Christology (from Greek Χριστός Khristós and -λογία, -logia) is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the canonical Gospels and the epistles of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature and person of God the Father. As such, Christology is concerned with the details of Jesus' ministry, his acts and teachings, to arrive at a clearer understanding of who he is in his person, and his role in salvation.
A major component of the Christology of the Apostolic Age was that of Saint Paul, whose central themes were the notion of the pre-existence of Christ and the worship of Christ as Kyrios (Greek: Lord). Following the Apostolic Age, there was fierce and often politicized debate in the early church on many interrelated issues. Christology was a major focus of these debates, and was addressed at every one of the first seven ecumenical councils—the second through fourth of these generally being entitled "Christological councils", with the latter three mainly elucidating what was taught in them and condemning incorrect interpretations—with the Council of Chalcedon in 451 issuing a formulation of the being of Christ—that of two natures, one human and one divine, "united with neither confusion nor division", the doctrine of the hypostatic union—that is still held today amongst all Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, referred to as Chalcedonian Christianity. Due to politically charged differences in the 4th century, schisms developed, and the first denominations (from the Latin, "to take a new name") formed.
Christology (from Greek Χριστός Khristós and -λογία, -logia) is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the canonical Gospels and the epistles of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature and person of God the Father. As such, Christology is concerned with the details of Jesus' ministry, his acts and teachings, to arrive at a clearer understanding of who he is in his person, and his role in salvation.
A major component of the Christology of the Apostolic Age was that of Saint Paul, whose central themes were the notion of the pre-existence of Christ and the worship of Christ as Kyrios (Greek: Lord). Following the Apostolic Age, there was fierce and often politicized debate in the early church on many interrelated issues. Christology was a major focus of these debates, and was addressed at every one of the first seven ecumenical councils—the second through fourth of these generally being entitled "Christological councils", with the latter three mainly elucidating what was taught in them and condemning incorrect interpretations—with the Council of Chalcedon in 451 issuing a formulation of the being of Christ—that of two natures, one human and one divine, "united with neither confusion nor division", the doctrine of the hypostatic union—that is still held today amongst all Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, referred to as Chalcedonian Christianity. Due to politically charged differences in the 4th century, schisms developed, and the first denominations (from the Latin, "to take a new name") formed.