Alá, se puede encontrar en el ámbito de la agricultura. Cristo se presenta en la naturaleza (panenteísmo) se convierte cada vez más en un contexto para la comunidad de agricultores javaneses, la cristología que enfatiza a Jesús como forma de encarnación, Jesús es la compasión de Dios, Jesús es el acto político del amor de Dios experimentado por la comunidad de agricultores javaneses. Este hallazgo beneficia los esfuerzos por desarrollar la Iglesia en el contexto de la sociedad agrícola en Java. ; A cristologia é o esforço para encontrar a resposta à ilustração de Cristo na vida humana que está sempre em desenvolvimento. A cristologia deve se construir a partir do intertextual e do intercultural. Percebendo o contexto cultural, para que a Cristologia se desenvolva amplamente e sempre atualizada, a qualidade literária visou encontrar a dinâmica do desenvolvimento da Cristologia no contexto da comunidade camponesa javanesa. A pesquisa produz descobertas importantes sobre cristologia. Aprenda com o pensamento cristológico que sempre se desenvolve de acordo com os tempos, pode ser desenvolvido o pensamento cristológico no contexto das comunidades de agricultores javaneses. O mito a respeito de Dewi Sri (e Sadono) e Ratu Adil, que se enraizou na comunidade de agricultores javanês, pode ser apontado como o desenvolvimento de uma cristologia distinta para a comunidade de agricultores javanês. A cristologia desenvolvida deve descrever que Cristo como a forma encarnada de Allah pode ser encontrado no reino da agricultura. Cristo se apresenta na natureza (Panenteísmo) torna-se cada vez mais contexto para a comunidade de agricultores javaneses, cristologia que enfatiza Jesus como forma de encarnação, Jesus é a compaixão de Deus, Jesus é o ato político do amor de Deus vivenciado pela comunidade de agricultores javaneses. Essa descoberta foi benéfica para os esforços de desenvolver a Igreja no contexto da sociedade agrícola em Java.
стаття ; У статті розглядається історико-богословський контекст формування відносин між державою і Церквою в Римській імперії IV століття. ; The Nicene Council did not put an end to the Arian polemic. After the Council there came a long period of the struggle for reception of the Nicene Christology. The controversy became a subject of an interest for the Emperor since it was perceived as a threat for the imperial unity. For this reason, the custom of the Emperor to intervene in the ecclesiastical affairs began to increase even in the field of doctrine. Such situation evoked a reaction of bishops and became an opportunity for defining the role of the Emperor in the Church. There are two main standpoints in this regard in the fourth century: one of the pro-Arian bishops and the other of the anti-Arian bishops. The chief purpose of this paper was to illustrate the pro-Arian bishops' standpoint concerning the Emperor in the Church. The analysis of historical sources and literature proved that the attitude of the pro-Arian bishops towards the Emperor was the position neither of an absolute submission nor the whole independence. Their model of relations between the Church and state was influenced primarily by Eusebius of Caesarea, who transformed to the Christianity the ancient Hellenistic political theory and Hebrew view of authority. In the context of these ideas the Emperor as the alive law had a special role in the Church. It was manifested especially on the synods. The pro-Arians allowed the Emperor to intervene even in the sphere of Church doctrine. Their attitude towards the Emperor differed greatly from the model elaborated during the ante-Nicene period. On the other hand, the pro-Arians tried to remain faithful to the teaching of Church Tradition. In this perspective they could not consider the Emperor as the head of the Church. The end of the Arian controversy did not discharge the Church of intervention of the Emperor, but underscored the role of the Emperor in the Church. The Eastern Church in the period of reception of the Nicene Christology was programmed to be dependent on the Emperor. Thus, the pro-Arian attitude towards the Emperor sowed the seeds of future Byzantine Caesaropapism.
