Benghazi Cathedral ( Arabic : كاتدرائية بنغازي ) is a former Roman Catholic church in the city of Benghazi , Libya . It is located in the city center.
79-631: Benghazi Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus , was built between 1929 and 1939 on land formerly occupied by Arabs, and was one of the largest churches in North Africa . It was designed by the Italian architects Ottavio Cabiati and Guido Ferrazza. It was lightly damaged when Benghazi was captured by the Wehrmacht during Operation Sonnenblume . Soon after King Idris took power in 1951,
158-487: A German Dominican nun of the 14th century was especially devoted to the Holy Name. She repeated it endlessly for hours and wrote about its power. The tradition of devotion to and reverence for the Holy Name continued through the 15th century as belief in its miraculous powers became widespread. Walter Hilton 's classic work Scale of Perfection included a long passage on the Holy Name. In this period popular beliefs on
237-628: A crucial event in his adoption by God. Historically in the Alexandrian school of thought (fashioned on the Gospel of John ), Jesus Christ is the eternal Logos who already possesses unity with the Father before the act of Incarnation . In contrast, the Antiochian school viewed Christ as a single, unified human person apart from his relationship to the divine. The notion of pre-existence
316-576: A majority of scholars argue that this "high Christology" existed already before the writings of Paul. According to the "New Religionsgeschichtliche Schule ", or the Early High Christology Club, which includes Martin Hengel , Larry Hurtado , N. T. Wright , and Richard Bauckham , this "incarnation Christology" or "high Christology" did not evolve over a longer time, but was a "big bang" of ideas which were already present at
395-451: A more complex understanding of the idea of God in first century Judaism. However, Andrew Loke argues that if Jesus did not claim and show himself to be truly divine and rise from the dead, the earliest Christian leaders who were devout ancient monotheistic Jews would have regarded Jesus as merely a teacher or a prophet; they would not have come to the widespread agreement that he was truly divine, which they did. Brant Pitre also argues that
474-628: A number of the existing issues. In his Christology from above, Aquinas also championed the principle of perfection of Christ 's human attributes. The Middle Ages also witnessed the emergence of the "tender image of Jesus" as a friend and a living source of love and comfort, rather than just the Kyrios image. Article 10 of the Belgic Confession , a confessional standard of the Reformed faith , subscribes to Nicene orthodoxy regarding
553-594: A reconstruction of the self as a contemplative. If you think on the name Jesus continually and hold it stably, it purges your sin and kindles your heart. He also composed a number of lyrics about the Holy Name. Official recognition for the Holy Name was provided by Pope Gregory X at the Council of Lyons in 1274. In the 14th century, Henry Suso promoted devotions to the Name of Jesus in Germany. Margaret Ebner ,
632-737: A separate type of devotion in the early modern period , in parallel to that of the Sacred Heart . The Litany of the Holy Name is a Roman-rite Catholic prayer, probably of the 15th century ( Bernardino of Siena and John of Capistrano ). The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus was introduced in 1530. The veneration of Nomina sacra in the form of variants of the Christogram has a tradition going back to early Christianity . Related practices of devotion exist in Eastern Christianity (cf. Jesus Prayer ). The feast day
711-754: A theological iota, they took place in controversial political circumstances, reflecting the relations of temporal powers and divine authority, and certainly resulted in schisms, among others that separated the Church of the East from the Church of the Roman Empire. In 325, the First Council of Nicaea defined the persons of the Godhead and their relationship with one another, decisions which were ratified at
790-630: Is a motet by Heinrich Schütz . The Jesus prayer , which perhaps dates to the 4th century, is widely used in the Eastern Church . In recent years, it has also become a popular devotion among Catholics and members of other Christian churches. Devotions to the Holy Name continued also in the Eastern Church into the 19th and 20th centuries. St. Theophan the Recluse regarded the Jesus Prayer to be stronger than all other prayers by virtue of
869-550: Is also conjectured to be the Greek translation of Aramaic Mari , which in everyday Aramaic usage was a very respectful form of polite address, which means more than just 'teacher' and was somewhat similar to ' rabbi '. While the term Mari expressed the relationship between Jesus and his disciples during his life, the Greek Kyrios came to represent his lordship over the world. The early Christians placed Kyrios at
