The Way of Jesus Christ: Christology in Messianic Dimensions

One of today's foremost theologians, Jurgen Moltmann, adds another thoughtful treatise to his scholarly corpus in The Way of Jesus Christ: Christology in Messianic Dimensions (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, c. 1990). Intending to "grasp" Christ "dynamically, in the forward movement of God's history with the world" (p. xiv), he sets forth a "post-modern christology" which locates "human history ecologically in the framework of nature" (p. xvi). That endeavor leads him to insist that Jesus understood himself, as did his early followers, in the light of Judaism's messianic hopes. Moltmann thus anchors his christology in the Theology of Hope which he espoused 30 years ago. He also seeks to establish the eschatological themes he set forth 20 years ago in The Crucified God. And he further explores, as he did a decade ago in Spirit in the World, God's constant action in creation, treated under the subject of "the cosmic Christ" in this work. I was reminded, reading this book, of the second century apologist, St Justin Martyr, who portrayed Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testa¬ment hopes as well as the Logos of creation fulfilling Greek philosophical speculations. Like St Justin, Moltmann understands the Christ as far more than the "Jesus of history." Exploring messianic biblical passages, Molt¬mann finds two preeminent themes: "The messiah is a historical figure of hope belonging to nation, space and time. The son of man is a figure of expectation for all nations; he is above the world, because he overcomes the world. Both figures are transparent for the kingdom of God in its direct, unmediated glory. It is this which the two figures represent in history, and which they have to mediate to human beings who are estranged from God. That is why both figures are also provisional and passing. In them, and through their rule the com¬ing God himself announces his coming (Isa. 35.4)" (p. 17). The messiah comes to restore all creation, to bring all things to perfection in His lasting sabbath rest. Thus not only we humans "will be possessed by this divine glory, by virtue of participation and correspondence. The whole cosmos will be drawn into the glory with him. The Fathers of the church saw this all-embracing goal of salvation as 'the deification of the human being' and 'the deification of creation'" (p. 47). All things will find their end in Him. With this emphasis Moltmann parts ways with those "modern," Enlightenment-spawned thinkers who developed a purely anthropological christology, a "Jesuology," shaped to suit their hunger for subjectively satisfying doctrines. To elucidate his own, "post-modern," christology, Moltmann devotes a significant section of the book to "the messianic mission of Christ," emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit in His life and ministry. Next, he considers "the apocalyptic sufferings of Christ," sufferings both necessary and exemplary for us. He then turns to "the eschatologica

To read Moltmann's christology is hard work, but well worth it. He has been an influential theologian for nearly a half century in all areas of theology, messianology, christology, pneumatology, trinitology, eschatology and even more, I'm sure. Perhaps what I appreciate most about Moltmann's christology is its interdisciplinary nature. He is not content to isolate christology as a discipline, but powerfully interprets it through multiple lenses. His understanding of Christ is very Trinitarian, and its thrust is eschatological. Though the incarnation is certainly central, his christology is not confined to the historical person of Jesus. His christology is cosmic and universal. There are seven sections of The Way of Jesus Christ. The first located the field of christology within Old Testament messianology by way of pneumatology. In his self-appropriation of Isaiah 61 and 58 in Luke 4, Jesus declares the agency of the Holy Spirit, and at other points in ministry he links himself with the Son of Man in Daniel 7. Sections 2 and 3 emphasize three components of the messianic identity of Jesus Christ that must be held together: the bringer of the eschatological new creation of all things (emphasized by modernists), the theological child of God (emphasized by traditional christology) and the socially human friend of sinners (emphasized in newer contextual christologies). The historical overemphasis on one aspect over another (and the implications thereof) is fleshed out in Section 2, leading to Moltmann's insistence on dialectical tension between the three. Section 4 focuses on "The Apocalyptic Sufferings of Christ." Some of Moltmann's influential ideas from his earlier work The Crucified God are expanded upon in this section, discussing the very serious trinitarian implications that are raised in the suffering messiah. How can a good God stand by while his son is crucified by a rebellious humanity? Moltmann suggests a "theology of the pain of God, which means the theology of the divine co-suffering or compassion" (178). God did not cause Jesus' suffering, as if the Trinity could turn on itself. The resurrection is explored in Section 5 not as a historical act but an apocalyptic happening (214), an idea that carries into Section 6, "The Cosmic Christ." Through the two sections, Christ's redemption is emphasized as not merely for humanity, but for "all things." Moltmann here leans heavily on Ephesians and Colossians, with Christ as the head of a new creation, firstborn over all creation, reconciling all things to God. Moltmann concludes with a section on the parousia, which he does not view as a "second coming," but rather as "...the fulfillment of the whole history of Christ, with all that it promises; for it is only with Christ's parousia that `all the tears will be wiped away'. It is only in the parousia that Israel will be redeemed, and this `unredeemed world' created anew" (319). It is difficult to know where to begin i

