Monday, December 19, 2011

A brief history of Christian discussion concerning the Christological incarnation

1.    Greek Gnosticism suggested Jesus only “appeared" to be human” – Docetism.
 
2.    Ebionites (Jewish Christians) asserted Jesus was fully human, and Holy Spirit descended upon Him at baptism - Adoptionism.

3.    Arius (c. 250-336) argued that Jesus was subordinate to God the Father. “There was a time when the Son was not” – Subordinationism; denial of pre- existence.

4.    Council of Nicea (325) affirmed that Jesus was fully God and fully man in homoousion.

5.    Apollinarius (c. 310-380) posited that human rational soul of Jesus was replaced by divine logos in single nature – Monophysitism.

6.    Gregory of Nazianzus (330-389) stated, “the unassumed is the unhealed”

7.    Nestorius (c. 380-451) suggested that there were two separate beings in Jesus Christ; no real union.

8.    Eutyches (c. 378-454) indicated that the human nature was absorbed into the divine in a synthesis – Absorption.

9.    Tome of Pope Leo (449), Council of Chalcedon (451) established orthodoxy as “two natures (divine and human) in one hypostasis or Person (Lat. personae).”

10. Leontius of Byzantium (c. 500-560) introduced concept of enhypostasia, that human nature of Jesus did not have independent existence.

11. German theology of 18th and 19th centuries – quest for “historical Jesus.” Led to R. Bultmann’s “demythologization.”

12. Nineteenth century theology – argument of kenotic theories of Christology.

13. Karl Barth (1886-1968) – Christocentric revelation of God. Humanity of God- assumption of humanity into Deity, leading to universalism.

James Fowler
Excerpted from: Christology, Study Outlines, 1999, www.christinyou.net.

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