What is Christology?

 Christology is the area of theology that considers who Jesus Christ is. Is/was Jesus human, divine, or both? Theology can be abstract and academic (and esoteric), but it is really just discussions about God. Theology can also be very practical as what we believe often shapes how we live, for better or worse. Everyone has a theology, even atheists. Atheists have a particular view of God and choose not to believe in that God. For many people, their theology may be implicit rather than explicit. 

Similarly, Christology is just discussions about who Jesus is. Again everyone has a Christology. There are many dimensions to and expressions of Christology. The New Testament presents Jesus as both human and divine, an eternal being, Son of the Father, without sin, Lamb of God, compassionate, teacher, healer, miracle worker, King of Kings, King of the Jews, carpenter, Messiah, Saviour, Prince of Peace, the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy, mediator between God and humans, ... How does one bring all these different dimensions into relationship with one another? Where are there harmonies, tensions and inconsistencies? There are decisions to be made about relative importance and emphasis. That is what Christology is about.

The early church got itself in all sorts of intellectual and political knots as it tried to precisely define how Jesus could be both fully human and fully God, and how Jesus, the Son of God, was related to the Father and the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Trinity). Did the Spirit proceed from the Father or the Son? ... These issues were "resolved" in the early creeds. Some of the controversies pivoted around a single letter, in the case of homoousios vs. homoiosious [same substance vs. similar substance]. The Father and the Son are of the same [similar] substance. The former was adopted in the Nicene Creed [325 A.D.] after much debate. The two terms only differ by an "i" or "iota", the smallest object in the Greek alphabet. Amusingly, this may be the origin of the phrase, "it makes not one iota of difference."

Christology can be (and has been) formulated from many different perspectives, including theological, historical, sociological, political, philosophical, cultural, credal, ... Again, there are questions of emphasis. And, does (and should) the language used, and the approach taken vary depending on the historical and cultural context?

These issues are on my mind because as part of the Logos and Cosmos Initiative, I am reading a wonderful book, In Search of Christ in Latin America: From Colonial Image to Liberating Savior, by Samuel Escobar. I am looking forward to discussing it with my Latin American colleagues. In some future posts, I will discuss some of the ideas in the book.

Lamenting the state of the world

 In The Message, Eugene Peterson introduces the book of Lamentations by saying that:

Lamentations is a concentrated and intense biblical witness to suffering. Suffering is a huge, unavoidable element in the human condition. To be human is to suffer. No one gets an exemption…Lamentations, written out of the Exile experience, provides the community of faith with a form and vocabulary for dealing with loss and pain.

As usual The Bible Project has a very helpful introduction to the book 

 

I have started reading  The Message of Lamentations: Honest To God

by Christopher J H Wright.

Three other reasons to study Lamentations include

1. We honour those who suffer by listening to them. We honour the residents of Jerusalem in 587BC, by listening to Lamentations.

2. For most of humanity, past and present, suffering (poverty, disease, death, violence) is the norm, not the exception that it is for present-day affluent Westerners. Lamentations helps us engage emotionally with that suffering. As Paul, said "if one part of the body [of Christ, the universal church] suffers every part suffers with it."

3. It enables us to wrestle with the real theological questions associated with the tension/paradox/contradiction of God's goodness, God's sovereignty, God's judgement, and the suffering of the innocent.

Chris Wright preaches on Lamentations 1 and 2 (sermon part one and part two) in the first of a three-part series, "Learning to Lament", at All Soul's Langham Place, London.

When politicians become gods

Why do nations rise and fall? Why do people yearn for a "strongman" leader who will "save" them? What does it mean to follow Jesus in an age of Trump, Bolsonaro, Putin, Brexit, Duterte, Xi, Modi, Rajapaksa, ...?

This month for the theology reading group we discussed Here are your gods! : Faithful discipleship in idolatrous times by Chris Wright. 

I really liked the book. I found it quite refreshing as Wright expressed concerns that I have felt about Christians and politics for decades. These concerns have increased in past five years. The book gives a solid biblical basis for these concerns.

The book is passionate and Wright speaks forthrightly and honestly about politics in the UK and USA, with Trump and Brexit, and particularly how Christians uncritically support of certain political figures and causes. This is noteworthy because Wright is a quiet reserved diplomatic "Englishman" (he is Irish but has mostly lived in England) who normally writes measured and scholarly tomes and biblical commentaries. [You can get a sense of his personality in his excellent podcast, On Mission where he interviews Christian leaders from the Majority World]. This book is theology from the heart. It is contextual theology. It provides a beautiful example of how the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, speaks so clearly to the current context in the West.

