Understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ from a biblical perspective.

In the 20th century, the study of Christology was center stage. Erickson discusses the debate over the last century in relation to the “quest of the historical Jesus,” “Christology from below,” “Christology from above,” and finally, his own “alternative approach.” Explain and evaluate this debate and its importance for understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ from a biblical perspective. Remember, this is not a personal-opinion blog. It is a serious engagement with your study of theology. Interact with Erickson’s discussion of these matters in “Contemporary Issues in Christological Method.”
You must only cite the course textbooks.
TEXTBOOKS
1) CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY
Third Edition. +400 words, citation format is APA

Sample Solution

The debate over Christology in the 20th century was largely centered on understanding Jesus’ person and work from a biblical perspective. In contemporary times, this theological debate has mainly focused on the “quest of the historical Jesus,” as well as views called “Christology from below” or “Christology from above.”

According to Erickson, the quest of the historical Jesus began with an attempt to uncover a more accurate portrait of Jesus by looking at his cultural context. This method seeks to understand how his teachings were shaped by that environment and what he meant for his contemporaries (Erickson, 2000). On the other hand, Christology from below looks at how our experience shapes our view of him and prioritizes personal subjective interpretation over textual evidence (ibid). Christology from above is seen as being influenced by Greek philosophical thought which espouses a notion of Logos that tends to de-emphasize humanity in favor of divinity (ibid).

Erickson suggests an alternative approach to these two dominant methods known as christocentric hermeneutics. This approach keeps both human subjectivity and divine revelation in balance and evaluates them through reflection upon Scripture’s narrative framework rather than isolated proof texts (ibid). Therefore, it does not seek to privilege either humanity or deity but instead acknowledges both aspects working together. He also insists that all approaches must be evaluated against Scripture first before any external sources are considered valid (ibid.). Finally, he pushes for deeper understanding through “the normativeness of God’s purposes revealed in Scripture” instead of axiomatic principles or proofs (ibid.).

In conclusion, Erickson’s proposed alternative approach provides an effective balanced solution between traditional views such as Christology from Below and From Above while retaining its uniqueness when compared with other forms such as Questing Historical Jesus. As such it allows us access into a comprehensive understanding of who we believe Jesus is without surrendering either Biblical authority nor allowing subjective interpretation run rampant.

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