SECTION 10
#1732776123816948-530: Is called God, the Word, the Son, and Jesus Christ did exist at that time, when all things were created by him. Therefore, the prophet Micah says, "His goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" ( Micah 5:2 ). And the apostle: " He has neither beginning of days, nor end of life" ( Hebrews 7:3 ). He therefore is that true, eternal, and almighty God, whom we invoke, worship and serve. John Calvin maintained there
1027-494: Is celebrated either as the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus or as that of Circumcision of Jesus , in various Christian churches. For centuries, Christians have invoked the Holy Name, and have believed that there is intrinsic power in the name of Jesus. In Luke 1:31, the angel Gabriel tells Mary "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus." In Matthew 1:21 during Joseph's first dream
1106-475: Is deeply rooted in Jewish thought, and can be found in apocalyptic thought and among the rabbis of Paul's time, but Paul was most influenced by Jewish-Hellenistic wisdom literature, where " 'Wisdom' is extolled as something existing before the world and already working in creation. According to Witherington, Paul "subscribed to the christological notion that Christ existed prior to taking on human flesh[,] founding
1185-592: Is emphasized by Saint Paul in Philippians 2:10 where he states: "That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth". In Romans 10:13 , Paul reiterates the salvific nature of the Holy Name by stating that those who "call on the name of the Lord" will be saved. The power of the name Jesus used in petitions is stressed in John 16:23 when Jesus states: "If you ask
1264-416: Is one with God, he must have been united with God from the very beginning. Two fundamentally different Christologies developed in the early Church, namely a "low" or adoptionist Christology, and a "high" or "incarnation" Christology. The chronology of the development of these early Christologies is a matter of debate within contemporary scholarship. The "low Christology" or "adoptionist Christology"
1343-405: Is the forgiving or pardoning of sin in general and original sin in particular through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus , enabling the reconciliation between God and his creation . Due to the influence of Gustaf Aulèn 's (1879–1978) Christus Victor (1931), the various theories or paradigmata of atonement are often grouped as "classical paradigm", "objective paradigm", and
1422-524: Is the belief "that God exalted Jesus to be his Son by raising him from the dead", thereby raising him to "divine status". According to the "evolutionary model" or evolutionary theories, the Christological understanding of Jesus developed over time, as witnessed in the Gospels, with the earliest Christians believing that Jesus was a human who was exalted, or else adopted as God's Son, when he
1501-582: Is with us.'" The name Emmanuel appears in Matthew 1:23, when the author specifically connects Jesus to the Old Testament prophecy. The name Emmanuel does not appear elsewhere in the New Testament, but in the context of Matthew 28:20 ("I am with you always, even unto the end of the world") indicates that Jesus will be with the faithful to the end of the age. Reverence for the name of Jesus
1580-597: The Chalcedonian Creed did not put an end to all christological debate, it did clarify the terms used and became a point of reference for many future Christologies. But it also broke apart the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the fifth century, and unquestionably established the primacy of Rome in the East over those who accepted the Council of Chalcedon. This was reaffirmed in 519, when
1659-505: The Christology of the name Jesus. At once it achieves the two goals of affirming Jesus as the saviour and emphasizing that the name was not selected at random, but based on a Heavenly command. Matthew then specifically mentions the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,' which means 'God
SECTION 20
#17327761238161738-783: The Church of the Gesù , formally called Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù all'Argentina (i.e., the "Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus at the 'Argentina ' ") is the Mother Church of the order. A number of religious communities dedicated to the Holy Name Jesus have been formed since the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, the Franciscan Bernardine of Siena actively promoted the devotion to
1817-619: The First Council of Constantinople in 381. The language used was that the one God exists in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); in particular, it was affirmed that the Son was homoousios (of the same being) as the Father. The Nicene Creed declared the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus. After the First Council of Nicaea in 325 the Logos and the second Person of the Trinity were being used interchangeably. In 431,
