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Christ, the Christian, and the Church: A Study of the Incarnation and its Consequences
In Christ, the Christian, and the Church, E. L. Mascall shows how the incarnation of the Son of God is the unifying principle of the life and thought of both the individual Christian and the Church through subjects such eschatology, ecclesiology, pneumatology, ascetical and mystical theology, and more. Instead of reinforcing the view that Christ's descent to earth was anthropocentric, Mascall explains that it was in fact theocentric; man is woven "into the godhead" instead of "the godhead into flesh," and our actions as Christians are actions of Christ himself because of the unifying act of baptism.
- GenresTheology
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1963
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 15, 2020
Oh man! Between the dry wit, effervescence, scathing theological urgency, and pastoral and devotional warmth, Mascall is a delight to read; if not occasionally quite heavy lifting. As I've been wrestling with the seeming inadequacy of various Reformed doctrines with which I was raised, I found Mascall's exposition of the Incarnation, which he then traced through ecclesiology and eucharistic theology (among others), to be balm to my soul.
One of Mascall's key points most striking to me finds its root actually in the Athanasian Creed, where Mascall understands the incarnation to mean 'not by the conversion of Godhead into flesh but by the taking up of manhood into God', that is, it is not an empyting of God-ness, but rather an enriching of human-ness. This has obvious implications for the way in which we understand kenosis, which can tend toward the Incarnation meaning God turns into something he is not. (I.e. I just read a tweet yesterday in which someone quite well-meaning said 'Jesus, who was omnipotent, regresses to a human body. He goes back, He goes down, and He becomes small.' Yes... but also no. No no.)
Mascall spends a good bit of time discussing union and participation with Christ, which then has obvious logical consequences for understanding what actually happens at the Eucharist, and indeed, what it means to be incorporated into the Church as Christ's mystical Body. The final couple of chapters on the practice of prayer and theology were particularly delightful. Mascall's obvious devotion to Christ informs his work which is to me one of the hallmarks of a great theologian.
Mascall does have some harsh words for Reformed thinkers where I think he is actually misinformed - or thinking about a particular subset of Reformed theology (early Barth specifically coming under fire) - but which may merely be a consequence of the time in which Mascall is writing.
I'm hopeful that this new reprint of a 1946 work will bring Mascall to the attention of scholar, pastor, and layperson alike.
For an in-depth summary and critique, I cannot recommend my friend Preston's review enough: http://northamanglican.com/e-l-mascal...
One of Mascall's key points most striking to me finds its root actually in the Athanasian Creed, where Mascall understands the incarnation to mean 'not by the conversion of Godhead into flesh but by the taking up of manhood into God', that is, it is not an empyting of God-ness, but rather an enriching of human-ness. This has obvious implications for the way in which we understand kenosis, which can tend toward the Incarnation meaning God turns into something he is not. (I.e. I just read a tweet yesterday in which someone quite well-meaning said 'Jesus, who was omnipotent, regresses to a human body. He goes back, He goes down, and He becomes small.' Yes... but also no. No no.)
Mascall spends a good bit of time discussing union and participation with Christ, which then has obvious logical consequences for understanding what actually happens at the Eucharist, and indeed, what it means to be incorporated into the Church as Christ's mystical Body. The final couple of chapters on the practice of prayer and theology were particularly delightful. Mascall's obvious devotion to Christ informs his work which is to me one of the hallmarks of a great theologian.
Mascall does have some harsh words for Reformed thinkers where I think he is actually misinformed - or thinking about a particular subset of Reformed theology (early Barth specifically coming under fire) - but which may merely be a consequence of the time in which Mascall is writing.
I'm hopeful that this new reprint of a 1946 work will bring Mascall to the attention of scholar, pastor, and layperson alike.
For an in-depth summary and critique, I cannot recommend my friend Preston's review enough: http://northamanglican.com/e-l-mascal...
December 4, 2023
This is a Good Read. Christmaxxing.
July 20, 2019
The is now the best book I’ve ever read on the incarnation and its implications for the Christian and the church. A very deep well to drink from in EL Mascall. But only around 250 pages to read and one you will come back to over and over again. The author is coming from an Anglo-Catholic perspective.
April 3, 2020
I read this book slowly and I'm glad I did, it was like swimming in a deep well. Mascall's treatment of the atonement and union with Christ is, in many places, exceptional and a real treat. His Anglo-Catholic colours show more when considering the sacraments, naturally, but much of this was a delight.
July 11, 2020
Highly recommend!
August 7, 2023
Super rigorous, but rewarding read. Opens the mind to the Incarnation and its effects on the Christian life/way of thinking
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May 16, 2025I always appreciate the Anglo-Catholic centering of Christ and His Incarnation as the center of the Church as His Body. I'm not sure I find this as valuable as Ramsey, but it's a good accompaniment.
November 18, 2025
A must-read for those who take the doctrines of the incarnation and priesthood of all believers seriously
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews