Prominent theologians and philosophers delve into the astonishing claim that Jesus is God, discussing topics such as the challenges of understanding the incarnation, the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, the debate about the nature of Jesus, and the importance of beginning with Jesus in one's understanding of God.
The Christian tradition states that Jesus is not simply identified as God without any further nuances, but rather that the second person of the Trinity became man in Jesus through the incarnation.
Proving on evidential grounds that Jesus is the Son of God is not possible, as the interpretation and acceptance of Jesus as God require a spiritual response and a willingness to appreciate the metaphysical and incarnational claims in the Christian tradition.
Deep dives
The Christian tradition does not straightforwardly identify Jesus as God without remainder
According to Sarah Cookley, an expert in Christian theology, the Christian tradition technically states that the second person of the Trinity, the son, became man as Jesus or assumed human nature as Jesus. Jesus is not simply identified as God without any further nuances.
Understanding the Incarnation involves considerable analytical sophistication
Sarah explains that getting one's head wrapped around the idea of the incarnation, where the second person of the Trinity took flesh and became man in Jesus, requires careful consideration of the language used. Making a simple identification of Jesus as God or suggesting that Jesus was simply an exceptionally fine person under God's guidance would be erroneous.
Interpreting the claim of Jesus being God requires a spiritual response
Sarah suggests that proving on evidential grounds that Jesus is the Son of God is not possible. The interpretation and acceptance of Jesus as God involve a spiritual response and a willingness to accept and appreciate the metaphysical and incarnational claims made in the Christian tradition.
Why the astonishing claim that Jesus is God? Not like God. Not representing God. But literally God? One need not be a Christian, or even a theist, to appreciate the arguments.
Featuring interviews with Sarah Coakley, N.T. Wright, Oliver Crisp, Eleonore Stump, C. Stephen Evans, and Ian McFarland.
For subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership at closertotruth.com.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode