The Person of Christ

Contours of Christian Theology #7

by Donald MacLeod

Throughout the history of the church the doctrine of the person of Christ has been a centerpiece of theological reflection. In The Person of Christ Donald Macleod rearticulates this multifaceted doctrine. He begins with the New Testament and recent attempts to understand its Christology. Macleod then turns his attention to Christ in the history of Christian theology, examining the principal issues extending from Arianism in the fourth century to kenotic Christology in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to the current debate over the uniqueness of Christ. The Person of Christ is a valuable point of entrance and a biblical assessment of the full panorama of issues that have shaped orthodox confessions of Christ through the centuries. The pathway of Christian revelation and tradition is clearly charted, with hazards new and old carefully marked.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Biblical Studies, Christianity, Reference

303 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Donald MacLeod is a Scottish theologian.

Macleod studied at the University of Glasgow and the Free Church College before being ordained as a minister of the Free Church of Scotland in 1964. He served as professor of systematic theology at the Free Church College from 1978 to 2011, and as principal from 1999 to 2010.

In 1996, Macleod was cleared of allegations that he had sexually assaulted four women. The Sheriff court found that "the women had all lied in the witness box to further the ends of Professor Macleod's enemies in the Free Church of Scotland." A number of people who believed Macleod should be put on trial by the General Assembly then formed the Free Church Defence Association and ultimately a new denomination, the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). However, Johnston McKay notes that although on the surface the split was about Donald Macleod, he believes it was about theology since Macleod belonged to the more "modernizing" wing of the Free Church.

In 2011, a Festschrift was published in Macleod's honor. The People's Theologian: Writings in Honour of Donald Macleod (ISBN 1845505840) included contributions from Richard Gaffin, Derek Thomas, and Carl Trueman.

Reviews

[Jon Vos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapter 6, “The Incarnation,” may be one of the best chapters I have ever read. Absolutely incredible stuff there. The rest of the book was solid. I wish Macleod had spent more time earlier in the book doing Christology positively, rather than forming his theology around views we don’t hold, although that’s a legitimate way to theologize. What made chapter 6 so great is that he really leaned into a positive presentation of Christ. Obviously, he needs to set parameters: we aren’t Docetists, Eutychians, Apollinarists, Nestorians, process theologians, liberation theologians, etc. Still a great book, and of the best on the topic I have read to date.

[Colton Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a densely packed book, but rather well written work on Christology.

[Daniel Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a class in seminary over a decade ago, and it was one of my favorites. It's one that I've dipped back into over the years, and just read again in its entirety. In a few weeks I'm going to be teaching a Sunday school series on this topic, and funnily I can't remember now if picking this back up is what inspired the subject (which was hard to decide in any case), or if I decided on this topic first and so re-read this in prep.

What do we say about who Jesus is? How do we understand his humanity and divinity and the relationship of these natures within the person of the Son of God? MacLeod gives an immensely helpful, clear, and insightful orientation to this subject, which while dealing with complex and profound issues manages to come off as conversational and easy to follow. His answers to difficult questions (could the will of Jesus be at variance with the will of God in any sense? What does the word "begotten" mean in the context of the affirmation that the Son is eternal? etc.) are genuinely helpful without pretending to "solve" any of the confessed mystery.

MacLeod has obviously thought long and deeply about this topic, and while engaging with a wide range of viewpoints on different facets of Christology, remains stubbornly in favor of classic orthodoxy, and with good and clear reason.

[Darby Stouffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to talk about the incarnation without sounding heretical. You either sound Docetic, Nestorian, Eutychian, Appollinarian, it goes on and on. This guy kinda failed. No, God did not suffer on the cross, and God especially did not die on the cross. Impossible.

That said, it did provide a good overview of these heresies, different creeds, etc. It just failed to stay out of the mire itself. Not that I blame the author, I know I couldn't do it. It's such a mystery that it can be impossible to fully describe/explore.

[Julio Padilla Mozo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si estás estudiando teología, de manera formal (y seria), entonces este libro sobre la Cristología debe de estar entre tus lecturas.

