Christ and the Interim State

2019 ◽  
pp. 93-116
Author(s):  
Timothy Pawl
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
Christian Doctrine ◽  
Hypostatic Union

Traditional Christian doctrine teaches that Christ was dead for three days, and that, during those days, he descended into hell. Does this teaching, when conjoined with Conciliar Christology, imply the truth of a contradiction? This chapter considers an argument attempting to show that it does. The argument can be put as follows. Relations require the existence of their relata; so the Son cannot assume something or hypostatically unite it to his divine nature if it isn’t. But during the three days that Christ was dead—during that interim state—there was no human nature there to be assumed. And so, at least for those three days, the hypostatic union was not. But then, it follows that the hypostatic union is not permanent, and that the natures are separable, contrary to Conciliar Christology. Thus, there is a difficulty for Extended Conciliar Christology. The chapter provides six replies to that argument, weighing the costs and benefits of each reply.

The Hypostatic Union as Normative over the Relation of God’s Self-Revelation and Human Cognition in the Thought of T.F. Torrance

2018 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-268
Author(s):  
Alexander J.D. Irving
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Divine Revelation ◽  
Human Relationship ◽  
Rational Structure ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
Material Content ◽  
Human Understanding ◽  
Hypostatic Union ◽  
Theological Realism

T.F. Torrance held the hypostatic union to be the normative instance of divine–human relationship. The structure of the relation between the divine nature and the human nature as delineated in the hypostatic union is the archetype to which all other theological loci must correspond. This essay argues that Torrance applied this Christocentric approach to formulate his own theological realism in which God’s self-revelation through the Son and by the Spirit both shapes and is cognized by the rational structure of human understanding, preserving the distinct integrity of human cognition and divine revelation in theological knowledge. This constitutes a conscious attempt on the part of Torrance to reverse the synthesis of rational structure and material content in Immanuel Kant’s transcendental idealism.

scholarly journals Deification in the Baptist Tradition: Christification of the Human Nature Through Adopted and Participatory Sonship Without Becoming Another Christ

Perichoresis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-73
Author(s):  
Dongsun Cho
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
The Real ◽  
Hypostatic Union ◽  
Attributes Of God ◽  
In Christ

Abstract Some contemporary Baptists (Medley and Kharlamov) argue that the conservative Baptists in North America need to incorporate the concept of deification into their traditional soteriology because they failed to present the continual and transforming nature of salvation. However, many leading conservative Baptist systematicians (Garrett, Erickson, Demarest, and Keathley) demonstrate their concern about a possible pantheistic connotation of the doctrine of deification. Unlike the conservative Baptists, I argue for the necessity of working with the concept of deification in the traditional Baptist soteriology. The concept of deification is not something foreign to the Baptist tradition because Keach, Gill, Spurgeon, and Maclaren already demonstrated the patristic exchange formula ‘God became man so that man may become like God’. They considered the hypostatic union of two natures in Christ as the source and model of becoming like God or Christ, the true Image of God. Christians are called to be united with the glorified humanity of Christ by their adopted sonship and participation in the divine nature. Christification speaks of the real transformation of Christians in terms of a change in the mode of existence, not in nature. The four Baptists taught that Christian could participate in the communicable attributes of God, but not in the essence or incommunicable attributes of God. Therefore, Christification never produces another God-Man. Conservative Baptists do not have to compromise their traditional commitment to sola scriptura and the forensic nature of justification in their employment of the theme of deification. This paper concludes with four suggestions for contemporary Baptist discussions on deification.

Circumscription

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torstein Theodor Tollefsen
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
Modern Term

The concept of circumscription is central to the iconoclast argument against the icons: if the icon is a true image of Christ, it must represent his divine as well as his human nature. If it cannot do that, the image is an idol. The divine nature is uncircumscribed, therefore an image cannot be made of it. This is the challenge Theodore tries to counter. He develops a detailed Christological position in order to show that Christ somehow must appear in this world in a concrete (circumscribed) and visible form. The chapter presents an interpretation of both iconoclast Christology and Theodore’s Christology. Theodore manages to define his Christological position in such a way that he can show how Christ may be a subject of painting. The concepts of the eidos (appearance) and likeness allow Theodore to work out a doctrine of painting that is almost phenomenological, to use a modern term.

