Being for the other : the asymmetrical Christology of Rowan Williams

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dc.contributor.author Compaan, Auke
dc.date.accessioned 2021-10-06T06:01:36Z
dc.date.available 2021-10-06T06:01:36Z
dc.date.issued 2020-09-14
dc.description.abstract What does it mean for the Christian Church to proclaim that God revealed Godself in Jesus Christ? This article tries to capture the answer given to this question by Rowans Williams, who defines and understands Christ as the ‘heart of creation’. The problem at the heart of Williams’ thought is the relationship between the finite and the infinite. If God is merely a being amongst others, the finite and infinite disintegrate into identity. If God is totally other to creation, we end up with a duality between God and creation. For Williams, the answer lies in the noncompetitive union of the eternal Logos and the human individual in Jesus Christ, in whom the finite entirely and asymmetrically depends on the infinite, whilst retaining its own integrity. In clarifying Williams’ answer to the question above, firstly, I will illuminate his philosophical and metaphysical assumptions to shed light on his interpretation of Christ as the logic (logos) of creation. Secondly, Williams’ reading of the history of Christology, steering between identity and duality, will be narrated; and, thirdly, the political and ethical implications of his Christology will be discussed for the Church today. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : This philosophical and dogmahistorical study into Christology as narrated by Rowan Williams claims that God reveals Godself in a non-competitive relationship between the infinite and the finite, between God and the human individual in the person of Jesus Christ. This asymmetrical relationship challenges our modernistic competitive view of history, societies and human beings as consumers. en_ZA
dc.description.department Dogmatics and Christian Ethics en_ZA
dc.description.librarian am2021 en_ZA
dc.description.uri http://www.ve.org.za en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation Compaan, A.L., 2020, ‘Being for the other: The asymmetrical Christology of Rowan Williams’, Verbum et Ecclesia 41(1), a2091. https://DOI.org/ 10.4102/ve.v41i1.2091. en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn 1609-9982 (print)
dc.identifier.issn 2074-7705 (online)
dc.identifier.other 10.4102/ve.v41i1.2091
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/82042
dc.language.iso en en_ZA
dc.publisher AOSIS OpenJournals en_ZA
dc.rights © 2020. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. en_ZA
dc.subject Christology en_ZA
dc.subject Rowan Williams en_ZA
dc.subject Christ the Heart of Creation en_ZA
dc.subject Identity en_ZA
dc.subject Duality en_ZA
dc.subject.other Theology articles SDG-01
dc.subject.other SDG-01: No poverty
dc.subject.other Theology articles SDG-03
dc.subject.other SDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.subject.other Theology articles SDG-04
dc.subject.other SDG-04: Quality education
dc.subject.other Theology articles SDG-05
dc.subject.other SDG-05: Gender equality
dc.subject.other Theology articles SDG-10
dc.subject.other SDG-10: Reduced inequalities
dc.subject.other Theology articles SDG-16
dc.subject.other SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
dc.title Being for the other : the asymmetrical Christology of Rowan Williams en_ZA
dc.type Article en_ZA


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