1896-518: The First Council of Ephesus was initially called to address the views of Nestorius on Mariology , but the problems soon extended to Christology, and schisms followed. The 431 council was called because in defense of his loyal priest Anastasius, Nestorius had denied the Theotokos title for Mary and later contradicted Proclus during a sermon in Constantinople . Pope Celestine I (who
1975-548: The Historical Jesus claimed to be divine and was the origin of high Christology. The study of the various Christologies of the Apostolic Age is based on early Christian documents. The oldest Christian sources are the writings of Paul . The central Christology of Paul conveys the notion of Christ's pre-existence and the identification of Christ as Kyrios . Both notions already existed before him in
2054-538: The Libyan Civil War , following several unsuccessful restoration efforts. The Cathedral survived the Battle of Benghazi (2014–2017) without major structural damage. In 2022, restoration works on the cathedral commenced. While municipal authorities stated that restoration works were being done in connection with the cathedral's status as a historic site, signage on the scaffolding of the cathedral indicated that
2133-575: The New Testament regarding the dual nature of the Person of Christ as both divine and human, and since the early days of Christianity, theologians have debated various approaches to the understanding of these natures, at times resulting in ecumenical councils, and schisms. Some historical christological doctrines gained broad support: Influential Christologies which were broadly condemned as heretical are: Various church councils , mainly in
2212-571: The Sermon on the Canticles later influenced others such as Richard Rolle who expressed similar views, e.g. that of the Holy Name acting as a "healing ointment" for the soul . Rolle believed that the name Jesus has intrinsic power, in a manner reminiscent of the Old Testament reverence of the name Jehovah . In his view the act of calling on the Holy Name purifies the soul and amounts to
2291-479: The hypostatic union ) versus dyophysitism (coexisting natures after the hypostatic union) versus monophysitism (only one nature) versus Nestorianism (two hypostases). From the Christological viewpoint, the council adopted Mia Physis ('but being made one', κατὰ φύσιν ) – Council of Ephesus, Epistle of Cyril to Nestorius, i.e. 'one nature of the Word of God incarnate' ( μία φύσις τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη , mía phýsis toû theoû lógou sesarkōménē ). In 451,
2370-414: The veneration of icons while forbidding their worship. It is often referred to as "The Triumph of Orthodoxy". The Franciscan piety of the 12th and 13th centuries led to "popular Christology". Systematic approaches by theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas , are called "scholastic Christology". In the 13th century , Thomas Aquinas provided the first systematic Christology that consistently resolved
2449-533: The " cosmic Christology " later developed in the Gospel of John, elaborating the cosmic implications of Jesus' existence as the Son of God: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." Paul writes that Christ came to draw all back to God: "Through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven" (Colossians 1:20); in
Benghazi Cathedral - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-535: The "subjective paradigm": Other theories are the "embracement theory" and the "shared atonement" theory. The earliest christological reflections were shaped by both the Jewish background of the earliest Christians, and by the Greek world of the eastern Mediterranean in which they operated. The earliest Christian writings give several titles to Jesus, such as Son of Man , Son of God , Messiah , and Kyrios , which were all derived from Hebrew scripture. According to Matt Stefon and Hans J. Hillerbrand: Until
2607-579: The 4th and 5th centuries, resolved most of these controversies, making the doctrine of the Trinity orthodox in nearly all branches of Christianity. Among them, only the Dyophysite doctrine was recognized as true and not heretical, belonging to the Christian orthodoxy and deposit of faith . In Christian theology , atonement is the method by which human beings can be reconciled to God through Christ 's sacrificial suffering and death . Atonement
2686-526: The Council of Chalcedon affirmed dyophysitism . The Oriental Orthodox rejected this and subsequent councils and continued to consider themselves as miaphysite according to the faith put forth at the Councils of Nicaea and Ephesus . The council also confirmed the Theotokos title and excommunicated Nestorius. The 451 Council of Chalcedon was highly influential, and marked a key turning point in