The Nature of Man and the Christian's Self-Esteem

1973 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Counts
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Christian Doctrine ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Self Worth

A great dilemma facing Christian psychotherapists is how to promote self-esteem without surrendering the Christian doctrine of the sinfulness of man. A healthy self-image and deep distrust of human nature seem antithetical. This article attempts to show that the frequently neglected Christian concept of man proves a valuable ally in building self-esteem and that the Christian doctrine of sin is not so undercutting to self-worth as supposed. In fact, the Christian concept proves far more consistent, helpful, and realistic than the views of contemporary psychologists.

scholarly journals Obrona integralnego człowieczeństwa Chrystusa przeciw apolinaryzmowi w dziełach Epifaniusza z Salaminy

Vox Patrum ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 253-269
Author(s):  
Roland Marcin Pancerz
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
Hypostatic Union ◽  
Apostolic Fathers ◽  
Communicatio Idiomatum ◽  
The One ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
The Church ◽  
Technical Terms

Epiphanius of Salamis was one of the Church Fathers, who reacted resolutely against incorrect Christology of Apollinaris of Laodicea. The latter asserted that the divine Logos took the place of Christ’s human mind (noàj). In the beginning, the bishop of Salamis tackled the problem of Christ’s human body, since – as he told himself – followers of Apollinaris, that arrived in Cyprus, put about incorrect doctrine on the Saviour’s body. Among other things, they asserted it was consub­stantial with his godhead. Beyond doubt, this idea constituted a deformation of the original thought of Apollinaris. Anyway, Epiphanius opposing that error took up again expressions, which had been employed before by the Apostolic Fathers and Apologists in the fight against Docetism. Besides, Epiphanius told that some followers of Apollinaris denied the exi­stence of Christ’s human soul (yuc»). Also in this matter, in all probability, we come across a deformation of the original doctrine of the bishop of Laodicea. A real controversy with Apollinaris was the defence of the human mind of the Sa­viour. Epiphanius emphasized that He becoming man took all components of hu­man nature: “body, soul, mind and everything that man is”, in accordance with the axiom “What is not assumed is not saved” (Quod non assumptum, non sanatum). A proof of the integrity of human nature was the reasonable human feelings the Saviour experienced (hunger, tiredness, sorrow, anxiety) as well as knowledge he had to gain partly from experience, which was witnessed by Luke 2, 52. In the lat­ter question, the bishop of Salamis was a forerunner of contemporary Christology. The fact that Epiphanius admitted a complete human nature in Christ didn’t bring dividing the incarnate Logos into two persons. Although the bishop of Sa­lamis didn’t use technical terms for the one person of Jesus Christ, he outlined nonetheless the idea of the hypostatic union in his own words, as well as through employing the rule of the communicatio idiomatum. The ontological union of the divine Logos with his human nature assured Christ’s holiness, too.

scholarly journals Why Catholic Theology Needs Metapshysics: A Christological Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-62
Author(s):  
Thomas Joseph White
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
Catholic Theology ◽  
Human Reason ◽  
Son Of God ◽  
The One ◽  
Human Intellect ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Church

The Chalcedonian confession of faith asserts that Christ is one person, the Son of God, subsisting in two natures, divine and human. The doctrine of the communication of idioms is essential to the life and practices of the Church insofar as we affirm there to be properties of deity and humanity present in the one subject, the Word made flesh. Such affirmations are made without a confusion of the two natures or their mutually distinct attributes. The affirmation that there is a divine and human nature in Christ is possible, however, only if it is also possible for human beings to think coherently about the divine nature, analogically, and human nature, univocally. Otherwise it is not feasible to receive understanding of the divine nature of Christ into the human intellect intrinsically and the revelation must remain wholly alien to natural human thought, even under the presumption that such understanding originates in grace. Likewise we can only think coherently of the eternal Son’s solidarity with us in human nature if we can conceive of a common human nature present in all human individuals. Consequently, it is only possible for the Church to confess some form of Chalcedonian doctrine if there is also a perennial metaphysical philosophy capable of thinking coherently about the divine and human natures from within the ambit of natural human reason. This also implies that the Church maintains a “metaphysical apostolate” in her public teaching, in her philosophical traditions, as well as in her scriptural and doctrinal enunciations.

