Abstract:
Incarnation, as per definition in its simplistic form, wherein God assumes a human nature, is
central to the Christian doctrine of faith. The premise upon which the uniqueness of the
Christian doctrine of incarnation, as opposed to other religious traditions, is embedded in and
among other texts of the Christian Bible, and in the Gospel according to John 1:1-18. This
article will articulate some of the philosophies in existence at that time which may allegedly
have influenced and elicited a response from the writer of the Gospel according to John (GAJ).
An attempt will be made to understand how some of these philosophies view incarnation in
forms that may not necessarily reflect incarnation as is traditionally understood in Christianity
which is primarily ‘God becoming flesh’. Central to the understanding of Christian incarnation
is the philosophical concept of logos which emanated in Greek philosophy. Finally, it should
become apparent, that the understanding of ‘incarnation’
1
, in some religious traditions, which
will be explored, cannot claim the same uniqueness of the Christian tradition of ‘God becoming
flesh’.
