The Divinity of Christ

[Thomas]

H. H. Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church was born into a Christian family in Egypt in 1923.

On graduating from Cairo University, he joined the Coptic Orthodox Seminary. In 1954, he chose the solitude of the Egyptian desert, taking the example of St. Anthony the Great, the founder of Christian monasticism. He became a hermit, but six years later he was consecrated Bishop of Christian Education and President of the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary. He was consecrated as His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, in 1971.

Ever concerned with Christian unity, he insists such can only be founded on faith, not the agreements of jurisdiction. Whilst at the seminary, he wrote
The Divinity of Christ". Whilst this booklet was a response to the doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses, it answers a broad range of queries and criticism regarding that fundamental tenet of Christianity — the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

It makes good Lenten reading.

God bless,

Thomas

 

[wil]

Ever concerned with Christian unity, he insists such can only be founded on faith, not the agreements of jurisdiction. Whilst at the seminary, he wrote
The Divinity of Christ". Whilst this booklet was a response to the doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses, it answers a broad range of queries and criticism regarding that fundamental tenet of Christianity — the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

It makes good Lenten reading.

God bless,

Thomas

Hmmmm for Lent.... and interfaith discussion...

contemplating Christian Unity....thumbs up.

contemplating faith .....thumbs up.

deriding other Christian's beliefs.....thumbs down.

seems like this book is something worth giving up for lent.

 

[NiceCupOfTea]

H. H. Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church was born into a Christian family in Egypt in 1923.

On graduating from Cairo University, he joined the Coptic Orthodox Seminary. In 1954, he chose the solitude of the Egyptian desert, taking the example of St. Anthony the Great, the founder of Christian monasticism. He became a hermit, but six years later he was consecrated Bishop of Christian Education and President of the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary. He was consecrated as His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, in 1971.

Ever concerned with Christian unity, he insists such can only be founded on faith, not the agreements of jurisdiction. Whilst at the seminary, he wrote
The Divinity of Christ". Whilst this booklet was a response to the doctrines of the Jehovah's Witnesses, it answers a broad range of queries and criticism regarding that fundamental tenet of Christianity — the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

It makes good Lenten reading.

God bless,

Thomas

thanks Thomas

 

[Amergin]

I agree with Thomas that the Divinity of Christ is a central tenet of Athanasian Christian belief. Athanasius had much experience in Egypt and lands now called Northern Sudan. He probably had some influence on the Coptic Christian Church, which was evolving at a time with Gnostics, Arians, and other proto-Christian sects. The result was later crushing of the Gnostic and Arian earlier predecessors of Christianity.

Jesus of Nazareth after his death and believed resurrection, progressed from prophet, Messiah, King, second level created god, to finally a full God replacing the Monotheistic JHWY of the Jews.

The Trinitarian belief of modern Christianity could bring solace to many. Unfortunately, the real history of the Church is one of bloody wars, persecutions, suppression of freedom, witch-hunts, heretic burnings, and the dreaded Inquisition. It did not have to be that way.

I think the reason is downside to deifying the great humanitarian religious reformer, Jesus of Nazareth. That downside is ritualistic worship of a god, enforcing that belief, spreading that belief, and considering non-believers to be enemies. In this change, by 393 CE, Athanasian Trinitarians were able to ignore or down play the actual teachings of Jesus.

Turning him into a new God diverted Christians from leaning the message of Jesus. They could then ignore the wisdom, morality, compassion, forgiveness, charity, social responsibility, and love that composed his message.

The result was the millennium known as the Dark Ages.

I do not wish to discourage those who need to worship the mythical Christ, but I wish them to read about and honour the teachings of Historical Jesus.

Amergin

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig

 

[Thomas]

I agree with Thomas that the Divinity of Christ is a central tenet of Athanasian Christian belief.

Well, it was there well before Athanasius, cf Justin, Irenaeus, and many, many others, so it was a central tenet of Christian belief full stop.

Hilary of Poitiers was a contemporary of Athanasius born and raised in Gaul, who is also considered a 'Doctor of the Church' and who preached the same doctrine, independently of Athanasius, so there's no such thing as 'Athanasian Christianity', really.

And Hilary is known as 'The Hammer of the Arians' and the 'Athanasius of the West'.

Athanasius had much experience in Egypt and lands now called Northern Sudan. He probably had some influence on the Coptic Christian Church, which was evolving at a time with Gnostics, Arians, and other proto-Christian sects. The result was later crushing of the Gnostic and Arian earlier predecessors of Christianity.

That's rather riddled with anachronism. The schism with the Coptic Church happened in the 5th century, before then there was no such thing as the Coptic Christianity.

The Gnostics were primarily of the 2nd century, the Arians emerged in the 4th (via another Egyptian), so neither of those can be considered as 'predecessors' of Christianity.

Jesus of Nazareth after his death and believed resurrection, progressed from prophet, Messiah, King, second level created god, to finally a full God replacing the Monotheistic JHWY of the Jews.

No, that's totally wrong. He was believed to be God from the outset, as well as the Messiah, prophet, priest and king. A heretic declared him a created demiurge (Arius) and another Heretic declared the God of Christ to be different from the God of the Jews (Marcion) ... Marcion was the earliest of heresies, so even your 'progress' is in the wrong order.

The Trinitarian belief of modern Christianity could bring solace to many.

The Trinitarian doctrine is not modern.

Unfortunately, the real history of the Church is one of bloody wars, persecutions, suppression of freedom, witch-hunts, heretic burnings, and the dreaded Inquisition. It did not have to be that way.

No it didn't, but it was. Nevertheless, it is not without its positive aspects. The same goes for the history of the Jews, and the history of the Moslems ...

I think the reason is downside to deifying the great humanitarian religious reformer, Jesus of Nazareth.

OK. Your opinion, and welcome to it, but it's no proof of anything more than it being your opinion. The book mentioned above refutes all of your claims, and your counter-claims are factually erroneous and opinionated.

In this change, by 393 CE, Athanasian Trinitarians were able to ignore or down play the actual teachings of Jesus.

Sorry, but that's a crock, too.

Turning him into a new God diverted Christians from learning the message of Jesus.

The message of Jesus is eternal life in His name ... only God can offer that.

They could then ignore the wisdom, morality, compassion, forgiveness, charity, social responsibility, and love that composed his message.

'They' being the whole of the Christian faithful throughout history? What about the countless Christians who, then and now, live by that message? Or at least try?

And what about the message you ignore ... eternal life, Divine Union ...

The result was the millennium known as the Dark Ages.

According to contemporary scholarship, it's now accepted that 'The Dark Ages' is a misnomer.

I do not wish to discourage those who need to worship the mythical Christ, but I wish them to read about and honour the teachings of Historical Jesus.

There's only one Jesus, the Jesus of Scripture ... 'the quest for the historical Jesus' is founded entirely on opinion and a declared anti-Christian ideology ... there's no reliable 'historical' data at all, other than Scripture, the testimony of those who were there, or thereabouts ... I wish there were!

But at least 'my' version of history rests on the material evidence, yours most certainly does not.

God bless,

Thomas