Some of the main ideas that stood out to me are the following.

Human relationships, from the local to the global, are designed to function in certain ways, i.e. according to certain moral principles, centred around justice, mercy, faithfulness, and truth. When organisations, societies and nations organise themselves around these principles they flourish; and when they do not, they decline (eventually). This is how God "causes" nations to rise and fall. In Wright's words (page 73),

"There are moral principles built into our world, since creation, and they apply to all nations, even though they are explicitly revealed in the most articulated form in Israel. This is an important hermeneutical assumption that undergirds the second half of this book."

This important assumption is further discussed on pages 76 and 106. It is good, but too rare, that authors clearly state their assumptions.  

Part one is adapted from material about idolatry in Wright's acclaimed book, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative.

Idols present a paradox. In one sense, they are nothing and with no real power, particularly compared to the living God, YHWH, the Creator of the universe. A wooden idol is just wood. On the other hand, idols do exert power because people believe they do have power.

Idols and gods are largely human constructs, produced by our fallen and rebellious imaginations. Idols are not just statues; they can be ideologies or aspirations. They can be nationalism, prosperity, self, or a "strongman", and of course, money, sex, and power.

The central problem with idolatry is that it blurs the distinction between the Creator and the Creation.

Political leaders use religion to consolidate their power. Consider the case of Jeroboam the first King of Israel. He constructed idols at the north and south of his kingdom so that people might not go to Jerusalem, lest they defect to his rival in Judah (1 Kings 11).

The signs and symptoms of the Western world being in decline include a legacy of historic and systemic violence (colonialism), increasing poverty and inequality, the rise of extreme forms of populism and nationalism, ecological devastation, and the war on truth (chapter 5). The latter is particularly noteworthy. 

What does it say about the state of our culture and politics that two men have risen to top political leadership in the United Kingdom and the United States who are both notoriously and demonstrably addicted to fabrication, exaggeration, false claims, self-contradiction, and downright mendacity? (p. 92)

Furthermore, the attack on truth seems to have become acceptable, even in the church. "It is just the way things are... let's be realistic... if politicians don't stretch the truth they will never get elected..." 

Unfortunately, much of this critique is also true of universities today. Whether it marketing to potential students, research grant applications, or reporting research findings in academic journals it has become expected that members of the university community will put the most positive "spin" on things. Critical, honest, balanced, and realistic assessments are not what is desired.

So justice is driven back,
    and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

Isaiah 59:15-16

How will political leaders be judged? The mother of King Lemeul taught him

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly;
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Hopefully, this excellent book will be widely read and discussed. 

There are several things I would like to see expanded by Wright or others.

One is to include some mention and engagement of other authors on political theology such as Stanley Hauerwas, Richard Bauckham, and Oliver O'Donovan.

Here politics is largely defined in terms of elections and government policies. Christians need to compromise and vote for candidates who align best with their values and priorities. However, there is much more to democracy. It is multi-faceted and complex. Other dimensions include the role of the judiciary, civil society, the press, law enforcement, and particularly debate in the public square. The tone, content, diversity, breadth of participation, and the freedom of public debate can have a significant effect not just on who wins elections but on whether human flourishing occurs in society or it self-destructs. Public debate should aim to bring people together for the common good. It should empower not disenfranchise or disillusion.

The Bible offers hope for a better world, both now and in eternity. It is now but not yet. But, given the mess the world is in right now, can Christians actually have hope that things may get better in the next few years, or at least in our lifetime? Living by faith means sowing mustard seeds. Who knows what these seeds might grow to? Small acts of kindness and resistance may multiply in ways not imagined. Kingdoms rise and fall. And sometimes very quickly and in unanticipated ways. I find it helpful to think of things that have happened in my adult lifetime, but which most of us found hard to imagine would ever happen: the fall of the Berlin Wall, end of apartheid, smoking almost banished, environmental concerns become mainstream, the end of military dictatorships in Latin America, the fall of Marcos, ... These changes do not mean that everything is better or that some of these changes have not brought new problems. But, remembering this history is a challenge to hopelessness and a view that "nothing will change".

