This unit introduces students to the doctrine of God (theology proper) as well as the doctrine of Christ (Christology). It begins with the foundational conviction that God is best and most fully known in the person of Jesus Christ, the Reconciler. It explores the Christian understanding of God as Trinity and considers pre-Christian concepts of God in Greek philosophy and Judaism, God as both hidden and revealed, the ‘early high Christology’ of the New Testament, the definitive debates of the early centuries, and more recent trends such as social Trinitarianism and process theology. The Church’s confession of Jesus Christ as fully human and fully divine is explored as well as the range of representations of Christ within different cultures and systems of meaning. How Christology was shaped under the influence of modernity will be considered as well as the intellectual difficulties associated with belief in God.
Unit code: CT9138B
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Elective
Unit discipline: Systematic Theology
Proposing College: Eva Burrows College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Articulate and analyse the theological claim that ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Godself’ |
| 2. | Critically respond to the impact of modernity on belief in God and Christ, demonstrating how Christology addresses the problem of divine absence |
| 3. | Assess theological literature on the doctrine of God and Christology |
| 4. | Apply insights from the doctrine of God and Christology to Christian faith and practice |
| 5. | Compare and contrast a culturally diverse range of Christological approaches |
24 points level 8 in Theology, or equivalent
Asynchronous and synchronous online learning
Athanasius, On the Incarnation. Trans: John Behr. Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011.
Borg, Marcus and N.T. Wright, The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions. New York: HarperCollins, 2007.
Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to Christology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2016.
Colon-Emeric, Edgardo and Mark Gorman, The Saving Mysteries of Jesus Christ: A Christology in the Wesleyan Tradition. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2016.
Douglas, Sally. Early Church Understandings of Jesus as the Female Divine. London: Bloomsbury, 2016.
Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. Christology: A Global Introduction. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2016.
Küster, Volker. The Many Faces of Jesus Christ: Intercultural Christology. New York: Orbis, 2023.
Moltmann, Jurgen. The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
O’Collins, Gerald. Christology: A Biblical, Historical and Systematic Study of Jesus. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009
Williams, Rowan. Christ the Heart of Creation. London: Bloomsbury, 2018.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forum | 2000 | 25.0 | |
| Book Review | 2000 | 25.0 | |
| Essay | 3500 | 50.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 16 Aug, 2023
Unit record last updated: 2023-08-16 09:34:34 +1000