Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus Christ is. It is generally less concerned with the minor details of his life; rather it deals with who he was, the incarnation, and the major events of his life (his birth, death, and resurrection).
Important issues in Christology include:
- was Jesus human, divine, or both
- whether he actually performed miracles
- whether he rose from the dead, and if so, whether his resurrection was of the body or strictly of the soul
There are almost as many Christological views as there are variants of Christianity. The different Christological views of various Christian sects have led to accusations of heresy, and subsequent religious persecution.
Some important controversies have included the controversy with Arians over his divinity and relationship with the Father, which led to the adoption of the Nicene creed; and the controversies over Nestorianism, Monophysitism (and its derivates Monothelitism and Monoenergism), which lead to the adoption of the traditional (in both the East and West) Chalcedonian view of Christology. Other controversies included that with Docetists and the Adoptionists.
We can describe most of these views in terms of whether they believed Christ had a divine nature, human nature or both; and if both, in terms of how the two natures coexisted or interacted. All of these views will be presented in simplified form; see the related articles for more complete treatment.
Some Christological viewpoints
(more views should be added here)