It's the defining reality of all existence, the central fact of human history, and the heart of the Christian faith: God became a man and lived among us. More than just part of the Christmas story, the doctrine of the incarnation radically affects our understanding of God, humanity, life, death, and salvation. In The Incarnation of God, theology professors John Clark and Marcus Johnson explore this foundational Christian confession, examining its implications for the church's knowledge and worship of God. Grounded in Scripture and informed by church history, this book will help Christians rediscover the inestimable significance of the truth that the Son of God became what we are without ceasing to be the eternal God—the greatest mystery of the universe.
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Near the end of his writing career, Cassian the monk was commissioned by the future Pope Leo the Great to reply to the Christological positions of Nestorius. Nestorius saw in Christ two subjects, that of the Word and that of the man Jesus. Cassian's foray into ecclesiastical controversy yields a cannonade of arguments from the Scriptures and the early Fathers, bombarding the Nestorian position with an impassioned rendition of the general Christological views of East and West. Unsurprisingly, for one such as Cassian who was so concerned with Christian sanctity, it places special emphasis on the difference between the personal divinity of Christ and the indwelling of the Word in the saints—for the personal divinity of Christ is what indeed makes it possible for Christ to be said to dwell within those saints who tread the heights of union with God. What Cassian lacks in the precision of an Athanasius or a Maximus the Confessor, he makes up for in the verve of his argumentation. (Ex Fontibus Co.)
The Great Unspoken in Jewish-Christian dialogue is Jesus’s conception. It’s a topic avoided even by many who accept his resurrection. This book tackles the issue. Did Jesus exist before Bethlehem? Who was mysterious Melchizedek? What does Psalm 110 really say? How far do the variant genealogies of Matthew and Luke really make sense? Was Mary a peasant or a princess? And what are the options for Jesus’s paternity? Just how Jewish was he really? Just as the author’s Messiah ben Joseph examined the ancient origins of the sacrificial Messiah promised to Joseph, so Jesus: The Incarnation of the Word looks at the origins of the Zadokite Messiah. BACK COVER REVIEWS David Mitchell’s Jesus: The Incarnation of the Word is a fascinating read. While its title seemingly rehearses well-trodden paths that need no further attention, that presumption could not be more misguided. The author is deeply conversant in the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, Second Temple Jewish literature, Rabbinic writings, and early Christian and Patristic texts. All are brought into service to offer intriguing solutions to various difficulties arising from the Davidic (and priestly!) genealogies of Joseph and Mary and the relationship of Jesus to Melchizedek and the Angel of the Lord. Readers will find this a rewarding study. Michael S. Heiser, PhD (Hebrew Studies, Wisconsin) Bestselling author of The Unseen Realm Executive Director and Professor, Awakening School of Theology Jesus: The Incarnation of the Word brings readers on an eye-opening journey through Old and New Testament texts, genealogies, and extra-biblical sources ancient and modern to probe the core question distinguishing Christianity from other faiths: is Jesus God in the flesh? With meticulous attention to detail, David C. Mitchell applies his exegetical acumen and extensive expertise in second temple and Rabbinic literature to uncover the remarkable breadth of the Bible’s testimony about the Messiah and its long history of discussion. Erudite, witty, and eminently readable, this volume will enlighten, challenge, and inspire as it reveals how deep and wide are the Bible’s messianic promises fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. Dr Adam D. Hensley, Australian Lutheran College, University of Divinity Author of Covenant Relationships and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter
The Incarnate Lord, then, considers central themes in Christology from a metaphysical perspective. Particular attention is given to the hypostatic union, the two natures of Christ, the knowledge and obedience of Jesus, the passion and death of Christ, his descent into hell, and resurrection. A central concern of the book is to argue for the perennial importance of ontological principles of Christology inherited from patristic and scholastic authors. However, the book also seeks to advance an interpretation of Thomistic Christology in a modern context. The teaching Aquinas, then, is central to the study, but it is placed in conversation with various modern theologians, such as Karl Barth, Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar. Ultimately the goal of the work is to suggest how traditional Catholic theology might thrive under modern conditions, and also develop fruitfully from engaging in contemporary controversies.
