The Earliest Christologies: Five Images of Christ in the Postapostolic Age

by James L. Papandrea

Overview

The second century was a religious and cultural crucible for early Christian Christology. Was Christ a man, temporarily inhabited by the divine? Was he a spirit, only apparently cloaked in flesh? Or was he the Logos, truly incarnate? Between varieties of adoptionism on the one hand and brands of gnosticism on the other, the church's understanding took shape. In this clear and concise introduction, James Papandrea sets out five of the principal images of Christ that dominated belief and debate in the postapostolic age. While beliefs on the ground were likely more tangled and less defined than we can know, Papandrea helps us see how Logos Christology was forged as the beginning of the church's orthodox confession. This informative and clarifying study of early Christology provides a solid ground for students to begin to explore the early church and its Christologies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830851270
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	03/24/2016
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

James L. Papandrea (PhD, Northwestern University) is professor of church history and historical theology at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is the author of The Earliest Christologies, The Trinitarian Theology of Novatian of Rome, and Reading the Early Church Fathers. He studied Roman history at the American Academy in Rome, Italy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
1. Five Images of Christ in the Postapostolic Age
2. Christ as Angel: Angel Adoptionism
3. Christ as Prophet: Spirit Adoptionism
4. Christ as Phantom: Docetism and Docetic Gnosticism
5. Christ as Cosmic Mind: Hybrid Gnosticism
6. Christ as Word: Logos Christology
7. What, Then, Is Orthodoxy?
Chart: Christology Continuum
Subject Index
Scripture Index

What People are Saying About This

David B. Capes

"In The Earliest Christologies, Papandrea enters the messiness of history and 'heresies' in order to explain how Logos Christology became the dominant and enduring perspective on Christ and his significance. If you have puzzled over the christological controversies of the past, expect to find clarity in his account."

David Wilhite

"The Earliest Christologies is a clear, accessible introduction to five common views from early Christianity. Papandrea offers a helpful taxonomy that avoids oversimplification. By placing Logos Christology within a spectrum of Christian attempts to express the faith, the author shows how orthodox Christology compares with—and ultimately surpasses—its various dialogue partners. With constant references to primary texts that are in turn supported by astute commentary, this book is an excellent starting point for any attempt to learn what early Christians believed about Jesus."

Helen Rhee

"With conciseness, clarity and proper nuance, James Papandrea offers an excellent primer on the developing Christologies of the second century and shows their practical significance and implications on soteriology and anthropology."

David L. Eastman

"Papandrea has done a great service by producing this accessible guide to the early Christian controversies about Christ. He avoids simply dismissing some views as 'heretical,' but instead shows how these views grew out of a desire to emphasize some aspect of Christ's identity. Yet he also provides an explanation of why the majority church decided on the position it did. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of early Christian theology and by extension the historic creeds of the church."

Michael F. Bird

"James Papandrea eloquently introduces readers to dissident images of Jesus in the second-century church. Many groups wrestled with the question 'Who is Jesus?' and came to diverse conclusions. In this book, Papandrea helpfully sets out their views and asks what motivated them and why they (inevitably) failed to win the backing of the mainstream church. All in all, an excellent introduction to forms of 'other' Christianity and the whole discourse of early Christology. A lively, readable and informed introduction to Christologies deemed to be heretical."

Mike Aquilina

"This is simply the best, most elegant and most lucid account of orthodoxy and heresy in early Christianity."

Editorial Reviews

"With conciseness, clarity and proper nuance, James Papandrea offers an excellent primer on the developing Christologies of the second century and shows their practical significance and implications on soteriology and anthropology."

Helen Rhee

"James Papandrea eloquently introduces readers to dissident images of Jesus in the second-century church. Many groups wrestled with the question 'Who is Jesus?' and came to diverse conclusions. In this book, Papandrea helpfully sets out their views and asks what motivated them and why they (inevitably) failed to win the backing of the mainstream church. All in all, an excellent introduction to forms of 'other' Christianity and the whole discourse of early Christology. A lively, readable and informed introduction to Christologies deemed to be heretical."

Michael F. Bird

"In The Earliest Christologies, Papandrea enters the messiness of history and 'heresies' in order to explain how Logos Christology became the dominant and enduring perspective on Christ and his significance. If you have puzzled over the christological controversies of the past, expect to find clarity in his account."

David B. Capes

"This is simply the best, most elegant and most lucid account of orthodoxy and heresy in early Christianity."

Mike Aquilina

The Earliest Christologies is an absolutely first-rate introduction to the early development of Christological doctrine. Papandrea has the gift of explaining complex issues clearly, simply, and precisely. . . . This book most definitely belongs in all libraries, academic and seminary, supporting programs in early Christian studies and/or theology."

Thomas M. Dousa

"The Earliest Christologies is a clear, accessible introduction to five common views from early Christianity. Papandrea offers a helpful taxonomy that avoids oversimplification. By placing Logos Christology within a spectrum of Christian attempts to express the faith, the author shows how orthodox Christology compares with—and ultimately surpasses—its various dialogue partners. With constant references to primary texts that are in turn supported by astute commentary, this book is an excellent starting point for any attempt to learn what early Christians believed about Jesus."

David Wilhite

"Papandrea has done a great service by producing this accessible guide to the early Christian controversies about Christ. He avoids simply dismissing some views as 'heretical,' but instead shows how these views grew out of a desire to emphasize some aspect of Christ's identity. Yet he also provides an explanation of why the majority church decided on the position it did. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of early Christian theology and by extension the historic creeds of the church."

David L. Eastman

The Earliest Christologies is an absolutely first-rate introduction to the early development of Christological doctrine. Papandrea has the gift of explaining complex issues clearly, simply, and precisely. . . . This book most definitely belongs in all libraries, academic and seminary, supporting programs in early Christian studies and/or theology."

--Thomas M. Dousa, Catholic Library World, September 2016

"The Earliest Christologies is a clear, accessible introduction to five common views from early Christianity. Papandrea offers a helpful taxonomy that avoids oversimplification. By placing Logos Christology within a spectrum of Christian attempts to express the faith, the author shows how orthodox Christology compares with--and ultimately surpasses--its various dialogue partners. With constant references to primary texts that are in turn supported by astute commentary, this book is an excellent starting point for any attempt to learn what early Christians believed about Jesus."

--David Wilhite, associate professor of theology, Baylor University

"In The Earliest Christologies, Papandrea enters the messiness of history and 'heresies' in order to explain how Logos Christology became the dominant and enduring perspective on Christ and his significance. If you have puzzled over the christological controversies of the past, expect to find clarity in his account."

--David B. Capes, academic dean, professor of New Testament, Houston Graduate School of Theology

From the Publisher

The Earliest Christologies is an absolutely first-rate introduction to the early development of Christological doctrine. Papandrea has the gift of explaining complex issues clearly, simply, and precisely. . . . This book most definitely belongs in all libraries, academic and seminary, supporting programs in early Christian studies and/or theology."

Thomas M. Fousa