Jesus Symbol of God

by Roger Haight

Book Overview

Jesus Symbol of God surveys scriptural data, the key moments in the development of doctrine, and the distinctive horizons of our contemporary world to develop a comprehensive and systematic Christology for our time. The task of Christology is to explain what it means to say Jesus is the bearer and revealer of God in the Christian Community, the decisive mediation of God's salvation - or, in other words, the symbol of God.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570753113
• ISBN13: 9781570753114
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Orbis Books
• Length: 538 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

poetic aspects of christianity

Haight writes that "theology is a constant entertainment of perennial questions...a reflection on the nature of reality from the perspective of the SYMBOLS of the Christian faith." What does that say but that interpretation of religion is an ongoing process, one that is never completed? The source of all Christian theology is scripture; we begin with words written about Christ and construct systems of belief, first worked out in church councils, always in response to other systems which were considered indequate, if not misleading, about the nature of Christ and what it means to believers. The meaning of words, of language is not static, but always changing and ongoing. At the heart of any discussion of Christ is his relationship to God, the ultimate reality. This relationship matters because it discusses the ultimate end and purpose of human existence. If one is concerned about this, then Christianity offers some answers, at the heart of which is the notion of "salvation", of achieving the "kingdom of God." For example, the whole idea of the resurrection is an attempt, I think Haight is suggesting, to dramatize the nation of self-transcendence. All of this, to me, sounds like the ways of interpreting poetry. There are many constructs of how Christ operates and we can learn from all of them; we do not have to make decisive judgments of the type that people do who interpret the words of the Bible literally. In the same way, there is no final and decisive answer to what a good poem means - there are always further interpretations that are valuable and freeing. A very impressive book which places Christianity in an intellectually defensible framework.

Christology for a New Millenium

Who and what is Christ in a world that finds past formulations of belief unintelligible or irrelevant? What does salvation mean today? Where does Jesus fit in our pluralistic society? How should Christianity deal with other religions? Roger Haight suggests some answers in this insightful work.In order for Christianity to remain meaningful, it has to adapt to differing times and circumstances, Haight argues. This book is therefore a modern apologetic; that is, it explains the faith in terms of the dominant culture. It focuses on christology, the study of Christ's relationship to God and man. For Haight, a christology must follow certain criteria, including fidelity to Christian tradition, ability to speak to the modern world, and how it empowers the Christian life.Haight uses most of the book to construct the foundations for the "constructive christology" of the final part. The first part contains introductory chapters on what christology is and how to go about the task. The next two parts are concerned with analyzing the New Testament and historical approaches to Christology. In his analysis of these sources, Haight makes some things clear about the way christology should be done.The most important is the sources need to be analyzed critically. Merely citing a biblical text, creed, or a theologian simply will not do. A text is never self-evident; using it always implies a method of interpretation. Citing a text without divulging the hermeneutical method will render a theology unintelligible to anyone outside a small circle. Such usage also implies a uniformity throughout history that is not there. Traditional sources are a result of historical processes, and originally spoke to a given time and audience. Simply bringing those sources forward without considering these factors distorts the text, notably by failing to recognize the pluralism that characterizes christology through the ages.Next, any christology needs to be grounded in the historical Jesus of Nazareth. It was this human being in whom his disciples experienced God, and it is to this human being we must turn to find out why. Appropriately, Haight surveys several models of the historical Jesus put forward today by historians. From this, he abstracts common themes from this research which appear to have some consensus.Finally, christology cannot be separated soteriology (theology of salvation). Haight believes soteriology has always determined the christology of any given biblical writer or theologian. This is the assertion I found most enlightening. In retrospect, this should have been obvious, but for me it was a revelation. What does Christ save us from and why? Answer those questions, and the nature of Christ in relation to God and man becomes almost self-evident.The analysis of the sources, especially historical Jesus research, serves other purposes besides laying the foundation for his christology. Historically, christology has been done "from above," using t

Best available scholarly survey of contemporary Christology

Let me qualify my title for this review by saying that I am not a trained theologian! This book was recommended to me by my (Episcopal) priest, as I had asked him for something scholarly yet still reasonably accessible which could help me further "understand my own understanding" of Jesus Christ. Though I am not a Catholic, I think Haight's work has appeal for all Christians, from Catholics to mainlines to Evangelicals. I confess that I have only read about 2/3rds of the text (it is weighty), but I have been challenged and inspired by each chapter. Haight does a superb job of discussing the ways in which Jesus has been understood in other, non-western cultures. For an evangelical Anglican, it is not always easy to understand what Christ means in an Asian, or African, or South American context. We proclaim Christ to be universal -- but how Jesus, as symbol of God is understood in other cultures is not necessarily how He is understood by prosperous, over-educated Britons and Americans!This is the sort of text I intend to have on my bedside table for a long time -- read in small snippets (I digest slowly), I know it will continue to provoke and inspire, and, it is to be hoped help me to clarify my own ongoing relationship with Christ.

A Christological tour de force!

Once in a while a masterful book comes along in the field of Christology ... this is one of those books! In Jesus Symbol of God, Roger Haight offers his written insights in the same manner he uses in the classroom: with clarity, precision and a grasp of catholic tradition which is mind-blowing in its universality. This book is so well-informed as to be a struggle at times, but it is worth the intellectual investment for anyone who wants to know the state of Christology for today or its implications and possibilities for tomorrow.Haight's grasp of the field is incomparable. This work is truly on the cutting edge as it brings catholic tradition into dialogue with postmodern realities. Haight seems destined to ask the difficult questions and one worries that this penchant may well find him in "hot water" with those short-sighted minds who claim the prerogative of preserving Roman Catholic doctrine in the curial halls of Vatican City.The theological world is indebted to Roger Haight and I am proud to have learned from him personally.

A superb scholarly and classroom work

Dr. Hiaght is to be congratulated on this extraordinary work in the theological field of christology. This work is evidence of the growing influence of North American theologians. This book is written in a lucid and scholarly style that helps to clarify the historical development of christological thought up to and including the present. This book is a must read for all graduate students and should find its way into the hands of all involved in ministry. I enjoyed the structure of the book and the clear and inviting writing style of Dr. Hiaght. I believe this book will advance christological thought in the 21st century. Of course, that is the task of the theologian. Dr. Hiaght has an excellent grasp of the major themes of the liberation and political theologies and the implications for christological thought.