The Incarnation: Collected Essays in Christology

This book gathers together essays, published and unpublished, in which Brian Hebblethwaite explores and defends the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation against its modern critics. He shows what would be lost from the Christian religion if non-incarnational Christology (a way of understanding Jesus Christ without belief in his divinity) were to be adopted by the Christian churches. He begins by examining some of the problems raised by this challenge to traditional doctrine, then considers the contribution of Austin Farrer to Christology, and goes on to analyse the recent trend towards Unitarianism in contemporary theology. In a new, concluding essay, Canon Hebblethwaite answers criticisms of his contribution to the current debate on the Incarnation.

Preface; 1. Incarnation - the essence of Christianity?; 2. Perichoresis - reflections on the doctrine of the Trinity; 3. Jesus, God incarnate; 4. The moral and religious value of the Incarnation; 5. Further remarks on the ‘myth’ debate; 6. The propriety of the doctrine of the Incarnation as a way of interpreting Christ; 7. The church and Christology; 8. Christ today and tomorrow; 9. The doctrine of the Incarnation in the thought of Austin Farrer; 10. Contemporary Unitarianism; 11. ‘True’ and ‘false’ in Christology; 12. Further reflections and responses; Notes; Index.