CHRISTOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED

ALAN J. SPENCE

Bloomsbury T&T Clark

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First published in 2008 by the Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd

Reprinted in 2012

Reprinted by Bloomsbury Academic 2013

© Alan Spence, 2008

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

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ISBN:	HB:	978-0-567-03194-5
	PB:	978-0-567-03195-2
	ePub:	978-0-567-66612-3
	ePDF:	978-0-567-66613-0

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GUIDES FOR THE PERPLEXED

For

Winifred Marie

CONTENTS

List of Abbreviations

Preface

CLASSICAL CHRISTOLOGY

1. The Paradox

2. Incarnation

3. Athanasius and the Arians

4. The Human Mind of the Word of God

5. Divine and Human Willing in Christ

6. Jesus and the Spirit

MODERN CHRISTOLOGY

7. The Socinian Challenge to Nicea

8. In Search of the Historical Jesus

9. A Theology of Religious Experience

10. The Christ of Faith and the Jesus of History

11. The Doctrine of the Word of God

12. Resurrection as Revelation

CONCLUSION

13. An Ecumenical Christology

Selected Bibliography

Index

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers, reprinted by William B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1985ff.)

CD Church Dogmatics (Edingugh, T&T Clark, 1932–69)

Contra Arius Four Discourses Against the Arians

Dial. Dialogue with Trypho

Eph. Epistle to the Ephesians

NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, reprinted by William B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975ff.)

Smyrn. Epistle to the Smyrnaens

Trall. Epistle to the Trallians Works The Works of John Owen ed. by William H. Goold, reprinted by the banner of Truth Trust (London, 1965–8)

PREFACE

To say that Jesus Christ is determinative for Christian faith appears to be doing no more than stating the obvious. The extent, however, to which the Church’s conception of Jesus has shaped its understanding of God, humanity and the world, has not always been fully appreciated. All the Church’s major doctrines including those of the Trinity, salvation, sanctification, creation, final judgement and the coming Kingdom of God have been influenced, if not governed, by the interpretation that Christians give to his person. This means that a ...