2765-536: The Eastern Chalcedonians accepted the Formula of Hormisdas , anathematizing all of their own Eastern Chalcedonian hierarchy, who died out of communion with Rome from 482 to 519. The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 interpreted the decrees of Chalcedon, and further explained the relationship of the two natures of Jesus. It also condemned the alleged teachings of Origen on the pre-existence of
2844-510: The Father anything in my name he will give it you." Many Christian prayers thus conclude with the words: "Through Our Lord Jesus Christ". Several episodes in the New Testament refer to the power of the invocation of the Holy Name. In Mark 9:38-39 demons are driven out by the power of the name Jesus, in Acts 2:38 baptisms take place and in Acts 3:6 , Acts 4:7-11 and Acts 9:34 miracles are performed. Many Christians believe that as in Acts 16:18
2923-535: The Gospels do not claim to be an exhaustive list of his works. Christologies that can be gleaned from the three synoptic Gospels generally emphasize the humanity of Jesus, his sayings, his parables , and his miracles . The Gospel of John provides a different perspective that focuses on his divinity. The first 14 verses of the Gospel of John are devoted to the divinity of Jesus as the Logos , usually translated as "Word", along with his pre-existence, and they emphasize
3002-456: The Holy Name". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. Christology In Christianity , Christology is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus . Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of the Jewish people from foreign rulers or in
3081-591: The Holy Name. At the end of his sermons he usually displayed the trigram IHS on a tablet in gold letters. Bernardine would then ask the audience to "adore the Redeemer of mankind". Given that this practice had an unorthodox air, he was brought before Pope Martin V , who instead of rebuking Bernardine, encouraged the practice and joined a procession for it in Rome. The devotion to the Holy Name became so popular in Italy that
3160-556: The IHS trigram was often inscribed over the doorways of houses. The tablet used by Bernardine is now venerated at the basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome. The Litany of the Holy Name is an old and popular form of prayer in honor of the Name of Jesus. The author is not known. While it probably dates back to the beginning of the 15th century as a private devotion, it was not formally approved for public recitation until 1862 when it
3239-478: The Son of God by his resurrection from the dead", which sounds like an adoptionistic Christology, where Jesus was a human being who was "adopted" after his death. Different views would be debated for centuries by Christians and finally settled on the idea that he was both fully human and fully divine by the middle of the 5th century in the Council of Ephesus . Paul's thoughts on Jesus' teachings, versus his nature and being, are more defined, in that Paul believed Jesus
Benghazi Cathedral - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-409: The angel instructs Joseph: "you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins". It is the only place in the New Testament where "saves his people" appears with "sins". The significance is underscored by the fact that Matthew pays more attention to the name of the child and its theological implications than the actual birth event itself. Matthew 1:21 provides the beginnings of
3397-550: The brightness of His glory" ( Hebrews 1:3 ), equal unto him in all things. He is the Son of God, not only from the time that He assumed our nature, but from all eternity, as these testimonies, when compared together, teach us. Moses says that God created the world; and John saith that "all things were made by that Word" ( John 1:3 ), which he calls God. And the apostle says that God made the worlds by His Son ( Hebrews 1:2 ); likewise, that "God created all things by Jesus Christ" ( Ephesians 3:9 ). Therefore, it must needs follow, that he who
3476-643: The building was slowly abandoned due to lack of maintenance. After Muammar Gaddafi took power and suppressed the Libyan Church, plans were made to convert the building into a Mosque , as with the Cathedral of Tripoli , but the cathedral's position prevented Imams from facing Mecca , and the plans were scrapped. The building was later used as a headquarters for the Arab Socialist Union . The Headquarters had already been abandoned by time of
3555-425: The cathedral was, in fact, being converted into a mosque dedicated to Imam Malik ibn Anas . Locals alleged that the conversion was being done by the city's Awqaf Authority. The building is an example of Neoclassical and Italian Fascist architecture . The cathedral's form is that of a basilica. The entrance has a portico with four Doric columns and two side pillars. Its two characteristic domes cover both spans of