Highly christology elements appear in Jacques's sister. Jésus-Christ's name or its attributes appear on several occasions in expressions that are not insignificant, and the text produces an image of Christ and the way of life it advocates, but does not merely explain the synthetic terms of a faith, but offers a more existential perspective. A few expressions can be interpreted as a network of particularly significant references to Christ: the 'beautiful name', the 'law of freedom', the 'original face' and the 'implanted parole'. ; International audience ; Highly christology elements appear in Jacques's sister. Jésus-Christ's name or its attributes appear on several occasions in expressions that are not insignificant, and the text produces an image of Christ and the way of life it advocates, but does not merely explain the synthetic terms of a faith, but offers a more existential perspective. A few expressions can be interpreted as a network of particularly significant references to Christ: the 'beautiful name', the 'law of freedom', the 'original face' and the 'implanted parole'. ; Des éléments de haute christologie apparaissent dans l'Épître de Jacques. Le nom de Jésus-Christ ou ses attributs y figurent à plusieurs reprises dans des expressions qui ne sont pas anodines, et le ce texte produit une image du Christ et du mode de vie qu'il préconise sans se limiter à l'explicitation des termes synthétiques d'une confession de foi, mais en proposant une perspective plus existentielle. Quelques expressions peuvent être interprétées comme un réseau de références particulièrement significatives faites à la personne du Christ : le «beau Nom », la «Loi de liberté », le «visage originel », la «Parole implantée ».
Christianity, despite the diversity of currents, appears to be a holistic spiritual tradition that carries out its activity in specific historical, political and economic conditions. The main idea of Christianity is the personality of Jesus Christ. Christological doctrine as a systematic learning of Jesus Christ is the most important aspect of Christian doctrine, the key to understanding other religious issues: the dogma of the Trinity, pneumatology, ecclesiology, religious anthropology and soteriology.Religious positions of Christianity from the 1st century of Christian history, were naturally associated with the gospel image of Jesus Christ, generating endless attempts to interpret His substance. The most difficult Christological question for the theologians was to determine the relationship between the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. To translate the category of faith, which reflects the most regularities and relations that exist in reality in systematized theological thought, became an uneasy task before which Christian thinkers were put in the conditions of the domination of Greek philosophy. However, the Christian dogma was Apophatic, and the content of theological truth was most often manifested through the negation of the theological fiction. In opposition to the Gnostics, the reality of the human nature of Christ was confirmed, and in the controversy with Judaism and the Arians, the reality of His Divinity was protected.In the 4th century, the Christological thought reached such a limit, when further elucidation of questions became impossible without the development of exact theological terminology, as well as without a deep knowledge of anthropology and philosophy in general. Therefore, in Antiochian theologians, in the Christological problems, special attention was paid to the moral aspect of the doctrine of the double essence of Christ, separated from the main postulates of Greek philosophy. A peculiar interpretation of Christology was presented in the concepts of the Antiochian theologians Diodore of Tarsus and Theodore of Mopsuestia. Diodore of Tarsus, developed theology of incarnation, which, and differed in the return to realism in his representation of the human nature of Christ, tended to identify two sides of his Personality in the form of two separate individuals and thus provoked Nestorian disputes of the next century. The follower of Diodore's ideas was Theodore of Mopsuestia, whose doctrine also follows the tendency to think and talk about Christ as two different individuals. ; Рассматривается важный христологический диспут, который возник в конце четвертого столетия между представителями александрийского и антиохийского направлений богословской мысли. Предметом дискуссии стало определение соотношения божественной и человеческой природы в Особе Христа. Установлено развитие Диодором Тарсийским богословия Воплощения, которое имело тенденцию определять две стороны Его Личности в виде двух отдельных индивидуумов. Проанализирована христологическая модель Теодора Мопсуестийского, согласно которой Христос обладал двумя разными личностями. ; Розглядається важливий христологічний диспут, який виник у кінці четвертого століття між представниками олександрійського і антіохійського напрямків богословської думки. Предметом дискусії стало визначення співвідношення божественної та людської природи в Особі Христа. Встановлено розвиток Діодором Тарським богослов'я Втілення, яке мало тенденцію визначати дві сторони його Особистості у вигляді двох окремих індивідуумів. Проаналізована христологічна модель Теодора з Мопсуестії згідно якої Христа володів двома різними особами.