Aunque manejo cierta terminología teológica, y puedo leer un poco de griego (lo básico), este libro se vuelve un poco denso. Entiendo que su público es el académico, pero para alguien que está empezando se le puede hacer un poco pesado.

Sin embargo, venciendo la barrera del tecnicismo, este libro es muy preciso en lo que quiere probar: Que la figura de Cristo siempre va a tener enemigos y que es menester de la iglesia recordar sus raíces, leer los pensamientos de la historia cristiana y hacer las propias reflexiones teológicas en nuestro contexto posmoderno.

Si eres estudiante de teología, debes de leer este libro. Valdrá la pena los dolores de cabeza en palabras que no conoces... te empujará a investigar.

[Anthony Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacLeod is thorough and helpful. He splits up his book on Christology into two primary sections. The first deals with the different challenges that the council of Nicea addressed in its creed as it relates to the trinity and the second looks at the different challenges that the council of Chalcedon addressed in its creed as it relates to the two natures of Christ. He's very thorough, a bit try, and occasionally witty and doxological. This book is not for the faint of heart, especially if someone is unaware of church history or the general tenants of modern theology. The reading group I'm in had a good discussion on it.

[Simon Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and helpful survey of intermediate Christology. Lots of historical theology including the main Christological heresies of the 4th century. Plus discussion around newer trends in theology and their relevance to Christ such as liberation theology.

I really like Macleod's writing style- careful explanation of the different views and then a persuasive defence of the orthodox position. He often writes polemically and even devotionally which I appreciated.

This book will help you respect the amount of good historic theological formulation that we as 21C Christians benefit from without often realising it.

Recommend 👍

[Ryan Kiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donald MacLeod presents a comprehensive study of the person and work of Christ. Though at times the examination of Liberal scholars is a bit hard to follow and MacLeod's favorable quotations of unorthodox theologians such as Karl Barth is quite peculiar, I would recommend this book to anyone seeking an in-depth study of the person and work of Christ.

[Adam Omelianchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide ranging, sometimes meandering, yet stunningly comprehensive introduction to the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation. This volume requires some patience as MacLeod articulates the doctrine through polemics with critics and revisionists. While this style is very informative and educational, it does have the trap of getting bogged down in details and sometimes misses the forest for the trees (this is especially true of the chapter on pre-existence). While some of the language isn't as precise as I would like it to be, I found much of his discussion to be helpful and invigorating. After finishing this book, the dedicated reader will only want to dig deeper into this glorious subject; and that should be no small compliment to the author, because this subject can be daunting and sometimes discouraging to study.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read through a 2nd time for book club.

This is the best book I've read in quite some time. MacLeod demonstrates how theology should inevitably lead to doxology. He starts "from above" with Christ's divinity which makes his humanity so much more real. Reading this book made me realize how little I truly appreciate that union of God and Man. If you have any interest in Christology this is a must read.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

MacLeod does a good job bringing the modern Christological conversations up and commenting to the popular views that are going on within Christian Theology.

He comes off as a strong covenant theologian.

While some chapters were very dry, others were almost poetic, such as his chapter on the incarnation.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this is needed for you in a year, start reading now. It's not dense like Dutch theologians, but there are so many ideas here, that if you want any chance to assimilate any of it permanently, it's going to take you a long time to read it. Fine writing style, there are only one or two places where I would dare quibble with the theology. Excellent book.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit dated, hence the four stars. If it dealt with more contemporary issues, then I would give it five stars. However, this is a great primer on the person of Christ. All the major issues are discussed: Anhypostasis, hypostasis and essence, the sinless nature of Christ, etc. I really enjoyed it, and I will probably reference it at least a few times a year for preaching and teaching.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. I found this informative and spiritually edifying. McLeod's prose is, at times, brilliant. And the remainder of the volume is solid. Recommended reading for any pastor.

[Tmac · Rating 2 out of 5]

One good chapter....

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s the book on the doctrine of Christ you need if you really want to dig deep, both about the doctrine itself and its historical development. Frankly, it taught me so much. It’s part of the respected Contours of Christian Theology series edited by Gerald Bray and published by IVP.

