Medieval
and Reformation Christologies
Thomas
Aquinas
Thomas
Aquinas (1224/5/6-1274) is accorded with so many titles like Doctor Cummunis,
Doctor Angelicus, Dominican Philosopher, Theologian etc. His father Landulf
d’Aquino was a baron of Emperor Frederick II and his mother Theodora also came
from an aristocratic lineage. At the age of five he was sent to Benedictine
Abbey of Monte Casino in expectation that he would become an abbot of the
monastery. In 1239 he moved to University of Naples, where he was attracted to
the newly founded Dominican Order. After his reception in the Order he was sent
to Paris (to avoid his family’s objection). He was confined to his family
castle for two agonizing years for becoming a Dominican. After his release he began
his theological studies in the Dominican priory of St. Jacques in the
University of Paris. Here he was influenced by St. Albertus Magnus.
During
1268-1272 taught at the University of Paris, Here he encountered friction with
the orthodox theologians and secularists over the use of Aristotelian
philosophy in theology. On 7th March 1274 he died while he was on the way to
second Council of Lyons, at Cistercian abbey of Fossanuova, where he was buried.
Christology
in its simplest definition means the study about the person and work of Jesus
Christ. Probably he provided the first systematic Christology that consistently
resolved a number of the existing issues.[1] His
Christology is indebted to his teaching on God considered as Creator and Trinity.
He takes him to be the point at which divinity and humanity come closest to
each other. Jesus Christ is both truly human and truly divine for Aquinas.
His
Christology follows the Aristotelian pattern of nature grounding actions,
treats first the subject of the union, the Word in Jesus of Nazareth; the
Incarnation then leads into the psychology and activities of the prophet who
was to be the universal saviour; and third, the events in Jesus’ life are
presented.[2] For
him Jesus was not a miraculous display of divinity but the visible witness, the
teacher, and the exemplar of the mission of the Word, a clear influence of
Aristotle.
Chalcedon
is his starting point of Christology. He is orthodox in his teaching about
Christ from that point of view. He accepts without qualification the doctrine
of incarnation laid down by the Council of Chalcedon.[3] It is
noted that Thomas as teacher summarized the principle conclusions about Christ
offered by the Christian traditions in theology that preceded him, especially
that of the patristic age.6 Christ for him is one logical subject of whom
divine and human attributes can be truly predicated without equivocation. For
him Christ is both human and divine and in this understanding there is no
question of myth, symbol, metaphor or anything else which might be taken to
imply that Christ is not both what God is by nature and what people are by
nature.
For
Aquinas Christ is the starting point. Everything he has to say about Christ is
an attempt to explore the sense and significance of what he takes to be
teaching of Chalcedon. For him therefore, belief in Christ’s humanity and
divinity is on a par with belief in the doctrine of Trinity. It is matter of
faith.[4]
Aquinas maintained that the doctrine of Incarnation stemmed from the teaching
of Christ.[5] To
the biblical quotation about Christ as the author and perfecter of our faith
Aquinas takes it to mean that the divinity of Christ was taught by Christ
himself. Aquinas presumes that the New Testament gives us a substantially accurate
account of the life and teaching of Christ.
Aquinas
presumes that the New Testament gives us a substantially accurate account of
the life and teaching of Christ. Another important point of his understanding
of Christ is that his
Christology
is to be understood within the salvation history. Incarnation is insistently
connected with soteriology. Incarnation is geared to human salvation, it is
thus most appropriate for the Son to assume human nature he opined. It is a
Christology ‘from above’.
Martin
Luther
Luther
(1483-1546) was a German theologian, an Augustinian monk, an ecclesiastical
reformer, and a seminal figure of the Reformation in the 16th century. He
studied at the University of Erfurt and in 1505 decided to join a monastic
order, becoming an Augustinian friar. He was ordained in 1507, began teaching
at the University of Wittenberg and in 1512 was made a doctor of Theology.
During his visit to Rome in 1510, he was appalled by the corruption he found
there. In response, on 31st October 1517, he published his ’95 Theses’,
attacking papal abuses and the sale of indulgences. In January 1521, the Pope
Leo X excommunicated him. In 1534, he published a complete translation of the
Bible into German, underlining his belief that people should be able to read it
in their own language.