Sobór Nicejski nie położył kresu kontrowersji ariańskiej. Po soborze nastąpił długi okres walki o recepcję chrystologii nicejskiej. Kontrowersja stała się przedmiotem zainteresowania cesarza, ponieważ postrzegano ją jako zagrożenie dla jedności cesarstwa. Z tego powodu zwyczaj ingerowania cesarza w sprawy kościelne stawał się coraz częstszy i nawet dotyczył nauki Kościoła. Taka sytuacja wywołała reakcję biskupów i stała się okazją do określenia roli cesarza w Kościele. W IV w. istniały dwa główne stanowiska w tej kwestii – biskupów proariańskich i antyariańskich. Głównym celem artykułu było ukazanie stanowiska biskupów proariańskich wobec cesarza. Analiza źródeł historycznych i literatury wykazała, że ich postawa wobec cesarza nie była ani bezwzględnym podporządkowaniem się ani całkowitą niezależnością. Ich model stosunków między Kościołem a państwem został zainspirowany przez Euzebiusza z Cezarei, który przeniósł na grunt chrześcijański antyczną, hellenistyczną teorię polityczną oraz hebrajską koncepcję władcy. W kontekście antycznych idei cesarz jako żywe prawo posiadał szczególną rolę w Kościele. Przejawiała się ona szczególnie na synodach. Biskupi proariańscy dopuścili cesarza do interweniowania nawet w sferę kościelnej doktryny. Ich postawa wobec cesarza znacznie różniła się od modelu wypracowanego w dobie przednicejskiej. Z drugiej jednak strony biskupi proariańscy starali się dochować wierności Tradycji Kościoła. Z tego powodu nie mogli uznać cesarza za jego głowę. Zakończenie kontrowersji ariańskiej nie uwolniło Kościoła od zależności od cesarza. Kościół Wschodni w okresie recepcji Credo Nicejskiego został niejako zaprogramowany pod kątem uzależnienia od cesarza. W ten sposób postawa proariańskich biskupów legła u podstaw przyszłego bizantyńskiego cezaropapizmu. ; Sobór Nicejski nie położył kresu kontrowersji ariańskiej. Po soborze nastąpił długi okres walki o recepcję chrystologii nicejskiej. Kontrowersja stała się przedmiotem zainteresowania cesarza, ponieważ postrzegano ją jako zagrożenie dla jedności cesarstwa. Z tego powodu zwyczaj ingerowania cesarza w sprawy kościelne stawał się coraz częstszy i nawet dotyczył nauki Kościoła. Taka sytuacja wywołała reakcję biskupów i stała się okazją do określenia roli cesarza w Kościele. W IV w. istniały dwa główne stanowiska w tej kwestii – biskupów proariańskich i antyariańskich. Głównym celem artykułu było ukazanie stanowiska biskupów proariańskich wobec cesarza. Analiza źródeł historycznych i literatury wykazała, że ich postawa wobec cesarza nie była ani bezwzględnym podporządkowaniem się ani całkowitą niezależnością. Ich model stosunków między Kościołem a państwem został zainspirowany przez Euzebiusza z Cezarei, który przeniósł na grunt chrześcijański antyczną, hellenistyczną teorię polityczną oraz hebrajską koncepcję władcy. W kontekście antycznych idei cesarz jako żywe prawo posiadał szczególną rolę w Kościele. Przejawiała się ona szczególnie na synodach. Biskupi proariańscy dopuścili cesarza do interweniowania nawet w sferę kościelnej doktryny. Ich postawa wobec cesarza znacznie różniła się od modelu wypracowanego w dobie przednicejskiej. Z drugiej jednak strony biskupi proariańscy starali się dochować wierności Tradycji Kościoła. Z tego powodu nie mogli uznać cesarza za jego głowę. Zakończenie kontrowersji ariańskiej nie uwolniło Kościoła od zależności od cesarza. Kościół Wschodni w okresie recepcji Credo Nicejskiego został niejako zaprogramowany pod kątem uzależnienia od cesarza. W ten sposób postawa proariańskich biskupów legła u podstaw przyszłego bizantyńskiego cezaropapizmu.