3634-456: The center of their understanding, and from that center attempted to understand the other issues related to the Christian mysteries. The question of the deity of Christ in the New Testament is inherently related to the Kyrios title of Jesus used in the early Christian writings and its implications for the absolute lordship of Jesus. In early Christian belief, the concept of Kyrios included the pre-existence of Christ , for they believed if Christ
3713-518: The christological debates. It is the last council which many Lutherans , Anglicans and other Protestants consider ecumenical. The Council of Chalcedon fully promulgated the Western dyophysite understanding put forth by Pope Leo I of Rome of the hypostatic union , the proposition that Christ has one human nature ( physis ) and one divine nature (physis) , each distinct and complete, and united with neither confusion nor division. Most of
3792-437: The cosmic significance of Christ, e.g.: "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." In the context of these verses, the Word made flesh is identical with the Word who was in the beginning with God, being exegetically equated with Jesus. Following the Apostolic Age , from the second century onwards, a number of controversies developed about how the human and divine are related within
3871-403: The deity of Christ. The article places emphasis on the eternal generation of the Son and the eternal divine nature of Christ as Creator. We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only begotten Son of God, begotten from eternity, not made nor created (for then He should be a creature), but co-essential and co-eternal with the Father, "the express image of His person, and
3950-531: The early Christian communities, and Paul deepened them and used them for preaching in the Hellenistic communities. What exactly Paul believed about the nature of Jesus cannot be determined decisively. In Philippians 2 , Paul states that Jesus was preexistent and came to Earth "by taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness". This sounds like an incarnation Christology. In Romans 1:4, however, Paul states that Jesus "was declared with power to be
4029-512: The early days of Christianity, where it was placed on altars and religious vestments, ornaments and other objects. The IHS monogram is also found on a gold coin from the 8th century. Medieval devotions to the Holy Name in England were promoted by Anselm of Canterbury early in the 12th century. In continental Europe, shortly after Anselm, the veneration of the Holy Name was strongly encouraged by Bernard of Clairvaux . Bernard's writings such as
SECTION 50
#17327761238164108-494: The endorsement of noted scholars Dale C. Allison Jr. , Chris Tilling, Tucker Ferda, and Christine Jacobi. From the second to the fifth centuries, the relation of the human and divine nature of Christ was a major focus of debates in the early church and at the first seven ecumenical councils . The Council of Chalcedon in 451 issued a formulation of the hypostatic union of the two natures of Christ, one human and one divine, "united with neither confusion nor division". Most of
4187-420: The human aspects and the ministry of Jesus (including the miracles, parables, etc.) and move towards his divinity and the mystery of incarnation. A basic Christological teaching is that the person of Jesus Christ is both human and divine. The human and divine natures of Jesus Christ apparently ( prosopic ) form a duality, as they coexist within one person ( hypostasis ). There are no direct discussions in
4266-464: The idea of the pre-existence of Christ as the Logos ('the Word'), as expressed in the prologue to the Gospel of John . These approaches interpret the works of Christ in terms of his divinity. According to Pannenberg, Christology from above "was far more common in the ancient Church, beginning with Ignatius of Antioch and the second century Apologists." The term Christology from below or low Christology refers to approaches that begin with
4345-483: The idea. John Hick , writing in 1993, mentioned changes in New Testament studies, citing "broad agreement" that scholars do not today support the view that Jesus claimed to be God, quoting as examples Michael Ramsey (1980), C. F. D. Moule (1977), James Dunn (1980), Brian Hebblethwaite (1985) and David Brown (1985). Larry Hurtado , who argues that the followers of Jesus within a very short period developed an exceedingly high level of devotional reverence to Jesus, at
4424-427: The influence of Gentile Christians, who brought their pagan Hellenistic traditions to the early Christian communities, introducing divine honours to Jesus. According to Casey and Dunn, this "high Christology" developed after the time of Paul, at the end of the first century CE when the Gospel of John was written. Since the 1970s, these late datings for the development of a "high Christology" have been contested, and