Luther
never wrote a tract on Christology. Statements about the significance of Jesus
Christ are spread throughout his work. Ernst Wolf writes that it is better to
say “Christology with Luther” rather than about “Christology of Luther.”[6]
Accepted
the traditional Christian formula about the person of Jesus Christ that means Jesus
Christ is fully human and fully divine.
In
Jesus we can see the union of divine and human nature. In Jesus life divinity participation in humanity and experience in
human nature at that same time humanity also experience the divine nature. Jesus
Christ is ultimately God himself. In
Jesus life the preexistence logo existed in Jesus’s life form womb. God
reveled himself in the word. God revelation in Jesus Christ cannot be nor by reason
but it can be only by experience. Reason cam be used understood human being but
god can be understood only through the revelation. In other word God can be
understood in God’s revelation.
Christological
aspect of Martin Luther
1. Scripture and Christ:
Jesus Christ can be found in the OT. It is Jesus Christ who
appeared in burning bush before Moses. Beyond Jesus God cannot be knows in
event. Jesus Christ is the text by that which the books of the bible should be
judged.
Removed Christ from the scripture what more you will had? His famous question. According to Martin “church is the place where the word of God is
preached professed and practiced”. “Church is nothing but the presence of Jesus
Christ”His theology basically Christology.
2. Soteriology:
Salvation is only through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the source
of salvation. Jesus Christ died for our sin. (Penal substitution theory include
by John Calvin and martin). Rom: 3:24-25, John 1:29, Isaiah 53:6. Salvation
is not by our deeds but it is a free by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus.
Jesus death is our salvation. The righteousness not only comes from Jesus but also Jesus Christ
himself is righteousness. Only by faith we can understand the righteousness not
by reason.
3. Theology of cross:
According to Martin, “cross is the source of knowledge about who
God is and how God saves humanity”. On the cross God accomplish his work of
salvation. It is the duty of believers to carry out the process of that
work that is on the cross by proclaiming Christ Word. Theology of cross is against the theology of Glory. Theology of Glory
teaches us human being has capacity to do good work and participation in the
righteousness of God as Roman Catholic understanding of salvation- which is believe and work
Theology of Cross-
you get salvation only through the faith and death of Jesus Christ in the cross.
4. Eucharist of Christology:
Consubstantiation:
Jesus is present in Eucharist elements as fire is present in hot metal. In
other word, It Eucharist elements Jesus present in, with and under the hot
metal. Theological argument is that, the substance of Jesus Blood and body
exist along with substance of bread and wine. Luther’s
Christ was no friend but rather the judge enthroned on the rainbow with a leveling
sword and consuming fire-not arbitrary or unfair, just all too righteous for
Luther’s eternal good.[7] He
also found Christ regularly in the Old Testament. Christ stands in front of
Moses in the burning bush – incarnation. Divinity was right in front of him (in
Christ), though hidden in humanity-God in the bush prompted this thinking.
John
Calvin
Calvin
(1509-1564) was a French Protestant Reformation theologian. His influence in
the theological realm led to Calvinism. He is well-known for his magnum opus:
The Institute of the Christian Religion (1536). Protestant theology owes a lot
to this tireless polemic and apologetic. His adherence to the Reformation
platform of sola Christi commits him to a certain Christocentrism in his
theology, at least on a material if not a formal level.[8] Calvin’s
Christology has been the subject of intense interest and debate, both in the
Reformation era and in the twentieth century. His rejection of the Lutheran use
of the communicatio idiomatum, which was developed to undergird an understanding
of the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, led to the charge that he
had a Nestorian Christology which did not sufficiently address the unity of God
and humanity in Jesus Christ and the subsequent glorification of his humanity in
its hypostatic union with the eternal Son of God.[9]
Calvin’s
doctrine of the communicatio idiomatum allows for the preservation of
the purity of Christ’s divine nature amidst his involvement in the depravity of
human nature in ways which make Calvin’s Christology so unique. He affirms both
the divinity and humanity of Christ ‘so joined and united . . . that each
retains its distinctive nature unimpaired, and yet these two natures constitute
one Christ’. Calvin maintains that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God,
the one true representation of God the Father.[10]
1. Sola Christi
Understanding
of Christology
Divine
and human nature are united in such a way that both nature retain is
distinctive nature unimpaired. (Both nature are in Jesus Christ). This both
nature basically constituted who Jesus Christ is. Hypostatic union in order to
differentiate the constitution of one person form two nature. He wants to
confirm Jesus Christ in one person at the same time personality became two
nature. (Jesus personality is based on two natures)
The
second person of trinity existed even before incarnation of Jesus Christ is the
son of God. Incarnation did not create a second God. In incarnation God become/
second person became son of man.