The article deals with potential ethical implications of contemporary Christological studies. In a first section the argument is made that doctrine and ethics belong together. In the central section, this claim is illustrated with reference to recent approaches to Christology. Under the theme 'Christology and Ethics' six popular approaches are discussed with a view to their respective ethical implications. In each instance, representative examples are provided. The six approaches are those that underline living in communion with Christ, that emphasize remembering Jesus, that call for discipleship, that employ the threefold office, that are based on the worship of Christ and that emphasize Christ's promised future. In a brief, final section three conclusions are developed regarding Christology and public theology, or Jesus and politics.
In May 1849 Wagner fled Dresden after the failure of the uprising of which he was a leader. His last creative work in Dresden was prose sketches for an opera Jesus of Nazareth, the result of his study of the Graeco-Roman world and the New Testament together with some knowledge of biblical criticism. Although he portrays Jesus as a social revolutionary in that he attacks the Pharisees, oppression and injustice, he is by no means a political messiah; indeed Wagner emphases his sacrificial death which results in the giving of the Holy Spirit. Key theological themes of the work which I explore include Jesus' messiahship, law and freedom, and the significance of his death.
This article focused on Contextually Christology reflections. They are Leonardo Boffs Christology reflection in Latin America, Aloysius Pieris in Asian, and Banawiratmas in Indonesian as the examples of Contextual Christology reflection with different context. Comparative method is used to learn the idiosyncrasy of each author in context to present the meaning of Jesus Christ in the churchs struggle and experiences in different context. From this research it was found that contextually Christological reflection found an image of Christ in which it lives and edifying the church struggle now a days. Christians are the majority group in Latin America. The faiths of Jesus Christ encourage fighting for liberation and justice in the middle of various socio economic and politic life of bondage. In Asia, Christian are minority, the preaching of the faith of Jesus Christ as a savior is only effective in a dialogue with a view to safety in Asian religion. In Indonesian contextual, the dialogue with the local community in introducing Christ to be approached by understanding the meaning of sacrifice in relation with a real love of the neighbor.
This essay proposes an interpretation of the Christian theological discourse developed in Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan in order to show: 1) its theoretical-systematic value in the definition of the political form, that is, of the conceptual articulation that sustains the sovereignty device; 2) its complementarity to the performative trait of the Hobbesian anthropological discourse, that is, to the determination of the profile of a specific form of life, adapted to the sovereign order because capable of reproducing industriously within it and which is, at the same time, the primary product of that order. This interpretation shows that the Christian Commonwealth is the complete realization of the Hobbes's anthropological-political project.
Two gädls, briefly examined in this study, portray Iyasu I as a Ṣägga Lǝǧ partisan. Ṣägga Lǝǧ is one of two views dismissed as heresy at the 1878 Boru Meda synod. This synod settled the Christological controversy that beset the Ethiopian Church for two and a half centuries, by declaring Karra, the polemical name for Täwaḥǝdo, as official orthodoxy. What is strange about the accounts of the two gädls is that they seem to contradict oneof the doxas of Ethiopian historiography, which is that Iyasu I was a diehard Täwaḥǝdo. This study resolves this enigma by showing that during the Gondärine period the Täwaḥǝdo teaching, which enjoyed the recognition of the royal centre as orthodoxy, was Ṣägga Lǝǧ. Such revision of the historiography of the doctrinal controversy in turn paves the way for a better understanding of the rebellion of Lasta and southern Tǝgray, against the monarchial centre of Gondärine Ethiopia. So far, the history of this rebellionis poorly understood due to the wrong assumption that the Karra teaching championed by the Lasta–Tǝgray group at the time was the same Täwaḥǝdo of the monarchial centre. No historian could thus entertain the possibility of a long lasting rebellion in the name of Karra. This study shows that throughout much of the Gondarine period, Karra was rather the doctrine of a third party that defied the centre using Lasta and southernTǝgray as safe-heavens.
Is it useful today, or necessary, an interpretation of the Code of Canon Law from Christology? The article examines some opposition which consider as inappropriate to search for foundations or links from "outside" the Code itself and the normal legislative living tradition of the Catholic Church. The Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II sponsored a theological interpretation of the Code, and this article summarizes some features of the validation, method, and the successful application of an interdisciplinary "hermeneutic model" of the Theology of the Canon Law (Christology, anthropological co-references, moral theology, and the process of production and implementation of the Canons) in Catholic universities.
