This work demonstrates the significance of Karl Barth's Christology by examining it in the context of his orientation toward the classical tradition - an orientation that was both critical and sympathetic. To compare this Christology with the doctrine's history, Sumner suggests first that the Chalcedonian portrait of the incarnation is conceputally vulnerable at a number of points. By recasting the doctrine in actualist terms - the history of Jesus' lived existence as God's fulfillment of His covenant with creatures, rather than a metaphysical uniting of natures - Barth is able to move beyond problems inherent in the tradition. Despite a number of formal and material differences, however, Barth's position coheres with the intent of the ancient councils and ought to be judged as orthodox. Barth's great contribution to Christology is in the unapologetic affirmation of 'the humanity of God'.

A ground-breaking volume that gathers together both biblical scholars and systematic theologians to engage contemporary debates concerning the person of Christ, the structure of this book is unique: rather than divide the topics between the disciplines, each topic is addressed by a theologian and a biblical scholar to provide an explicit and overt dialogue. The topics discussed cover a number of contemporary and perennial debates such as: Christ’s divinity and humanity, the place of the divine Son of God in the Trinity, the diversity of Christologies in the New Testament, kenosis, the sinlessness of Jesus, the two states of Christ, divine impassibility and the cross, and many more. The handbook concludes with a pair of appendices meant to improve its hands-on usefulness. The first collects key creeds and confessional documents pertinent to Christology: the Apostle’s Creed, Old Roman Creed, Nicene Creed, Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, Definition of Chalcedon, Athanasian Creed, etc.; including some brief commentary on the key issues that were in dispute. The second appendix presents a concise dictionary of major concepts, figures, heresies, etc. from the history of Christology.

This work demonstrates the significance of Karl Barth's Christology by examining it in the context of his orientation toward the classical tradition - an orientation that was both critical and sympathetic. To compare this Christology with the doctrine's history, Sumner suggests first that the Chalcedonian portrait of the incarnation is conceputally vulnerable at a number of points. By recasting the doctrine in actualist terms - the history of Jesus' lived existence as God's fulfillment of His covenant with creatures, rather than a metaphysical uniting of natures - Barth is able to move beyond problems inherent in the tradition. Despite a number of formal and material differences, however, Barth's position coheres with the intent of the ancient councils and ought to be judged as orthodox. Barth's great contribution to Christology is in the unapologetic affirmation of 'the humanity of God'.