From: hartigan@ac.dal.ca
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Christology 101 [was: There are two years left!]
Date: 10 Sep 92 23:06:52 -0300
Organization: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

In article <1992Sep10.201136.19830@cass.ma02.bull.com>, ddavis@cass.ma02.bull.com (Dave Davis) writes:
> Hi Sean. Thank you for your posting. I have to take issue with
> some of your remarks, even though you've mitigated a few of them 
> with smilies. 
> 
> In article <1992Sep10.115525.7438@ac.dal.ca> hartigan@ac.dal.ca writes,
> in response to Chuck Hedrick's posting,
> 
>>Are you sure about this? To me, it is your views that sound heretical. 
> 
> Mr. Hedrick is, in my experience in reading his postings, one of
> the few regulars of t.r.m. that actually could say the Nicene Creed
> without crossing his fingers. He can speak for himself, of course; for
> part, I've never seen any remarks of his that stray in any meaningful
> way from the orthodoxy of Nicea and Chalcedon.

This is quite possible - I am something of a novice at Christian theology.
In my efforts to try and see if Mr. Hedrick was right about Jesus, I
have begun to discover just how tricky and subtle Christology is. I suspect
that we both committed the mild errors of oversimplifying due to
underestimation of our conversational partner's knowledge.

I surely didn't mean to offend anyone, anyway. Apologies if I did. :(

> 
>>In fact, it [the English version of the Creed] DOES say that "Jesus Christ" 
>>is of the same substance as the Father.
> 
> Christology is notoriously difficult to 'get right'. No one I know
> could survive (with their orthodoxy unimpugned) an inquisition of the 
> style depicted in The_Name_of_the_Rose. 

I find the history of Christology a fascinating business. I can well
imagine that it would be tricky to get it right at the best of times!

> BTW, whom do you think suffered on the cross? Did the Trinity suffer?
> The Father? The Logos? I guess it's like asking 'How could God die on
> the cross?' I was just wondering. :-) 

Who do _I_ think suffered?  Trick question! :)  I favour a Gnostic
interpretation of Jesus and his message, so I can't really answer in
the terms you mention above.

I am very curious as to what the orthodox (small "o") position is, though.
Who suffered? And why did Jesus ask why God had forsaken him?
  
>>This emphasis you make would have got you excommunicated as an
>>Apollinarian in the fifth century.
> 
> Are you criticizing Chuck for not saying everything, or asking him
> what he does think? 'Everything' takes a while to say....

<sheepish look>  Ummm....I'm oversimplifying his position on the basis
of insufficient data, judging from your comments....

Certainly, there was no intent to criticize. I suspect I might be a touch
insensitive to what these terms mean to a believing orthodox Christian.
Perhaps I toss words like "heretic" around a little too freely for polite
company...

We get too used to fundamentalists, I think...and forget that there are
mellow, friendly Christians out there who do not deserve to be
treated lightly. Apologies...:(

> Dave Davis, ddavis@ma30.bull.com
> These are my opinions & activities alone

Sean Hartigan
hartigan@ac.dal.ca
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism