Christology In Cultural Perspective

Christology defines the very heart of the Christian faith. Traditionally the study of the person and work of Christ has been understood largely as an exercise in biblical exegesis or historical and doctrinal analysis. Rarely, if ever, has Christology focused on the changing cultural paradigms that have deeply influenced the development of human knowledge and self understanding. This unique volume by Colin Greene reverses that trend and, in line with developments in modern cultural theory, explores the interlaces between successive cultural contexts and the story of Jesus to which the Scriptures bear witness. Starting with an examination of the three main Christological trajectories that have dominated the history of Christology--cosmological Christology, political Christology, and anthropological Christology--Greene proceeds to concentrate on the subtle and complex linkages between Christology and the sociopolitical paradigms that have bolstered the epistemological assumptions of modernity. Greene's wide-ranging study closes with a creative exploration into how Christology might once again provide us with a Christ-centered vision of reality.

Christology defines the very heart of the Christian faith. Traditionally the study of the person and work of Christ has been understood largely as an exercise in biblical exegesis or historical and doctrinal analysis. Rarely, if ever, has Christology focused on the changing cultural paradigms that have deeply influenced the development of human knowledge and self understanding. This unique volume by Colin Greene reverses that trend and, in line with developments in modern cultural theory, explores the interlaces between successive cultural contexts and the story of Jesus to which the Scriptures bear witness. Starting with an examination of the three main Christological trajectories that have dominated the history of Christology--cosmological Christology, political Christology, and anthropological Christology--Greene proceeds to concentrate on the subtle and complex linkages between Christology and the sociopolitical paradigms that have bolstered the epistemological assumptions of modernity. Greene's wide-ranging study closes with a creative exploration into how Christology might once again provide us with a Christ-centered vision of reality.

Traditionally the study of the person and work of Christ has been understood largely as an exercise in biblical exegesis or historical and doctrinal analysis. Rarely, if ever, has christology focused on the changing cultural paradigms that have deeply influenced the development of human knowledge. This unique volume by Colin Greene reverses that trend and in line with modern cultural theory explores the interfaces between successive cultural contexts and the story of Jesus. Starting with an examination of the three main interpretive approaches to Jesus -- cosmological christology, political christology, and anthropological christology -- Greene moves on to concentrate on the subtle and complex linkages between christology and the sociopolitical paradigms that have bolstered the epistemological assumptions of modernity. Greene then brings his book to a stirring close with a creative exploration into how christology might once again provide us with a Christ-centered vision of reality.

"This new edition includes reflections on themes that have emerged since the book's initial publication in 1979. It takes on squarely the task of helping both outsiders and insiders understand the hidden language of culture and learning how culture affects a people's appropriation of the person and message of Jesus Christ."--BOOK JACKET.

The Bible is not a Western book, and the world of the New Testament is not our world. The New Testament world was preindustrial, Mediterranean, and populated mostly by nonliterate peasants who depended on hearing these writings read aloud. Only a few of the literate elite were part of the Jesus movement, and they knew nothing of either modernity or the Western culture we inhabit today. This means that for all North Americans, reading the New Testament is always an exercise in cross-cultural communication. Travelers, diplomats, and exchange students take great pains to bridge the cultural gaps that cloud mutual understanding. But North American readers habitually suspend cross-cultural awareness when encountering the Bible. The result is that we unwittingly project our own cultural understandings onto the pages of the New Testament. Rohrbaugh argues that to whatever degree we can bridge cultural gaps between ourselves and New Testament writers, we learn to value their intentions rather than the meanings we create from their words. Rohrbaugh's insightful interpretations of Gospel passages go a long way toward helping to span distances between the New Testament world and the present.

Papers presented at the First Theological Forum of Mindanao (2014) Inter-religious and inter-cultural perspectives on how we view and understand Christ. Contributors: Victor Aguilan Herbert T. Ale Mariano C. Apilado Pascal D. Bazzell Lee Joseph Custodio José M. de Mesa Edgar B. Ebojo Eleazar S. Fernandez (Foreword) Omar Abu Khalil Melba P. Maggay (Epilogue) Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro Aldrin M. Peñamora Brian Powell Chiu Eng Tan Rico Villanueva Emo Yango

Tracing encounters between Chinese culture and Christianity, Jingyi Ji (*1962 in Beijing) displays vividly how Chinese Christians interpret Christianity in their context. The book involves both Chinese and Western philosophy and theology and will be of interest not only for theologians but also for all those exploring the interaction between Chinese and Western culture.

Preliminary Material /Martien E. Brinkman and Dirk van Keulen --Introduction /Martien Brinkman and Dirk van Keulen --Pela as Inclusive Socio-Cosmic System in the Central Moluccas /Simon Ririhena --Pela as Inclusive Socio-Cosmic System in the Central Moluccas Comments on Simon Ririhena's Paper /Dirk Smit --African Theology as a Challenge for Western Theology /Kwame Bediako --African Theology as a Challenge for Western Theology /Mechteld Jansen --Liminality and Worship in the Korean American Context /Sang Hyun Lee --Liminality and Worship in the Korean American Context /Verry Patty --Christians in the Clash of Civilizations /Abraham van de Beek --Christians in the Clash of Civilizations Comments on Abraham van de Beek's Paper /James Kombo --Contextual Theology, Tradition and Heresy --'No other motives would give us the right' /Dirk Smit --'No other motives would give us the right' /Sjaak van't Kruis --Christian Identity in Cross-Cultural Perspective /Theo Witvliet --Christian Identity in Cross-Cultural Perspective Comments on Theo Witvliet's Paper /Christiaan Mostert --The Catholicity of the Church and the Universality of Theology /Christiaan Mostert --The Catholicity of the Church and the Universality of Theology Comments on Christiaan Mostert's Paper /Kwame Bediako --Contextualization as Inculturation: The Experience of the African Theological Situation /James Kombo --Contextualization as Inculturation Comments on James Kombo's Paper /Bert de Leede --List of Contributors /Martien E. Brinkman and Dirk van Keulen --Index of Names /Martien E. Brinkman and Dirk van Keulen.