Seeing the contours of Christian thought about ChristThroughout the two-thousand-year span of Christian history, believers in Jesus have sought to articulate their faith and their understanding of how God works in the world. How do we, as we examine the vast and varied output of those who came before us, understand the unity and the diversity of their thinking? How do we make sense of our own thought in light of theirs? The Christian Understandings series offers to help.In this insightful volume, David H. Jensen offers an engaging tour through more than two millennia of thought on Christ. Starting with the New Testament and moving forward, Jensen outlines the myriad beliefs, developments, and questions encompassing the attempts to understand Christianity's most central--and most mysterious--figure. From the patristic portrayals to medieval Christology, from the Reformation to the Enlightenment, and into the twentieth century and beyond, Jensen presents a helpful and needed guide.
David H. Jensen is the academic dean and professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
1. Introduction 2. New Testament Portrayals of Jesus 3. Medieval Christologies 4. Reformation Christologies 5. Christologies of Enlightenment and Renewal 6. The Twentieth Century and Beyond
"Jesus is reported to have asked his disciples, 'Who do you say that I am?' David H. Jensen has given us an illuminating and accessible overview of how Christians have answered this question, from New Testament times to the present. With skill and care, he locates each author in their context and highlights their key ideas and emphasis. His excellent summaries interspersed with insightful commentary make for highly rewarding reading. The number, range, and variety of Christologies presented here from around the globe is amazing. If you've ever wondered what Christians have thought of Jesus, this book is for you." --Don Schweitzer, McDougald Professor of Theology, St. Andrew's College "The Christian community exists in order to keep alive a question once attributed to Jesus of Nazareth-'Who do you say that I am?' While every generation is invited to answer that question for themselves, any responsible answer will not ignore how those before us have attempted their own response to and interpretation of this figure who remains uncaptured by any one tradition or time. To that end, Jensen has provided a theologically alert survey of many such voices. Written with extraordinary clarity, this book is a reliable guide for undergraduate students and curious others." --Jason Goroncy, Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Whitley College "Magisterial in scope and highly accessible in both its prose and theological explication, this book offers a refreshing account of Christian understandings of Christ. In Jensen's hands, the insights and innovations of both well-known and lesser-known thinkers from across the centuries and continents are generously and astutely rendered. This is Christology come alive." --Darby Ray, Bates College