I thought the author’s approach was unique and ideal. He took most of the main concepts of the doctrine and traced the debate that formalized them in church history. In fact, he took these concepts in the order that they were debated. Along the way, he fully explained each doctrine, the viewpoints that fall short of an accurate Christology, and a wonderful definition of some of the more obscure theological terms. Though he covered concepts that are barely mentioned in many theological works, I found him easy-to-read and follow. In short, I loved this book.

He divides the book into two sections. Part one goes from the Gospels to Nicea, which he calls “very God of very God” and traces out the deity of Christ. In this section, he will cover the virgin birth, the preexistence of Christ, Christ as the Son of God, and the Jesus of history and the faith. Those last two chapters of that section I found to be profound and so helpful to me.

Part two goes from Chalcedon on through most major theological questions on the doctrine of Christ, which he calls “very God, very man”. In this section, he discussed the Incarnation, the fact of Jesus being perfect both as God and man. He beautifully explained the Kenosis of Christ, as well as the sinlessness of Christ. I have several pages with a multitude of underlined sentences that were greatly illuminating for me.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this the first book to pick up if you were studying the doctrine of Christ, especially if it was your first time to do so; but if you really want to dig out this doctrine, you cannot pass by this great book. I’ll put it in the must-by category for sure!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Daniel Calle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald MacLeod ha escrito uno de los mejores libros de Cristología para la iglesia de hoy, aunque él diga, en las palabras finales de la obra, que un libro como el suyo sea solo el inicio de un largo peregrinaje. Su enfoque es principalmente histórico, pero cubre muy bien cada uno de los aspectos esenciales del estudio de la persona de Cristo. Desde el principio, MacLeod deja en claro que su estudio parte de la fe, es decir, del reconocimiento de Cristo como el Eterno Hijo de Dios.

El libro se divide en dos partes: la primera, se enfoca principalmente en la Deidad de Cristo, explicando las controversias, herejías y escritos de los padres que culminaron en la declaración del Concilio de Nicea; y la segunda que trata de la Encarnación y la humanidad de Cristo, explicando la Declaración del Concilio de Calcedonia y dando un panorama de los principales debates cristológicos hasta nuestros días. Cada capítulo debe leerse con detenimiento y cuidado porque presenta los nombres y enseñanzas de teólogos liberales, heréticos y ortodoxos acerca de los asuntos estudiados; así como una base bíblica sólida que es el fundamento de los credos históricos de la iglesia. Mi copia está ampliamente subrayada y marcada con símbolos de exclamación por el desarrollo exhaustivo de preciosas doctrinas acerca de nuestro Señor. Donald MAcLeod explica muy bien, desarrollando sistemáticamente y de forma muy clara cada doctrina. Pero también exalta bellamente la Persona de nuestro Señor y Salvador. Es esa mezcla de precisión doctrinal y amor por Cristo que convierte a este libro en una obra extraordinaria. Los capítulos en donde se aprecia mejor esta combinación son los de Cristo como Hijo de Dios, el de al Encarnación, el de la Kenosis y el de la Impecabilidad de Cristo. Realmente ha sido una lectura de gran beneficio espiritual; un buen ejemplo de teología que lleva a la doxología, de doctrina para la vida y para la gloria de Dios.

PS. Aunque la evaluación del libro está escrita en español, leí la versión en inglés.

[James Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound work. If one is wanting to meditate more on the person of Christ, this book is a great treasure indeed. This book is one that I wanted to linger in, take my time in and enjoy, yet I couldn’t stop reading it because it brought me such great pleasure simply to think on the glories and majesty of Christ and who He is! I already can’t wait to read this again at some point (soon). It is dense at times and not always easy to wrap one’s mind around. Yet does that not make sense? We cannot fully understand all the deep mysteries of the nature of Christ, yet we try – and have tried for near on two millennia. This book unites several of my deepest passions – history/philosophy and Christ – so of course it is going to be a book that I love. This book showcases some of the beliefs regarding who Christ is and does a wonderful job of walking through the various arguments and debates that have swirled around such. The author does a fair job of presenting all sides of the argument, yet by and large he comes down on the side of the historically orthodox, even when these stances are difficult to fundamentally understand. At the end of the day, I rest in the statements made in Scripture itself, even when such seems to contradict what we think philosophically possible. I loved this book. It’s a bit heady and I don’t know if if it would be a suitable read for all. Yet if you want to challenge yourself and read a work on Christ that will truly make you think more deeply on who Christ is, I heartily recommend this one.

