Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ's Continuing Incarnation

by Gerrit Scott Dawson

The book presents the Ascension as public truth, examining questions such as when did Jesus ascend - and how, where did he go, with what kind of body and into what kind of space? It discusses the nature of Jesus' victory, how it has been challenged, how it has been understood at different times in history, and how it relates to his second coming. The author examines the relevance of the doctrine for personal spiritual our union with Christ, Jesus praying for us, worship, and our own prayers. He goes on to consider living in God's kingdom, the tension between waiting for the kingdom and working for it now, suffering, humanisation, and the church and the world today. The book approaches the Ascension thematically, making it a useful teaching tool. Its themes arise from the categories in which the Church Fathers employed the doctrine. Gerrit Dawson shows the Ascension to be a vital key to understanding in a fresh way the person and work of Christ, union with Christ, the mission of the church in the world, Christian identity and spiritual theology. A unique feature of the book is the way Dawson combines a full presentation of Nicene trinitarian Christology with its application to the practicalities of Christian life today. Praise for Jesus 'Gerrit Dawson harkens back to an older vision of ministry, that of the pastor-theologian. This vision is remarkably illustrated in this beautifully written book that can properly lay claim to being practical theology.... Very highly recommended for both pastors and theologians who want to have a faith grounded in the continuing reality of the incarnation in the ascension of Jesus.' Andrew Purves, Princeton Theological Seminary 'This is a truly outstanding book for students, pastors and thinking Christians alike. I could not recommend it more enthusiastically!' Alan Torrance, St Andrew's University, UK 'A yawning gulf often appears between the interests of preacher and scholar, of pastor and theologian. Serious attempts to bridge that gulf are too few. This book is one of them. It brings to life the voice of the Fathers on the subject of the ascension of Jesus, and calls the church back to the roots of its faith.' Douglas Farrow, McGill University, Canada

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Spirituality

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Phillip Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The ascension of Christ is like a lost jewel of the gospel and in this book Dawson helps the church find it. Not only is it a treasure to behold, but it is a treasure that makes us rich when we allow the implications of it to transform our lives. I was repeatedly challenged by the pastoral applications to the life of the Christian and the mission of the church in this book. I also loved the continual use of quotations from theologians throughout church history.

I would recommend this book but it’s hard to get and expensive to buy. I’m almost tempted to say it’s worth the $50 on Amazon but I got it from special ordered from a library so I would not have to spend that much money.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work on the importance of Christ’s ascension. A nice mix of academic and practical and an interesting mix of theologians - ancient and modern - that he primarily interacts with: Augustine, Chrysostom, Tertullian, Luther, Calvin, Newbigin & Torrance (2 of my favorite modern writers), as well as Andrew Murray (I need to read more of him apparently), Douglas Farrow, Henry Swete, William Milligan (writers I’m aware of, but had never investigated). The second section of the book is worth the price of admission - particularly the chapters “The Ascension as Public Truth” & “Union with Christ: The Head and Firstfruits.” Just wonderful.

[Blake Western · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few recent books about the Ascension of Jesus. The author points out the significance of this event for the Christian. It is a teaching often neglected but central to our belief in "Christ's continuing incarnation."

[Josh Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book long ago to read in preparation for Ascension this year, and overall I'm glad that I did. Pastor Dawson has some fantastic insights into the meaning and significance of Christ's ascension that tend to elude us most of the time I think. It is easy to "spiritualize" the Ascension and reduce its meaning to--"Jesus isn't here anymore." Dawson points out that it means much more than that, though I won't detail all his explanation here. He also writes in a pastoral, engaging style. I was very wrapped up in the beginning of the book as he delineated the ways Christ's ascension matters to our daily lives. It did bog down a bit towards the end of the book, but still was a very useful study.

One very interesting section involves the author trying to find a middling position between Reformed and Lutheran traditions on the Lord's Supper. He wrestles with how Christ can be present at the Lord's Supper when he is physically elsewhere. His solution to this is to hypothesize that Christ is present in the Lord's Supper by means of the Holy Spirit who collapses space and time. It is an interesting thought to be sure---the only problem is it lacks any sort of biblical support.

Overall, it was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone studying the Ascension and wondering what it means or why it matters.

[J.D. Camorlinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sought out the book to better understand the continuing incarnation and found it to be helpful toward that end. Author Gerrit Scott Dawson writes about the ascension from reformed viewpoint.

I liked Dawson's frequent use of quotations from patristic, reformation and modern day theologians, giving the reader a good historical overview of the material. I also liked his attempt to give practical suggestions on how to integrate the ascension into church life.

As a note, this book seems to be out of print and is pretty pricey on Amazon. Fortuitously, I found a copy at the library but I would purchase it if I found it at a reasonable price.

[Bruce Williams]

There are very few books on the market concerning the ascension of Jesus Christ, which is a very important part of the Christian faith. According to Dawson, "We have gained in Christ more than we lost in Adam." Good reading.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behold the Man, Christ Jesus; seated at the right hand of God in the selfsame flesh he bore as he walked the dusty earth. He identifies with his people to the utmost and identifies Himself with our humanity for all of eternity.

[Jonathan]

None

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent in every way