4503-468: The invocation of the name of Jesus provides protection by repelling evil. The reverence with which Christians have regarded the Holy Name of Jesus goes back to the earliest days of Christianity, as shown in Acts 4:10 and Philippians 2:10 . Devotion to and veneration of the IHS monogram, derived from the Greek word for Jesus, ΙΗΣΟΥΣ (and sometimes erroneously interpreted as Iesus Hominum Salvator , 'Jesus saviour of mankind'), also dates back to
4582-489: The major branches of Western Christianity ( Roman Catholicism , Anglicanism , Lutheranism , and Reformed ), Church of the East , Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy subscribe to the Chalcedonian Christological formulation, while many branches of Oriental Orthodox Churches ( Syrian Orthodoxy , Coptic Orthodoxy , Ethiopian Orthodoxy , and Armenian Apostolicism ) reject it. Although
4661-526: The major branches of Western Christianity and Eastern Orthodoxy subscribe to this formulation, while many branches of Oriental Orthodox Churches reject it, subscribing to miaphysitism . Christology (from the Greek Χριστός , Khristós and -λογία , -logia ), literally 'the understanding of Christ', is the study of the nature (person) and work (role in salvation) of Jesus Christ . It studies Jesus Christ's humanity and divinity, and
4740-484: The middle of the 2nd century, such terms emphasized two themes: that of Jesus as a preexistent figure who becomes human and then returns to God and that of Jesus as a creature elected and "adopted" by God. The first theme makes use of concepts drawn from Classical antiquity, whereas the second relies on concepts characteristic of ancient Jewish thought. The second theme subsequently became the basis of "adoptionist Christology" (see adoptionism ), which viewed Jesus' baptism as
4819-550: The nave, while a series of oculi provide the cathedral's lighting. Original plans show that the cathedral was not completed as planned; the designs included a three-story bell tower and sumptuous ceiling decoration, neither of which were built. It is nonetheless one of the largest churches in North Africa. Holy Name of Jesus In Catholicism , the veneration of the Holy Name of Jesus (also Most Holy Name of Jesus , Italian : Santissimo Nome di Gesù ) developed as
SECTION 60
#17327761238164898-400: The oldest Christology. The other early Christology is "high Christology", which is "the view that Jesus was a pre-existent divine being who became a human, did the Father's will on earth, and then was taken back up into heaven whence he had originally come", and from where he appeared on earth . According to Bousset, this "high Christology" developed at the time of Paul's writing, under
4977-405: The person of Jesus. As of the second century, a number of different and opposing approaches developed among various groups. In contrast to prevailing monoprosopic views on the Person of Christ, alternative dyoprosopic notions were also promoted by some theologians, but such views were rejected by the ecumenical councils . For example, Arianism did not endorse divinity, Ebionism argued Jesus
5056-589: The power of the Holy Name, and St. John of Kronstadt stated: "The Name of the Lord is the Lord Himself". The doctrine of imiaslavie ( имяславие , or onomatodoxy ), the worship of the Name of God as identical with God himself, was condemned by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1913. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Litany of
5135-555: The power of the Name of Jesus at times coincided with the belief in the power of the Holy Name of Mary . The belief in the power of the Holy name had a strong visual component and the IHS monogram as well as Crucifixion scenes were widely used along with it. In the 16th century, the Jesuits made the IHS monogram the emblem of their society, by adding a cross over the H and by showing three nails underneath it. Constructed in Rome in 1568
5214-463: The prophesied Kingdom of God , and in the salvation from what would otherwise be the consequences of sin . The earliest Christian writings gave several titles to Jesus, such as Son of Man , Son of God , Messiah , and Kyrios , which were all derived from Hebrew scripture. These terms centered around two opposing themes, namely "Jesus as a preexistent figure who becomes human and then returns to God ", versus adoptionism – that Jesus
5293-577: The relation between these two aspects; and the role he plays in salvation . " Ontological Christology" analyzes the nature or being of Jesus Christ. "Functional Christology" analyzes the works of Jesus Christ, while " soteriological Christology" analyzes the " salvific " standpoints of Christology. Several approaches can be distinguished within Christology. The term Christology from above or high Christology refers to approaches that include aspects of divinity, such as Lord and Son of God, and
5372-419: The same epistle, he writes that "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). The synoptic Gospels date from after the writings of Paul. They provide episodes from the life of Jesus and some of his works, but the authors of the New Testament show little interest in an absolute chronology of Jesus or in synchronizing the episodes of his life, and as in John 21:25 ,