[Jacob London · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent exposition of Philippians 2:5-11 with helpful notes on how to navigate the kenosis debate. McCloud upholds Chalcedon while fairly critiquing those who reject it.

I know that this book is part of the Contours of Christian Theology series but I can't help but wonder why this book (this series?) isn't printed by IVP academic since it clearly is an academic work. There were multiple instances where printing the Greek word rather then an italicized transliteration would have been more helpful and less confusing. Especially considering how much of the Greek NT McCloud will refer to in this work. Typesetting also seems to be a problem, pg 43 of my edition is a completely different font and typeset then the rest of the chapter. Strange!

Nonetheless, I agreed with much of McCloud's work and more importantly reading this increased my piety and my love for Christ.

[Yobber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solemos estudiar y predicar acerca de "la obra de Jesucristo", olvidándonos en el camino de "la persona de Jesucristo". Lo que hizo muchas veces supera la relevancia de quién es Él. En este libro el autor hace un estudio de diversos temas acerca de quién es Jesucristo: su nacimiento virginal, preexistencia, filiación divina, historicidad, unión hipostática, la kenosis (mi capítulo favorito) y otros temas. El libro es académico en su trato, pero no olvida el tono devocional de no estar estudiando un objeto inanimado, sino al mismísimo Hijo de Dios. Finalmente, el texto no es exhaustivo y como el autor nos dice al final: "es el mero principio de un peregrinaje". Conocerlo más para adorarlo más.

[María Vannia Kenght · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorar a Cristo el Señor, con entendimiento significa conocerle a través de las Escrituras, crecemos en conocimiento, amor y obediencia hacia Él, y en comunión con Su Persona, cuando lo vemos tal y como es Él. Este es un libro que nos anima a buscar en las Escrituras como se ha revelado a nosotros, es un hermoso libro de Cristología, cada capítulo nos ayuda a tener nuestra fe cimentada en la revelación del Hijo. Es especial porque es un buen instrumento para ayudarnos a ver a Cristo, y maravillarnos de Él, lo que nos debe llevar a tener una práctica correcta que responda a las verdades que encontramos de quien es la Persona de Cristo, amé este libro :)

[Tim Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Macleod systematically deals with each error of Christology and points to its right understanding. I think you'd struggle with this book if you didn't have a theological education - this is not an entry level treatment. But it does succeed in giving thorough responses to many issues raised in this document. For the right reader, highly recommended.

[Gage Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macleod is a great write. Easy to follow and read. I found this book extremely helpful and would recommend it to any Christian who wrestles with aspects of our faith concerning Christ. Macleod is not afraid to deal with skeptics and answers their objections honestly and openly. He gave me a lot of confidence that our faith is a faith of reason and evidence.

[Michael Kidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

MacLeod writes really well. His line of thinking is always clear and easy to follow. He is scholarly and academic in his approach, but is not afraid to abandon academic language to call foolishness exactly what it is. He remains faithful to the Scriptures and confession of our historical faith in his academia. I am thankful to have had the responsibility and opportunity to read this book.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough, even-handed approach to Christology. Fortunately, MacLeod takes seriously a variety of theologians rather than focusing on one tradition, and he always brings the discussion back to orthodox Christology in an edifying way. His last chapter includes one of the most helpful evaluation of the postives and negatives of Liberation Theology that I have ever read.

[Danieltituscom · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4 and 3/4 Stars) Dynamite book! Macleod offers an historical theology of Christology. Though a few points are overstated, I believe I now have a better understanding of Christology and a better appreciation for Christ. Highly recommend.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of two books I've read recently by the same title. Wellum is much more academic, but he doesn't interact with the arguments as much. Fantastic book, but it doesn't quite scratch my particular itch

[Taylor Rollo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very orthodox and helpful for the contemporary challenges for historical, orthodox christology.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot and enjoyed it.

[J.B. Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and conversational. Lots of historical depth and academic debate. A few flashes of brilliant insight.