The Way of Jesus Christ is a highly creative theological work by German scholar and theologian Jürgen Moltmann. In this work Moltmann seeks to present a messianic Christology that reflects a messianic faith. Additionally, he seeks to highlight the links between Judaism and Christianity from that perspective. At the same time, Moltmann blends in perspectives taken from Liberation and Feminists theologies with a few twists of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox thought. All this blended together creates what Moltmann believes is an effective interpretation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are many issues to consider in Moltmann's book. Early in the work, Moltmann expresses concerns regarding the nature of such creeds as Nicaea and Chalcedon. It seems that he respects the decisions of these councils but wants to somehow move beyond them. The title chosen for the work `The Way of Jesus Christ' elicits how he wants to portray Christ; "This shows that I am trying to think of Christ no longer statically, as one person in two natures or as a historical personality. I am trying to grasp him dynamically, in the forward movement of God's history with the world. What I wanted was not an eternal Christology for heaven, but a Christology for men and women who are on the way in the conflicts of history" (xii). For the traditionalist, this may seem at first a bit threatening but the reader should be careful not to miss the broader issues Moltmann is discussing. In essence, he is seeking "a new interpretation of Christ which will be relevant for the present day" (xv). For Moltmann, this new interpretation seems to lie in an "eschatological framework of messianic hope and apocalyptic expectations" (xv). Because the subject can be complex he breaks it up by presenting what he sees as "the historical mission of Christ in the framework of the messianic hope in history; the sufferings of Christ against the horizon of apocalyptic expectation; and the resurrection of Christ in the light of eschatological vision of the new creation of all things" (xv). In the first chapter, Moltmann discusses messianic perspectives from Jewish and Christian points of view. In discussing Jesus as the Messiah he notes Judaism's inability to accept Jesus as messiah due to its understanding of redemption. Quoting Martin Buber, "We know more deeply, more truly, that world history has not been turned upside down to its very foundations; that the world has not yet been redeemed. We sense its unredeemedness" (28). The Jewish people see redemption as the perfecting of creation and the ultimate fulfillment of the kingdom of God. Thus, for the Jews, when Messiah comes the world will be redeemed (29). Yet, Christians believe redemption is taking place in the spiritual realm and in what is invisible; that is, in the hearts of people. In an attempt to bring the two faiths together, Moltmann wants to recapture Jesus as messiah in an "eschatologically anticipatory

Moltmann's recent contribution to christology is a must read for serious students of modern Protestant thought, or for anyone of an intellectual bent who wants to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ. Moltmann's messianic vision of Jesus is particularly powerful, cogent, and supremely relevant in today's world. In fact, it is hard to see how any other christology around today (that I know of) could do such a good job of balancing tradition with contemporary issues. Moltmann presents both the problems and the strengths of older christologies, and goes on to build his own conception. Particularly notable with respect to the latter are sections 2,4,7, and 8 in part III. What struck me here was Moltmann's portrayal of the Jewishness of Jesus. His interpretation of the suffering and death of Jesus is also rich and fascinating, particularly his conception of the eucharist as a uniquely Christian experience of time. Moltmann also takes on the real foundation of christology, i.e. the resurrection, with typical erudition and insight. His articulation of the historical meaning involved in this event should interest not only theologians, but also philosophers of history. By far the most ambitious section of the book comes in section VI, where Moltmann tries to reconcile the cosmic vision of Colossians and Ephesians with the Paul's futurist eschatology. Whether or not we all agree with the outcome of this attempt, it makes for incredibly interesting reading. As always, Moltmann is at his best when the issue is eschatology, and his concluding discussion of the parousia is no exception. In short, this book presents an articulate alternative to the metaphysical christologies of ages past and to the dessicated naturalism of 19th and 20th century liberal theology. As always, age-old dogmas and forgotten concepts come alive in Moltmann's able hands.