Who Do You Say That I Am? Special Questions on Christology or a Study of Jesus

Biagio Mazza, Theologian and Scripture Scholar

Questions regarding Jesus’ identity and mission begin with Jesus’ early followers and continues to this present day. These sessions examine the person of Jesus, fully God and fully human, as well as why God chose to become human in the person of Jesus. We survey the content and meaning of the bold claims that Christians have made about Jesus from the very beginning and still affirm today.

Using the New Testament and the fullness of Christian tradition, the sessions delve into the Christological affirmations that “Jesus was like us in all things except sin,” and that “Jesus died for our sins.” Along the way we examine questions surrounding the virginal conception of Jesus, his sinlessness, his self-knowledge and consciousness of himself and his mission, and the whole question surrounding atonement. We also touch upon questions rarely examined or discussed namely, Jesus’ sexuality and emotional life along with his role in the evolutionary process of all creation, connected to concepts like deep incarnation and deep resurrection.

Along the way the sessions distinguish between two approaches to Christology, namely Christology from Above and Christology from Below, showing how each contributes to a fuller understanding of the identity and mission of Jesus. We conclude our reflections by examining what it means to be a community of disciples who claim Jesus as our head and model. All churches and faith traditions are most welcome.