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Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence
In Angelomorphic Christology author Charles Gieschen demonstrates that angel and angel-related traditions, especially those built upon the so-called "Angel of the Lord" figure in the Hebrew Bible, had a profound impact upon the origin, development, and shape of early Christian claims about Jesus.

Gieschen's book falls neatly into two halves. The first catalogues the various antecedents for Angelomorphic Christology—Jewish speculation about principal angels, mediator figures, and related phenomena—with chapters on "An Angelomorphic God," "Angelomorphic Divine Hypostases" (including the Divine Name, the Divine Glory, Wisdom, the Word, the Spirit and Power), Principal Named Angels, and Angelomorphic Humans. The book's second half examines the evidence for Angelomorphic Christology in early Christian literature. This portion begins with a brief overview of the principal Angel and Angelomorphic Christology from Justin to Nicea and then examines in turn the Pseudo-Clementines, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Ascension of Isaiah, the Revelation of John, the Fourth Gospel, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Pauline Corpus.

Gieschen argues that Christian use of the angelomorphic tradition did not spawn a new and variant kind of Christology, one that competed with accepted belief about Jesus for early Christians' favor, but instead shows how Christians adapted an already variegated Jewish tradition to weave a single story about a common Lord.

1112920043
Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence
In Angelomorphic Christology author Charles Gieschen demonstrates that angel and angel-related traditions, especially those built upon the so-called "Angel of the Lord" figure in the Hebrew Bible, had a profound impact upon the origin, development, and shape of early Christian claims about Jesus.

Gieschen's book falls neatly into two halves. The first catalogues the various antecedents for Angelomorphic Christology—Jewish speculation about principal angels, mediator figures, and related phenomena—with chapters on "An Angelomorphic God," "Angelomorphic Divine Hypostases" (including the Divine Name, the Divine Glory, Wisdom, the Word, the Spirit and Power), Principal Named Angels, and Angelomorphic Humans. The book's second half examines the evidence for Angelomorphic Christology in early Christian literature. This portion begins with a brief overview of the principal Angel and Angelomorphic Christology from Justin to Nicea and then examines in turn the Pseudo-Clementines, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Ascension of Isaiah, the Revelation of John, the Fourth Gospel, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Pauline Corpus.

Gieschen argues that Christian use of the angelomorphic tradition did not spawn a new and variant kind of Christology, one that competed with accepted belief about Jesus for early Christians' favor, but instead shows how Christians adapted an already variegated Jewish tradition to weave a single story about a common Lord.

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Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence

Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence

by Charles A. Gieschen
Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence

Angelomorphic Christology: Antecedents and Early Evidence

by Charles A. Gieschen

Overview

In Angelomorphic Christology author Charles Gieschen demonstrates that angel and angel-related traditions, especially those built upon the so-called "Angel of the Lord" figure in the Hebrew Bible, had a profound impact upon the origin, development, and shape of early Christian claims about Jesus.

Gieschen's book falls neatly into two halves. The first catalogues the various antecedents for Angelomorphic Christology—Jewish speculation about principal angels, mediator figures, and related phenomena—with chapters on "An Angelomorphic God," "Angelomorphic Divine Hypostases" (including the Divine Name, the Divine Glory, Wisdom, the Word, the Spirit and Power), Principal Named Angels, and Angelomorphic Humans. The book's second half examines the evidence for Angelomorphic Christology in early Christian literature. This portion begins with a brief overview of the principal Angel and Angelomorphic Christology from Justin to Nicea and then examines in turn the Pseudo-Clementines, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Ascension of Isaiah, the Revelation of John, the Fourth Gospel, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Pauline Corpus.

Gieschen argues that Christian use of the angelomorphic tradition did not spawn a new and variant kind of Christology, one that competed with accepted belief about Jesus for early Christians' favor, but instead shows how Christians adapted an already variegated Jewish tradition to weave a single story about a common Lord.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781481307949
Publisher: Baylor University Press
Publication date: 07/15/2017
Series: Library of Early Christology
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 419
Sales rank: 316,748
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Charles A. Gieschen (Ph.D., University of Michigan) is Professor of Exegetical Theology and Academic Dean at Concordia Theological Seminary. He is also an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xiii

Abbreviations xv

Part I Introduction

Prologue: Christ as an Angel? 3

1 History of Research 7

A Early Historical Research: Angelology and Intermediation 8

B A Revival of Research: Angel Christology 12

C Recent Research: The Influence of Divine Mediator Figures on Early Christology 16

