Incarnation and inspiration John Owen and the coherence of Christology Alan Spence.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Spence, Alan, author.

Series:

T & T Clark theology.

T & T Clark theology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Owen, John, 1616-1683.

Owen, John.

Jesus Christ--Person and offices.

Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ--History of doctrines--17th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (183 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London New York T & T Clark 2007.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

Through engagement with the historical debate Incarnation and Inspiration offers a systematic exposition of the person of Jesus that brings together dissonant aspects of the tradition. It serves as an introduction to the theology to John Owen, the most able of the Puritan theologians and provides a way of understanding the theological dynamic underlying the Christology of the Fathers and the Definition of Chalcedon. Through its emphasis on coherence it seeks to illuminate the inner rationality of God's triune being and his mission among us through the Son and Spirit. Incarnation and inspiration are concepts which can be used to characterize two quite different ways of thinking about Christ. Although the history of doctrine suggests they are mutually exclusive, John Owen's theology effectively integrates them in one coherent Christology. The underlying structure of his exposition is that of incarnation, whereby the Son willingly assumed human nature into personal subsistence with himself. But his distinctive idea was that the divine Son acted on his own human nature indirectly and by means of the Holy Spirit. The foundation of the Spirit's distinctive work was the renewal of the image of God in the humanity of Christ, which the Spirit formed, sanctified, empowered, comforted and glorified. Owen thus affirmed an inspirational Christology within the framework of an Alexandrian interpretation of the incarnation. The coherence of this account is tested with respect to four areas of concern. Firstly, can a Christology which affirms the distinct operation of Christ's two natures successfully maintain the unity of his personal action? Secondly, is nature or ontological language too static to model the dynamic reality of Christ? Thirdly, is Owen justified in arguing that, other than in its assumption, the divine Son acts on his own human nature only indirectly and by means of the Spirit? Fourthly, does Owen's interpretation of the distinct action of the Trinitarian persons undermine the doctrine of the indivisibility of their external operations? Finally the significance of Owen's Christology is considered in relation to the Definition of Chalcedon and to modern theology

Contents:

Preface

Part I- Two Ways Of Thinking About Christ

Inspiration or Incarnation

1. Why did Jesus pray?

2. Incarnational Christology

3. Inspirational Christology

4. Compatibility and the witness of the tradition

a. Spirit Christology

b. Basil of Caesarea

c. Adoptionism

d. Irenaeus

e. The Antiochenes

f. The Alexandrians

g. Chalcedon

5. John Owen

Part II- Incarnation

The Son assumes human nature

1. The writing of Christologia

2. Christ as the way of our knowing

3. The context in which Christ is known

4. The wisdom of God and the person of Christ

5. The appropriateness of the incarnation

6. The pre-existent Son

7. God's eternal counsels

8. The agent of the incarnation

9. The Word became flesh

10. The assumption of human nature

11. Anhypostasia

12. The hypostatic union

13. The natures distinguished

14. Interaction between the natures

Part III- Inspiration

The Spirit renews God's image in Christ's human nature

1. Quakers and Socinians.

2. The Spirit in the Christian life

3. The Spirit in Nature and in Grace

4. Christ as the foundation and goal of the Spirit's work

5. Firstborn among many brothers

6. The Spirit's work in Jesus

7. Inspiration and incarnation

8. Master-stories

9. Integrity of the Person

Part IV -The Mediator

One person acting in two natures

1. Athanasius - The Incarnation of the Word of God

2. Anselm - Why was God made Man?

3. Calvin - Incorporating both perspectives

4. The office of Mediator

5. The person of the Mediator

a. a human nature

b. a divine nature

6. From Logos to Mediator

7. The Mediator as subject of the incarnate life

8. Evaluation

Part V- The Son And The Father

Of the same being

1. Introduction of the homoousion

2. Arian christology

3. The Athanasian alternative

a. The new difficulties it introduced

b. The Son as servant

c. The Son as divine

4. The Socinians

a. Challenge to the Trinity

b. Son by adoption

c. Dependent on the Father

5. Owen's response

a. The eternal Son

b. The Son as Mediator

6. Conclusion

Part VI -The Son And The Children

An 'autokinetic' human nature

1. The relation between the natures

2. The Apollinarian solution

3. An alternative account

4. The nature of Christ's humanity

a. Jesus as our prototype

b. Jesus as willing priest

c. Jesus as God's revelation

5. The self-consciousness of Jesus

Part VII -Trinitarian Agency

The Son and Spirit as distinct agents

1. Our knowledge of God as triune

2. The essence of the doctrine

3. Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa

4. Distinct principles of operation

a. The Spirit as a distinct person

b. The Son assumes human nature

5. Resolution

6. Consistent?

7. Strictures on the tradition

8. New possibilities

Part VIII- Conclusion

1. The problem of christology

2. Owen and the coherence of Chalcedon

3. Coherence and modern christology

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [155]-160) and index

ISBN:

9786613122216

9780567271686

0567271684

9781472549808

1472549805

9781283122214

1283122219

9780567451835

0567451836

OCLC:

727649596