5451-487: The same time rejects the view that Jesus made a claim to messiahship or divinity to his disciples during his life as "naive and ahistorical". According to Gerd Lüdemann , the broad consensus among modern New Testament scholars is that the proclamation of the divinity of Jesus was a development within the earliest Christian communities. N. T. Wright points out that arguments over the claims of Jesus regarding divinity have been passed over by more recent scholarship, which sees
5530-545: The soul, and other topics. The Third Council of Constantinople in 681 declared that Christ has two wills of his two natures, human and divine, contrary to the teachings of the Monothelites , with the divine will having precedence, leading and guiding the human will. The Second Council of Nicaea was called under the Empress Regent Irene of Athens in 787, known as the second of Nicaea. It supports
5609-410: The start of Christianity, and took further shape in the first few decades of the church, as witnessed in the writings of Paul. Some 'Early High Christology' proponents scholars argue that this "high Christology" may go back to Jesus himself. There is a controversy regarding whether Jesus himself claimed to be divine. In Honest to God , then- Bishop of Woolwich , John A. T. Robinson , questioned
5688-591: The story of Christ [...] on the story of divine Wisdom". The title Kyrios for Jesus is central to the development of New Testament Christology. In the Septuagint it translates the Tetragrammaton , the holy Name of God. As such, it closely links Jesus with God – in the same way a verse such as Matthew 28:19, "The Name (singular) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit". Kyrios
5767-598: Was already upset with Nestorius due to other matters) wrote about this to Cyril of Alexandria , who orchestrated the council. During the council, Nestorius defended his position by arguing there must be two persons of Christ, one human, the other divine, and Mary had given birth only to a human, hence could not be called the Theotokos , i.e. "the one who gives birth to God". The debate about the single or dual nature of Christ ensued in Ephesus. The First Council of Ephesus debated miaphysitism (two natures united as one after
5846-421: Was an ordinary mortal, while Gnosticism held docetic views which argued Christ was a spiritual being who only appeared to have a physical body. The resulting tensions led to schisms within the church in the second and third centuries, and ecumenical councils were convened in the fourth and fifth centuries to deal with the issues. Although some of the debates may seem to various modern students to be over
5925-682: Was approved by Pope Pius IX . Also common is the Novena in Honor of the Name of Jesus and the chaplet of Our Lord which are part of the many devotions to the Holy Name of Jesus promulgated by the Society of the Holy Name . Religious articles such as the Little Sachet (associated with the Holy Name) are used by Catholics. The Little Sachet bears the statement: "When Jesus was named – Satan
6004-490: Was disarmed." John Calvin believed in reverence for the Holy Name and encouraged Christians to "glorify His holy name with our whole life". Martin Luther encouraged "pure faith and confidence, and a cheerful meditation of and calling upon His holy Name". O nomen Jesu by Peter Philips (1612) and Johann Rosenmüller (1648) are motets intended for the service commemorating the naming of Jesus . O Jesu, nomen dulce
6083-434: Was human who was "adopted" by God at his baptism, crucifixion, or resurrection. While there was a consensus as of 2007 that the divinity of Christ was a later development, there are scholars now who argue that the historical Jesus claimed to be God. Most scholars now argue that a high Christology existed prior to Paul. Brant Pitre 's argument that Jesus claimed to be divine has been particularly well received, obtaining
6162-513: Was resurrected. Later beliefs shifted the exaltation to his baptism, birth, and subsequently to the idea of his pre-existence, as witnessed in the Gospel of John. This "evolutionary model" was proposed by proponents of the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule , especially Wilhelm Bousset 's influential Kyrios Christos (1913). This evolutionary model was very influential, and the "low Christology" has long been regarded as
6241-472: Was sent as an atonement for the sins of everyone. The Pauline epistles use Kyrios to identify Jesus almost 230 times, and express the theme that the true mark of a Christian is the confession of Jesus as the true Lord. Paul viewed the superiority of the Christian revelation over all other divine manifestations as a consequence of the fact that Christ is the Son of God . The Pauline epistles also advanced
#815184