Jesus Christ: Savior and Lord

by Donald G. Bloesch

Overview

Voted one of Christianity Today's 1998 Books of the Year

With his customary encyclopedic reach and epigrammatic style, Donald Bloesch turns his attention to the hotly disputed, yet absolutely crucial, subject of the person and work of Jesus Christ. He brings a much-needed clarity to the current christological debate, which, as Hans Küng noted, "has persisted since the dawn of the modern age [and] has not yet been resolved."

Drawing on more than forty years of devoted study, Donald Bloesch now brings a much-needed clarity to the discussion. Well apprised of the most recent developments, yet grounded in his own deep Reformed faith, Bloesch goes beneath current reconstructions of the Jesus of history to probe underlying issues of theological method, models of salvation, the plausibility of miracles, the language of faith and the doctrine of sin.

As Bloesch declares, "Christology constitutes the heart of theology, since it focuses on God's work of salvation in the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth, and the bearing that this has on the history of humankind. To know the nature of God we must see his face in Jesus Christ." This important book is a vital exercise in seeing Jesus Christ faithfully and truthfully.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830827541
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	12/02/2005
Series:	Christian Foundations , #4
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.86(d)

About the Author

Donald G. Bloesch (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is professor of theology emeritus at Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He has written numerous books, including the completed seven-volume Christian Foundations series, Evangelical Theology in Transition, Essentials of Evangelical Theology, The Future of Evangelical Christianity, The Struggle of Prayer and Freedom for Obedience. He is also a past president of the Midwest Division of the American Theological Society.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Preface

1. Christ in Dispute
The Pivotal Issues
Christologies in Conflict
The Road Ahead

2. The Plight of Humanity
Classical and Modern Views
Sin in the Non-Christian Religions
Sin in the History of Theology
A Biblical Perspective
Pitfalls to Avoid

3. The Mystery of Incarnation
True Humanity and True Divinity
Christological Heresies
Tensions Between the Churches
Modern Restatements of Christology
A Reaffirmation of Orthodox Christology
Appendix A: Implications of Gender-Inclusive Language for Christology

4. The Virgin Birth
The Current Controversy
The Traditional Understanding
Valid and Compelling Reasons for Believing
Valid Reasons for Emphasizing
Invalid Reasons for Believing
Invalid Reasons for Not Believing
Epilogue
Appendix B: The Role of Mary
Appendix C: Myth and Reality in the Bible

5. The Preexistence of Jesus Christ
A Historical Overview
Karl Barth's Position
Epilogue

6. Christ's Atoning Sacrifice
The Purpose of the Incarnation
Theories of the Atonement
Christ as Our Substitute
The Two Poles of the Atonement
Limited or Universal Atonement
Appendix D: The Death of God

7. Salvation in Evangelical Protestantism
Justification
Sanctification
Continuing Issues
Models of Salvation
Ecumenical Implications

8. Law and Gospel: A Reformed Perspective
Contrasting Postions
Distinctive Reformed Emphases
Love and Law
Call to Discipleship
The Ultimate Criterion

9. The Lordship of Christ in Theological History
New Testament Views
Augustine and Aquinas
Luther and Calvin
Liberal Theology
The Contemporary Scene
Jesus as Lord and Victor

10. The Finality of Christ
Christ in the New Theologies
A Reaffirmation of Biblical Christianity
An Emerging Confessional Situation

Notes
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
Index of Scripture