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God So Loved the World: A Christology for Disciples
Explores how Jesus Christ demonstrates the love of God in the stories, images, and practices of the New Testament.
- GenresTheology
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
About the author
Jonathan R. Wilson
13 books4 followersJonathan R. Wilson (PhD, Duke University) is Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology at Carey Theological College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He previously taught at Acadia Divinity College and Westmont College and has served as a pastor. He currently serves as Senior Consultant for Theological Integration with Canadian Baptist Ministries and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. He is the author of numerous books, including Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World, A Primer for Christian Doctrine, and God So Loved the World.
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July 3, 2021
Quarantine-Book #2:
I just finished "God so Loved the World: A Christology for Disciples," by Jonathan R Wilson.
This work is composed of three parts: Story, Images and Practices which are Wilson's way of relating "Life/Person, Work, and how we live based on the life/person and work of Christ.
"The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ," p 20.
Under the "story" of Jesus Wilson begins by telling in narrative form about the Kingdom. This is the clearest and most thoughtful work I've read on the Kingdom. This is just beautiful.
He moves on the role of Messiah. Messiah (the annointed one) makes one look backward to who was anointed in the OT: prophets, priests and Kings.
Under the person of Christ Wilson dives into five views of Christ via narrative: adoptionism/Ebionism, Docetism/Gnosticism, Arianism, Apollinarianism, and classical Chalcedonianism. This was a wonderful explanation of how the Patristics landed on a high Christology.
Now we move on to images (atonement theology) and what is the best way to reflect the story (teaching and person) in the image? Each section will be split by its biblical, historical, systematic, how God is presented via each model, how humans are presented via each model, how sin is viewed via each model, how salvation is viewed via each model, and a conclusion.
Wilson begins with Christ as Victorious stating that Christ was victorious in life, death and resurrection; there is no part about Jesus which is "defeated." This was well stated too: That Jesus didnt object in the Roman and/or Jewish courts, that he accepted the worst they could throw at Him was a sign that they didnt have enough to stop the power of God.
"[...] Christ's resurrection is victory that climaxes and discloses the triumph of His life and death," p 86.
"[...] Christ the victor is not content merely to 'convert' the prisoners; He seeks to destroy the prison," p 97.
Next is Christ as sacrifice. I appreciate how Wilson begins the sacrifice of Christ with the incarnation via Ph 2. His life and death both were a sacrifice for humanity. The Body of Christ continues to sacrifice as a deed of Christ.
Next is Christ as example.
"But just as fully human, fully divine describes one person and his one story, so Christ as example images one reality. The one reality is the life of the Kingdom that God in Christ establishes and in which humankind in Christ lives. Story and image mutually illuminate one another," p 121.
I have to admit that the flow of this book makes Example have more flesh that "be nice like Jesus." Christ as exemplar, when tied to the Kingdom, has weight.
"[S]alvation is knowing Christ as we live like Him and in Him," p 130.
The final part of this book, practices, deals with the practical side of the teaching--the Kingdom has come in the Messiah--person and work of Christ. Living righteousness, peace, and joy are proclamations of the "already" aspect of the kingdom amid the world.
"In its rebellion against the reality of the kingdom, the world falls in to cynicism. [...] In place of the value of the Kingdom the world pursues narcissism. The worlds way of salvation is not in giving up our selves but in pursuit of self," p 159.
"Christian pacifism is committed to an understanding of the practice of Kingdom-peace not because that practice will end war but because that practice witnesses to the peace of the Kingdom," p 202; FN 10.
"[T]he church is the community called and equipped by God to tell the world what is going on when the kingdom is present," p 174.
In a wonderful observation Wilson ties baptism to Victor, the eucharist to Sacrifice and foot washing to Example; a way to see liturgy reflecting these models of the atonement and the threefold office of Christ.
A little longer review than I have lately been shooting for. Sorry bout that. This book is close to the pew, not the nursery. It's not a typical "spiritual living" book; it is packed with the teaching of Jesus, Him crucified, risen and accented. But it is written simply so as not to relegate Kingdom concepts to academia. An absolutely wonderful book.