An extract from the book (pages 42-48) is available here. There are helpful reviews of the book at the Jubilee Centre, the William Temple Foundation, and the Englewood Review of Books.

Blessed are the meek: the science and theology of humility

 I am giving a talk tomorrow at Theology on Tap in Brisbane, "Blessed are the meek: the science and theology of humility."

I am not giving the talk because I am humble, but rather because I need to be humble. The content I find challenging and helpful. Hopefully, others will too.

Here are my slides.

The talk is based on a chapter that will appear in a forthcoming book, To Whom Shall We Go: Faith Responses in a Time of Crisis, edited by Irene Alexander and Christopher Brown (Cascade, 2021).

Mindfulness, Christian meditation, and mental health

For almost 40 years I have struggled with mental health issues, off and on. About twenty years ago, following one particular low, a psychologist introduced me to the practice of mindfulness. In particular, I followed a set of exercises developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, such as the body scan meditation. These exercises were incredibly helpful as they helped me to learn to control my racing thoughts. A few years ago, I was asked to speak to a counseling class in a Christian theological college in South Asia about my experiences with mindfulness. Here are some of the questions I tried to address. When I give talks about mental health (such as this) I usually mention how mindfulness has helped me.

One question that I have continued to wonder about was how these practices, which have their origin in Buddhism and secular psychology, are related to a Christian perspective, and Christian practices of meditation and prayer. Hence, I was delighted when I came across the book, Christ Centred Mindfulness: Connection to Self and God by Katherine Thompson. Hence, I recommended it to my theology reading group. We discussed it with animation. I will give my perspective, both before and after the discussion.

The response of any reader to a book can be shaped by their experiences, prejudices, and hopes. I was naturally predisposed to like this book since I saw it as meeting an important need. It is short, clear, easy to read, comprehensive, and balanced. It covers a lot of ground in less than 200 pages. Overviews are given of the historical background to mindfulness, scientific evidence (or lack thereof) for its effectiveness, different forms of psychotherapy, some Biblical and theological basis for meditation, Christian mystics, modern Christian contemplatives, and many practical mindfulness exercises. This wide range of topics is important because mental health is multi-faceted. There are medical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions.

The greatest strengths of the book may be the following. It fills an important gap in the literature. The comprehensive survey (with many references) provides a good introduction to the relevant topics and issues. Hopefully, it will stimulate discussions and more books on this important topic. In the end, it is very practical. Readers can do the exercises. They are diverse, ranging from mindful connection to nature to Lectio Divina. On this basis, I would happily recommend the book to others.

Now to the weaknesses of the book. There were some things that I struggled to understand on my first reading. The author gives a review of several different forms of psychotherapy, including Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, Dialectical behaviour therapy, and Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Thompson advocates the latter and goes on to discuss how mindfulness fits well within it, particularly from a Christian perspective. However, I really do not get all the nuances concerning the differences between these therapies and could not really explain to you what ACT is. 

There are several diagrams and tables, designed to illuminate and contrast different concepts and approaches. They have the potential to be quite helpful, but they needed more explanation.

Stimulated by our discussion about the book, a number of other possible weaknesses became more apparent.

Like any book, this one reflects the author's own personal and professional journey. She is trying to bring together her own personal journey of faith, her struggle with chronic physical pain, her Ph.D. in Psychological Medicine, and her professional practice. I wonder if she has worked a bit too hard to put the pieces together in this book. Are mindfulness and Christian faith being "shoehorned" into ACT? Is she trying to give mindfulness and ACT a Christian baptism? How does repentance fit into this synthesis? Is there too much dissonance between mindfulness, ACT, and Christian faith and practice, to try to bring them all together?

How do people change? How do people experience healing from mental illness? How can a Christian live by faith and persevere in the midst of suffering? What is the role of human agency? There is significant scientific and theological uncertainty about possible answers to these questions. Any healing is a miracle, whether by modern medicine or by the working of the Holy Spirit. Given this, to what extent are "methodologies" useful? I don't know. Methodologies, whether clinical practices or spiritual disciplines, can have great value. But they do have limitations. They are all constructed by finite fallible humans, embedded in a sinful broken world. How does one find a humble and balanced perspective on and implementation of these methodologies? Again, I don't know.

In spite of my many questions, I think the book is a wonderful contribution and will benefit many.

Another member of the reading group, Chris Brown, has some reflections on the book on the "holy" scribblers blog.