2 Nomenclature and Methodology 26

A Religious Group Nomenclature 26

B Angel Nomenclature 27

C Divinity Nomenclature 30

D Veneration Nomenclature 33

E Hypostasis Nomenclature 36

F Methodology 46

Part II Antecedents

3 An Angelomorphic God 51

A Interpretative Approaches 53

B Angel of the Lord Traditions in the Old Testament 57

C Conclusion 67

4 Angelomorphic Divine Hypostases 70

A The Name 70

1 The Name as a Divine Hypostasis of Presence 71

2 The Name as the Cosmogenic Agent 74

3 The Name Hypostatized as an Angelomorphic Figure 76

B The Glory 78

1 The Glory at Sinai, the Tabernacle, and the Temple 78

2 The Glory as an Angelomorphic Man, Especially in Ezekiel 1 80

3 The Angelomorphic Glory in Texts after Ezekiel 1 84

4 The Identification of the Glory with a Human 88

C Wisdom 89

1 Wisdom as an Hypostasis and Cosmogenic Agent 89

2 Wisdom and the Divine Throne 93

3 Wisdom and the Angel of the Lord 98

D The Word 103

1 The Word of YHWH Appears to the Patriarchs and Prophets 105

2 The Word, Wisdom, and the Angel of the Lord 105

3 The Angelomorphic Roots of Philo's Logos 107

4 Memra and the Angel of the Lord 112

E The Spirit 114

1 Spirits as Angels 114

2 The Spirit as an Angel 116

F The Power 119

1 Power as a Designation for an Angel 119

2 Power as a Designation for God 120

G Conclusion 122

5 The Principal Named Angels 124

A Michael 126

B Gabriel 131

C Raphael 135

D Uriel 136

E Israel 137

F Yahoel 142

G Eremiel 145

H Metatron 146

I Other Interpretations of the Principal Angels 148

J Conclusion 150

6 Angelomorphic Humans 152

A Patriarchs 153

1 Adam 153

2 Abel 155

3 Enoch 156

4 Noah 158

5 Jacob 159

B Prophets 161

1 Introduction 161

2 Moses 163

3 Elijah 167

4 Other Prophets 168

C Priests 169

1 Introduction 169

2 Levi 170

3 Melchizedek 171

4 The Priests of the Qumran Literature 173

D Kings 175

E Apostles 176

F Elect Ones 180

G Conclusion 183

Part III Early Evidence

7 Angelomorphic Christology at Nicea and Before 187

A Angel Christology at Nicea 187

B Representative Evidence from Justin to Eusebius 188

1 Justin Martyr 189

2 Theophilus of Antioch 190

3 Irenaeus of Lyons 191

4 Tertullian 193

5 Clement of Alexandria 194

6 Hippolytus of Rome 194

7 Origen 195

8 Novatian 196

9 Lactantius 197

10 Eusebius of Caesarea 198

11 The Apostolic Constitutions 198

C An Introduction to Early Evidence (Pre-150 CE) 199

8 The Pseudo-Clementines 201

A The True Prophet as Adam and the Glory 202

B The True Prophet as Wisdom and the Spirit 205

C The True Prophet as the Chief Archangel 209

D The True Prophet as the Angel of the Lord 211

E Conclusion 212

9 The Shepherd of Hermas 214

A The Various Angelomorphic Figures 215

B The Relationship Between Pneumatology, Christology, and Ecclesiology 220

C The Son as the Angel of the Lord, the Name, and the Glory 225

D Conclusion 228

10 The Ascension of Isaiah 229

A The Angel of the Holy Spirit 231

B The Beloved 236

C The Great Glory 241

D Conclusion 244

11 The Revelation to John 245

A One Like a Son of Man 246

B The Word of God and the Name of God 252

C The Mighty Angel with the Scroll 256

D God and His Angel 260

E Conclusion 269

12 The Gospel of John 270

A The Word, the Name, and the Glory 271

B The Descending and Ascending Son of Man 280

C The Apostle 284

D The Paraclete(s) 286

E Conclusion 293

13 The Epistle to the Hebrews 294

A Creator, Name, Firstborn, Glory, and Enthroned Son 295

B Apostle, High Priest, and Son of God's House 303

C A High Priest After the Order of Melchizedek 307

D The Word of God 311

E Conclusion 314

14 The Pauline Epistles 315

A God's Angel 315

B The Destroyer 325

C The Heavenly Man 329

D The Power of God and the Wisdom of God 331

E The Glory, the Image of God, and the Spirit 333

F The Form and the Name of God 337

G The Body 339

H The Image of the Invisible God, the Head of the Body, the Firstborn, and the Beginning 343

I Conclusion 346

Part IV Conclusion

15 Implications for the Study of Early Christology 349

Bibliography 352

Ancient Literature Index 371

Modern Author Index 399

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