Christology and Science

The dialogue between theology and science has blossomed in recent decades, but particular beliefs about Jesus Christ have not often been brought to the forefront of this interdisciplinary discussion even in explicitly Christian contexts. Here F. LeRon Shults breaks new ground by explicitly bringing the specific themes of Christology into dialogue with contemporary science. Shults seeks to articulate the Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ in a way that responds to challenges and opportunities that have arisen in light of various scientific discoveries. After a brief treatment of the history of the shaping of the ideas of Incarnation, Atonement, and Parousia, Shults traces developments in some of the sciences that have challenged these formulations - evolutionary biology, cultural anthropology, and physical cosmology. Each chapter also summarizes some of the popular constructive responses to these developments. After clarifying the way in which the Christian understandings of God and of humanity shape the task of reforming Christology, each chapter concludes with a programmatic outline of ways in which we might articulate the identity, agency, and presence of Jesus Christ in dialogue with late modern science and culture.