Person of Christ
Book chapter
Coakley, Sarah Anne. (2016). Person of Christ. In The Cambridge Companion to the Summa Theologiae pp. 222-239 Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CCO9781139034159.018
Authors | Coakley, Sarah Anne |
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Abstract | In what follows, then, I shall choose to focus particularly on the notable theological and philosophical conundrums which arise in trying to explicate Thomas’ unique account of the ‘hypostatic union’. In fact this discussion only takes up part of the relevant sections of the Tertia Pars (principally questions 2–6 within the broader discussion of questions 2–15: this is the section which Thomas calls in the Prologus ‘the manner of union between the Word and flesh’). But it will be necessary also to probe some elements of what Thomas calls the ‘consequent implications’, which follow in questions 16–26, and which not only display one of the first, and keenest, understandings of the later Greek ecumenical councils manifested in the Latin scholastic West,Footnote2 but also opt for some quite radical opinions about the mutability and perfectibility of elements of Christ’s human nature within his own incarnate life. Thomas’ christology is, as we shall see, distinctive and daring even within the boundaries of an unshakeable commitment to historic conciliar ‘orthodoxy’. In large part this is because of his scriptural acuity and his insistent concern to avoid any hint of ‘docetism’ (any mere ‘appearance’ of authentic humanity in Christ). In other ways it results from Thomas’ fearless acknowledgement of the metaphysical uniqueness of the event he seeks to explicate: whilst philosophical reasoning can clarify this mystery up to a point, and certainly help to ward off doctrinal error, there is no better example in the ST of a revelatory doctrine which finally exceeds even the best attempts at analogical explication. No wonder, then, that Thomas changed his mind several times in his career about how best to express this mystery.Footnote3 If we are not ready for this ‘scandal’ element in his christology we shall find Thomas’ account frustrating from the outset. |
Keywords | Philosophy; Religion; Theology |
Page range | 222-239 |
Year | 01 Jan 2016 |
Book title | The Cambridge Companion to the Summa Theologiae |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Place of publication | United States |
Series | Cambridge Companions to Religion |
ISBN | 9780521879637 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1017/CCO9781139034159.018 |
Web address (URL) | https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-companion-to-the-summa-theologiae/person-of-christ/0902F9701B4900FB0F23082C52AED2C4 |
Open access | Published as non-open access |
Research or scholarly | Research |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Jun 2016 | |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 31 Jan 2024 |
Deposited | 07 Feb 2024 |
Additional information | © Cambridge University Press 2016. |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/901y9/person-of-christ
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