Union with Christ in the New Testament

The New Testament texts speak not only of Christ's saving work on behalf of the world but also of those who believe in him becoming one with him. That the texts speak in this way led to union with Christ becoming a central theme in the soteriology of various Christian traditions and, in turn, to those traditions interpreting differently from each other the texts responsible for the prominence of the theme. This course explores union with Christ in the New Testament through (i) detailed exegetical study of selected New Testament texts that offer different but overlapping ways of conceptualizing union with Christ (e.g., the body of Christ, the Temple, the sacraments), (ii) critical engagement with the appropriation of union with Christ in Christian theology (e.g., in the patristic era, in Orthodox theology, in Lutheran and Reformed theology), and (iii) critical engagement with union with Christ in recent New Testament scholarship (e.g., the work of Grant Macaskill). Attention will also be paid to the implications of union with Christ for Christian life and ethics. Students will form their own conclusions about the nature and significance of union with Christ in the New Testament.