Son,
Jesus is the son before and after incarnation that means before incarnation he
is son of God and after incarnation he became son of man. (Jesus basic identity
is Son)
Jesus
Christ is the image/ personification of invisible God.
What
happens in incarnation?
According
to John Calvin, Jesus took away every evil thing from humanity and bestowed
upon us everything which we lack.
2. Soteriology- According to John Calvin it is the work of Jesus Christ.
According
to John Calvin, Our salvation is comprehended in Christ Act: 4:12. I Cor. 1:13) Salvation is of him. The
redemption lies in his passion. The remission of Sin lies in his cross. He
argues that his sacrifice satisfies the wrath of God. The whole humanity finds
salvation only in Jesus Christ. Jesus obedience to God reconciles both God and
humanity. Repentance is the immediate effect of faith in Jesus.
Justification
and regeneration of result of
believers union with the Christ through faith.
So,
John Calvin Sotoriology can be summarize as “humanity can find salvation only
in Jesus Christ. Jesus alone is the savior. Cross is the manifestation of the
obedience.
Resurrection
is the conformation of the renewal of the human life. The renewal of the human
life is the cross, salvation and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. Eucharist
Christology of John Calvin
John
Calvin argues that Christ is spiritually present in Eucharist (not literally). Believers
should experience the presence of Jesus Christ just not understanding the
presence of Christ. Eucharist
primarily reminds the work of Jesus Christ done for humanity. Eucharist means
union with the Christ. Union with the Christ is the heart of Eucharist.
4.
Scripture and Jesus Christ
According
to John Calvin Gospel is clearly presents Jesus Christ clearly in its humanity.
All promises of God in scripture are fulfilled or accomplished.
He
says that, Jesus Christ is Isaac, Joseph, Moses and David. Scripture in fact
itself is Jesus Christ. Therefore if we read scripture without sees Jesus
Christ in all pass of the scripture we have not read the scripture truly.
Scripture must be read to know Jesus Christ. For him word of God is Jesus. The
validity of Bible is Jesus himself.
[1]
Etienne
Gilson, The Christian Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Notre Dame:
University of Notre Dame Press, 1994), 502.
[2]
Thomas
F. O’Meara, Thomas Aquinas Theologian (Notre Dame: University of Notre
Dame Press, 1997), 128.
[3]
Cf.
James Weisheipl, Friar Thomas d’Aquino (Washington DC: 1983), 164. Cf.
quoted in Brian Davies, The Thought of Thomas Aquinas (Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1993), 298.
[4] Brian
Davies, The Thought of Thomas Aquinas (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993),
319.
[5] Brian
Davies, The Thought of Thomas Aquinas…, 299.
[6]
Klaas
Zwanepol, “A Human God: Some Remarks on Luther’s Christology,” Concordia
Journal 30, no. 1-2 (January 1, 2004): 41.
[7]
Robert
Rosin, “Reformation Christology: Some Luther Starting Points,” Concordia
Theological Quarterly 71, no. 2: 152.
[8] Stephen
Edmondson, Calvin’s Christology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2004), 3.
[9]
Randall
C. Zachman, “Jesus Christ as the Image of God in Calvin’s Theology,” Calvin
Theological Journal 25, no. 1 (1990): 45.
[10]
Randall
C. Zachman, “Jesus Christ as the Image of God in Calvin’s Theology,” Calvin
Theological Journal 25, no. 1 (1990), 61-62.
.jpg)
.jpg)