Should a follower of Jesus pay taxes to an oppressive government?

``Giving to God and Caesar— the Complicated End of Dualism'' is the title of Chapter 4 of  Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth by R. Paul Stevens and Clive Lim. It begins with the following quotation.

“Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s.”

In my opinion, the entire problem of life in contemporary culture can be defined as the challenge to understand that saying of Jesus. 

Jacob Needleman

The relevant passage is from Matthew 22

17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the poll-tax to Caesar or not?’ 18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ 21 ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’

Stevens and Lim claim (page 45) 

In this extraordinary incident Jesus asserted that money can have a holy purpose. He fulfilled the desire to meet a divine purpose and this-worldly obligations at the same time. And teasingly, he left open the question of what “giving to God” means.

I fail to see this. In The Gospel of Matthew: A socio-rhetorical commentary, Craig Keener suggests that this passage may be descriptive not prescriptive. It is mostly showing how great Jesus is. He can easily put the Pharisees in their place.

I also wonder if this story should be read and interpreted in conjunction with the following passage from Matthew 17. 

 24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” 26 “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Keener (p. 445) states that the main points of this passage are the following.

Jesus cares about his disciples' social obligations.

The disciples need to be ready to surrender their privileges and rights for the sake of the gospel.

Jesus supplies needs like these as well as other needs

Putting both these interactions about money and taxes together, I would say they highlight how money is tied up with power and questions of allegiance, honour, and authority. People play these silly games with money.  Let people play their silly games. Play along. Instead, followers of Jesus should focus on his kingdom.

Much of the chapter is arguing against the dualism of the sacred-secular divide. The authors' state (p.47-8) that

by the fifteenth century only the monk, nun, and priest were regarded as having a calling. Karl Barth’s summary is apt: “According to the view prevalent at the height of the Middle Ages [secular work] only existed to free for the work of their profession those who were totally and exclusively occupied in rendering true obedience for the salvation of each and all.” 

[“Vocation,” in Church Dogmatics, III/4 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1961), 601]

This is not far from the contemporary idea that business people in the church are “walking checkbooks” needed to support the pastor. But what they do to make this money is not sacred. So what happened?

The Reformation promoted some of the problems of duality, particularly because it led to a dis-enchantment of much of life.

 With the disenchantment of work and exchange, money makes rational calculation and accounting possible but it does this by re-reducing everything to “mere quantities.” This is something that the German social philosopher Georg Simmel elaborated in his massive volume. So, as is said of some merchants, they know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

 In summary, the dualism that persists globally among Christian people has multiple sources: the persistence of Old Testament patterns, the Greek philosophical influence, the decline of the holiness of everyday life following the Protestant Reformation, and the influence of other faiths and philosophies.

 So how then do we reconcile both sides of the coin, God and Caesar? How can we give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s? This can happen only with a thoroughgoing integration of faith and life. R. T. France, commenting on Matthew 22:15–22, suggests that “this is not the rigid division of life into the ‘sacred’ and the ‘secular’, but rather a recognition that the ‘secular’ finds its proper place within the overriding claim of the ‘sacred’.”

The active presence of God

Currently, at church, our focus, both in sermons and in small group study, is on the book of Exodus.

The Bible Project, as always, gives a helpful overview.

I am also dipping into a book by Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus: The days of our pilgrimage.

I am beginning to appreciate the importance of this second book of the Old Testament. Jesus highlights how he is the fulfillment of Moses many times. Exodus introduces and spells out many key concepts such as YHWH (the name of God), the sovereignty of God, ritual sacrifice, tabernacle, law, covenant, communal justice, substitutionary atonement, and deliverance.

Here, I just mention one concept that has struck me. On the one hand God is revealed as holy, set apart, and unapproachable. Yet, paradoxically God is also present and with his people. Exodus 3 says:

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[b] will worship God on this mountain.” 13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

This presence of God is then experienced by the Israelites in the cloud that leads them through the wilderness and in the tabernacle that is constructed at the end of Exodus.

This idea of the presence of the holy God is not just an abstract idea but has practical implications. Followers of YHWH (and Jesus) are to be actively present with others, particularly the poor and the oppressed.  As God is actively present with them they can be actively present with others.

The Incarnation and the Holy Spirit represent the ultimate fulfillment and embodiment of the active presence of God. Jesus said, 

As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. (John 17:18) 

“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21).