New Evidence of the Controversy About Whether the Humanity of Christ Can Contemplate His Divinity

2019 ◽  
pp. 250-264
Author(s):  
Максим Глебович Калинин
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Positive Answer ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
Knowledge Of God ◽  
Church Of The East ◽  
Vision Of God ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
The Church

В статье опубликован фрагмент анонимного комментария на «Главы о ведении» раббана Афнимарана, восточносирийского мистика VII века. Этот фрагмент представляет большой интерес, поскольку содержит новые сведения о богословской полемике, развернувшейся в Церкви Востока в VIII в. Эта полемика, сопоставимая по масштабам и значимости с паламитскими спорами в Византии, касалась проблемы границ богопознания и прежде всего вопроса о том, способна ли человеческая природа Христа созерцать Его божественную природу. Сведений об этой полемике сохранилось относительно мало, что делает новое публикуемое свидетельство особенно ценным. После краткой характеристики «Глав о ведении» раббана Афнимарана в статье предлагается перевод комментария на главу 90 и анализ этого текста. Особое внимание уделяется термину yaddūʕtānā, «знающий», который раббан Афнимаран использует применительно к человеческой природе Христа. Комментарий на главу 90 - важное свидетельство того, что тезис о способности человеческой природы Христа созерцать Его Божество был характерным для восточносирийского мистического движения (или, по крайней мере, для одной из монашеских традиций внутри этого движения). The aim of the present paper is to introduce new data concerning the polemic that took place in the VIII century C.E. and was related to the mystical movement in the Church of the East. This data are provided by an anonymous commentary on «Chapters on the Knowledge» which belong to rabban Aphnīmāran, an 7th century mystical writer. Among the problems the aforementioned polemic was related to, was the question on whether the humanity of Christ can see His divinity. For the positive answer on this question, John of Dalyāthā, a prominent mystical writer of the 8th century, was condemned by Catholicos Timatheos. In the commentary on the 90th chapter of rabban Aphnīmāran, an anonymous interpreter claims that the vision of God is the knowledge of God. As rabban Aphnīmāran calls the human nature of Christ «knowing» (yaddūʕtānā), the humanity of Christ inevitably knows His divinity, the author of the commentary concludes. In the present article, the text of this commentary is published and analyzed. One may see that the thesis on Jesus’ ability to contemplate the divine nature was not a particular opinion of John of Dalyāthā. This opinion was representative of East Syriac mystical movement (or at least of one of monastic traditions within this movement).

Getting Around Language

Philosophy ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 72 (280) ◽  
pp. 259-268
Author(s):  
Richard Mason
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Divine Nature

(i) Heraclitus wrote that human nature does not have right understanding, but divine nature does. The goddess of Parmenides tells us the Truth: that what exists is whole, single, undivided. We say (‘in our language’) that things are separably nameable and describable. That is incorrect. So ‘our’ use of language embodies error. In the Cratylus, Socrates says that the gods call things by names that are naturally right.

scholarly journals THE ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL OF MANAZKERT AND THE DOGMATIC SYSTEM OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH

2016 ◽  
pp. 106-129
Author(s):  
ARTHUR MATEVOSYAN
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Complete System ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Divine Nature ◽  
Holy Trinity ◽  
Perfect System ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One

In the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church there is a dogmatic document of exceptional clarity and integrity in which its doctrine is set forth as a complete system. We mean 10 anathemas adopted in 726 A.D. by by the ecclesiastical council of Manazkert. This council was convened by the leaders of the Armenian and the Syrian Jacobite churches-Catholicos John of Odzun and Patriarch Athanasius of Antioch in order to overcome doctrinal differences between them. According to this anathemas, the dogmatic system of the Armenian Church can be described as follows. God is the Holy Trinity that has three Persons and one nature, and the Persosns are equally perfect. The one Person of the Holy Trinity, God the Son, incarnated Ban and became a perfect man, who had all the qualities of human nature- soul, body and mind. The human nature, accepted by Christ, was sinful and mortal like the nature of every human being. Christ had one, but not sole, divine nature. Between divine and human natures of Christ existed ontological, and not only moral connection. Christ's humanity, although it was not naturally incorruptible, was incorruptible owing to its unspeakable unity with divine nature. Christ suffered voluntarily, and not by the natural necessity. Christ was consubstantial by divinity to the Father, and by humanity to S. Virgin and all the people. The body of Christ was incorruptible since birth to resurrection. The Council of Manazkert made the doctrine of the Armenian Church solid and perfect system. It is important to note that the doctrine of the Armenian Church is quite unique, and does not coincide with doctrines of other Churches. The decisions of the Council of Manazkert still retain their importance for the Armenian Church.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document