WOF 069: Following the Right Jesus

Thomas Joseph White's book The Incarnate Lord discusses the importance of Jesus' identity. The classical tradition of Christology understood Jesus ontologically, that is to say, in terms of his fundamental being or existential identity; whereas modern and contemporary Christology tends to understand Jesus psychologically or relationally. The transition from an ontological Christology to a consciousness Christology has conduced toward all manner of relativism, subjectivism, indifferentism, and the attenuation of evangelical zeal. In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron unpacks these theological concepts and explains their consequences in familiar terms. The listener question asks about the Jesus Seminar of the Westar Institute.

Topics Discussed

• 0:17  - Introduction, Chesterton, and Bishop's recent trip.
• 3:00 - What is Christology and why does it matter?
• 4:55 - Why does high-level theology matter?
• 7:28 - What is the major difference with modern Christology?
• 10:58 - Who is Jesus?
• 13:20 - What are the ramifications of reading Jesus with a psychological priority rather than an ontological priority?
• 15:00 - How is the emphasis on Jesus' ontology make Christianity unique compared to other religions?
• 18:20 - What was the theological priority of the early Church?
• 19:45 - What are some of the insights we learn about Jesus from Saint Thomas Aquinas?
• 25:15 - What books does Bishop Barron recommend for studying Christology?
• 27:00 - Question from listener: What does Bishop Barron think about the Jesus Seminar of the Westar Institute?

Bonus Resources

• Videos
  • How Jesus is the Messiah
  • Andrew Sullivan's Non-Threatening Jesus
  • John Dominic Crossan's Strange Jesus
• DVD's
  • Catholicism: The Pivotal Players (Word on Fire)
  • Catholicism series (Word On Fire)
  • Faith Clips (Word On Fire)
•  Articles  
  • Why It Matters Who Jesus Is (Bishop Barron)
  • Why Jesus is God (Bishop Barron)
  • The Disturbing Fact of the Resurrection (Bishop Barron)
• Books
  • The Priority of Christ by Bishop Barron
  • The Incarnate Lord by Fr. Thomas Joseph White
  • Jesus Christ: Fundamentals of Christology by Roch A. Kerezty
  • Infinity Dwindled to Infancy by Edward T. Oakes, S.J.
  • Does God Suffer?  Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M.
  • Does God Change? Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M.
  • The Summa Theologica  Saint Thomas Aquinas

• Study Program 
  • The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters (Bishop Barron)
  • Catholicism: The Pivotal Players Study Guide (Word on Fire)

• Websites
  • Word On Fire (Proclaiming Christ in the Culture)
  • LentReflections.com (Bishop Barron)

Find bonus links and resources for this episode at http://WordOnFireShow.com and, again, be sure to submit your questions at http://AskBishopBarron.