I think Baker Academic messed up by publishing as "Academic." That word looses many who need and can easily read this. Please re-release under one of your other banners. The same with "Christology" in the subtitle.
I just finished "God so Loved the World: A Christology for Disciples," by Jonathan R Wilson.
This work is composed of three parts: Story, Images and Practices which are Wilson's way of relating "Life/Person, Work, and how we live based on the life/person and work of Christ.
"The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ," p 20.
Under the "story" of Jesus Wilson begins by telling in narrative form about the Kingdom. This is the clearest and most thoughtful work I've read on the Kingdom. This is just beautiful.
He moves on the role of Messiah. Messiah (the annointed one) makes one look backward to who was anointed in the OT: prophets, priests and Kings.
Under the person of Christ Wilson dives into five views of Christ via narrative: adoptionism/Ebionism, Docetism/Gnosticism, Arianism, Apollinarianism, and classical Chalcedonianism. This was a wonderful explanation of how the Patristics landed on a high Christology.
Now we move on to images (atonement theology) and what is the best way to reflect the story (teaching and person) in the image? Each section will be split by its biblical, historical, systematic, how God is presented via each model, how humans are presented via each model, how sin is viewed via each model, how salvation is viewed via each model, and a conclusion.
Wilson begins with Christ as Victorious stating that Christ was victorious in life, death and resurrection; there is no part about Jesus which is "defeated." This was well stated too: That Jesus didnt object in the Roman and/or Jewish courts, that he accepted the worst they could throw at Him was a sign that they didnt have enough to stop the power of God.
"[...] Christ's resurrection is victory that climaxes and discloses the triumph of His life and death," p 86.
"[...] Christ the victor is not content merely to 'convert' the prisoners; He seeks to destroy the prison," p 97.
Next is Christ as sacrifice. I appreciate how Wilson begins the sacrifice of Christ with the incarnation via Ph 2. His life and death both were a sacrifice for humanity. The Body of Christ continues to sacrifice as a deed of Christ.
Next is Christ as example.
"But just as fully human, fully divine describes one person and his one story, so Christ as example images one reality. The one reality is the life of the Kingdom that God in Christ establishes and in which humankind in Christ lives. Story and image mutually illuminate one another," p 121.
I have to admit that the flow of this book makes Example have more flesh that "be nice like Jesus." Christ as exemplar, when tied to the Kingdom, has weight.
"[S]alvation is knowing Christ as we live like Him and in Him," p 130.
The final part of this book, practices, deals with the practical side of the teaching--the Kingdom has come in the Messiah--person and work of Christ. Living righteousness, peace, and joy are proclamations of the "already" aspect of the kingdom amid the world.
"In its rebellion against the reality of the kingdom, the world falls in to cynicism. [...] In place of the value of the Kingdom the world pursues narcissism. The worlds way of salvation is not in giving up our selves but in pursuit of self," p 159.
"Christian pacifism is committed to an understanding of the practice of Kingdom-peace not because that practice will end war but because that practice witnesses to the peace of the Kingdom," p 202; FN 10.
"[T]he church is the community called and equipped by God to tell the world what is going on when the kingdom is present," p 174.
In a wonderful observation Wilson ties baptism to Victor, the eucharist to Sacrifice and foot washing to Example; a way to see liturgy reflecting these models of the atonement and the threefold office of Christ.
A little longer review than I have lately been shooting for. Sorry bout that. This book is close to the pew, not the nursery. It's not a typical "spiritual living" book; it is packed with the teaching of Jesus, Him crucified, risen and accented. But it is written simply so as not to relegate Kingdom concepts to academia. An absolutely wonderful book.
I think Baker Academic messed up by publishing as "Academic." That word looses many who need and can easily read this. Please re-release under one of your other banners. The same with "Christology" in the subtitle.
Displaying 1 of 1 review