Christology and Ecclesiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Christology and Ecclesiology - Essay Example They set forth two reasons for the divinity of Christ, the first one being "dynamic monarchianism" which explains the divinity of Jesus resulting from him being the carrier of a divine power, which "descended upon the man Jesus."(Grenz pg 57) The complete divinity of Christ thought was established at the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea1 in 325, based on Arius' view that Jesus was "begotten of the Father, of the substance of the Father, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father." (Grenz pg 59) Christology is the reaffirmation of our belief and confession in the godliness of Jesus, who is the road to our salvation. The authors of the new Testament strongly believed that Jesus combines in his person the role of God and Savior (2 Pet.1:1, pg 246) Jesus' divinity is attributed to his perfect life or what may be called his "sinlessness" (pg. 252) which was only possible because in Jesus could be seen "a veritable existence of God" (pg. 252) the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is at the heart of Christian faith, points to the divinity of Jesus. (pg. 259) the historical life of Jesus reveals his humanity, and he becomes not just an "embodiment of God," but of his willingness to be a part of the 'life in community" which he participated in his life on Earth. (pg. 272) According to Stanley Grenz (1994) "The idea of covenant... Baptists, the covenant that joins believers together in the church of Jesus Christ is sealed in believer's baptism." However, during the period of the 1100s and 1200s, theology took on different perspectives. For example, theology did not just mean a discourse related to God, "it now became the rational explication of divine revelation."3 (Yves M.J. Conjar, 1968) The salient points highlighted in Stanley Grenz' book titled "Theology for the Community of God" are traditional themes incorporated in the Christian doctrine related to God, humankind, Christ, Church and the Holy Spirit. Grenz' work is a masterful blend of the traditional, contemporary and the historical to provide us with a coherent outlook involving our Christian faith through the establishment of community with God as its Father. In referring to God as the High Priest of the Church and all of us are his children, he describes a women's place within the community; Grenz expresses his views stating "that women ought to be full participants with men in all dimensions of church life and ministry" (Grenz, 1995, p. 143). Conclusion Grenz' views on Christ as the High Priest of the Church and the faith of the Christian community as a whole in relation to it, has come in for a lot of criticisms from other theologians, especially his notion that women too can be equal participants in both church life as well as ministry. Many theologians criticized him on these grounds and never accepted his views on this. Grenz' view of God's image in relation to God and man is taken to be a serious misrepresentation and is said to be misleading. Grenz is supposed to have charged 'complimentarians with the violation of 'ecclesiological principle of the priesthood of all believers.'4 (J. Grenz with Denise Muir Kjesbo, 1995)