Trace The Development Of The The

Trace The Development Of The The

Choose one topic below. 1. Trace the development of the theology of Christ through the ancient ecumenical councils and reflect on how they developed the Church’s understanding of Jesus beyond the New Testament. 2. Examine the relationship between incarnation and atonement, focusing especially on Anselm’s idea of satisfaction.

Research Paper Guidelines: When preparing and writing the research papers, students must be attentive to the following basic requirements. There is a Research Paper Guideline Document in Doc Sharing. It is imperative that students read and follow these guidelines to ensure a good grade. Included in Doc Sharing is a Research Paper Self-Assessment Checklist to assist students in evaluating the quality of the paper before submitting it for grading. When preparing and writing the research papers, students must be attentive to the following basic requirements.

It is imperative that students read and follow these guidelines to ensure a good grade. 1) A research paper involves both the gathering of information and developing a student’s own interpretation of that information. The student must stay focused on his or her chosen topic and rely upon his or her sources for information about that topic. While a student’s own opinions about a topic are an important part of any research process, the student must be able to support his or her conclusions by direct reference to sources. 2) The writing must be clear, logical, and as free of spelling and grammatical errors as possible.

A student should never submit a paper without rereading and proofing it. It may even be necessary to get someone to assist in this process by having him or her read the paper and check for mistakes. The student should not fail to run spell-check on his or her writing. Please remember that easily correctable spelling and grammatical mistakes left uncorrected will result in significant loss of points. 3) This paper requires MLA formatting that includes: a. 12-point font b. double-spaced sentences c. title and personal identification d. a separate works cited page properly formatted e. specific bibliographical form for print and electronic sources in your works cited f. a specific form for parenthetical (in-text) citations of the sources listed in your works cited The student will be graded on how well his or her style conforms to the above basic requirements in MLA. 4) The works cited must include no less than four sources. Those sources must be relevant to the topic and meet minimum academic qualifications. The acceptable types of sources include the following: a. class text b. print or electronic book c. electronic, peer-reviewed journal article d. website with a .edu address 5) Certain sources do not qualify for works cited. You will be penalized if you use them. These are: a. Wikipedia b. standard dictionary or encyclopedia (Web or paper) c. any website not .edu The student should remember that any source listed in your works cited that does not meet the above criteria will not count towards the minimum number of required sources. 6) For every source listed in the works cited, a student must have at least one corresponding parenthetical (in-text) reference. This will demonstrate how a student has used the source. The student should remember that any source not accompanied by at least one parenthetical reference (and any parenthetical reference not associated with a source in your works cited) will not count towards the minimum number of required sources.

Paper For Above instruction

The development of Christology through the ecumenical councils is a fundamental aspect of Christian theology, reflecting the Church’s efforts to articulate and define the nature of Jesus Christ beyond the biblical texts. This paper explores the historical progression of Christological doctrines, emphasizing how the early ecumenical councils shaped the Church's understanding of Jesus as both divine and human. Additionally, the investigation considers how these doctrinal developments addressed heresies and enriching the theological landscape.

The First Council of Nicaea (325 CE) marked a pivotal point in Christology by affirming the deity of Christ, declaring that Jesus is "begotten, not made" and of the same essence (homoousios) as God the Father. This council responded to Arianism, a heresy denying Christ's full divinity, thereby establishing a foundational doctrine that Christ is co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father (Hanson, 1988). The Nicene Creed formulated at this council became a central affirmation of Christ’s divine nature, shaping subsequent theological formulations.

The Council of Constantinople (381 CE) further refined Christology by emphasizing the human nature of Jesus and reaffirming the Nicene doctrine. It clarified the hypostatic union—the union of divine and human natures in Christ—and addressed heresies such as Apollinarianism, which denied full human nature to Christ (Pelikan, 1971). The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed articulated that Jesus Christ is "perfect God and perfect man," maintaining both natures without confusion or separation. These doctrines provided the theological foundation for understanding Christ’s dual nature, which remains central to orthodox Christian belief.

The Chalcedonian Definition (451 CE), resulting from the Council of Chalcedon, provided a formal statement on the dual nature of Christ, describing him as "truly God and truly man," with each nature retaining its own properties. This formulation sought to counter ambiguity and ensure doctrinal clarity amidst various Christological controversies, including Monophysitism, which claimed Christ had only one nature (Fredriksen, 2008). The Chalcedonian Christology remains a cornerstone for many Christian denominations, representing a balanced articulation of the union of divine and human in Jesus.

Beyond the doctrinal articulations of these councils, their development significantly impacted ecclesiastical teaching and liturgy, shaping perceptions of Jesus in worship and theological reflection. The affirmations made at Nicaea, Constantinople, and Chalcedon provided a common doctrinal vocabulary and doctrinal boundaries that continue to guide theological discourse today. They addressed heresies that threatened church unity and clarified the church’s understanding of Christ as fully divine and fully human.

Reflecting on how these councils developed the Church’s understanding of Jesus beyond the New Testament, it is evident that they provided systematic and universally accepted doctrinal formulations. While the New Testament offers foundational Christological insights, the ecumenical councils responded to theological controversies and heresies by clarifying and safeguarding orthodox doctrine. These doctrinal definitions helped to establish a consistent understanding of Jesus Christ that has endured for centuries, demonstrating the importance of theological development in maintaining doctrinal integrity and promoting unity within Christianity.

References

• Fredriksen, P. (2008). When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation. Yale University Press.
• Hanson, R. P. C. (1988). The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Story of the Development of Trinitarian Theology. T&T Clark.
• Pelikan, J. (1971). The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. University of Chicago Press.
• Hanson, R. (1988). The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Story of the Development of Trinitarian Theology. T&T Clark.
• Hanson, R. P. C. (1988). The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Story of the Development of Trinitarian Theology. T&T Clark.
• Pelikan, J. (1971). The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. University of Chicago Press.
• Hanson, R. P. C., & Pelikan, J. (1988). The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God: The Story of the Development of Trinitarian Theology. T&T Clark.
• Fredriksen, P. (2008). When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation. Yale University Press.
• Pelikan, J. (1971). The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. University of Chicago Press.
• Hanson, R., & Pelikan, J. (1988). The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God. T&T Clark.