The Word Enfleshed: Exploring the Person and Work of Christ

by Oliver D. Crisp

A Fresh Theological Account of the Person and Work of Christ

The literature on Christology is large and ever-expanding. The same is true for work on the atonement, which has blossomed in the last decade. Few studies attempt to connect the dots between these two theological topics, however. In this volume, respected theologian Oliver Crisp offers a fresh analytic-theological account of the person and work of Christ, focusing on the theme of union with God Incarnate. Along the way, he engages a range of contemporary and historic Christian thinkers and tackles a number of key issues in contemporary discussions. Wide-ranging and carefully argued, this unified account of the person and work of Christ will be of interest to scholars and students of Christian theology.

Genres: Theology

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2016

About the author

Oliver D. Crisp (PhD, University of London, DLitt, University of Aberdeen) is professor of analytic theology at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of several books, including Analyzing Doctrine: Toward a Systematic Theology, Saving Calvinism: Expanding the Reformed Tradition, Jonathan Edwards Among The Theologians, and The Word Enfleshed: Exploring the Person and Work of Christ. He is a founding editor of the Journal of Analytic Theology, and co-organizes the annual Los Angeles Theology Conference with Fred Sanders.

Reviews

[Josh Issa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was wobbling on 2 stars for this. I mean, he argues clearly and has an opinion… too bad it’s wrong! omega!

Crisp argues for a variety of topics throughout this book: 1) a metaphysically simple God 2) a compositional Christology 3) penal substitutionary atonement 4) that the Spirit is important ? 5) jumping around universalism.

All I can say is…. I can’t wait to read my Moltmann and Jansen. All I know is panentheism clears, Cyrillian Christology clears, recapitulation clears, yes the Spirit is important, and universalism is soooo good.

Can I get an AMEN 🙏 in the chat?

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all of Oliver Crisp’s works, this volume brings rigorous analytical clarity to weighty discussions. Furthermore, the essays are connected. Some of Crisp’s earlier works (i.e., Retrieving Doctrine) seem more like collections of essays, even though they are quite good. This is a valuable intermediate-level text for Christology.

Eternal Generation and Paul Helm

Crisp explores some “varieties of Arianism,” so to speak and whether Paul Helm’s criticisms of eternal generation (EG) hold water.

The problem for adherents of EG: “if God the Father eternally causes the existence of God the Son, then his existence is logically dependent on the eternal causal action of the Father” (Crisp 5).

Response #1: Logically dependent isn’t temporally dependent, so Arianism is blocked. Another important point is that since this generating act is spiritual and non-physical--its being generated from within the mind of God--it is “an eternal divine act of internal self-differentiation” (13). It is a “de re” necessary relation, so Helm’s claim that it moves economy into ontology doesn’t work (though this might be a problem for ESS).

Christ Without Flesh

Crisp rebuts Robert Jenson’s later criticisms of the logos asarkos. Robert Jenson notoriously claimed that Christ is identical to the 2nd Person of the Trinity. This has the bizarre implication that Jesus’s flesh is eternal.

Jenson might not mean that, though. He clarifies that Christ is the narrative pattern of Israel

Incorporeality and Incarnation

Problem: how can a simple God the Son possess a material body, yet not be made of parts? Crisp gives a fascinating discussion of Neoplatonism and panentheism.

Christological Doctrine of the Image of God

Crisp explores the various proposals for the image of God, calling particular attention to the difficulties in the Plato/Calvin view. If the image of God is what we have to the exclusion of everything else in creation, and I think all sides would agree with that, and if the image is reduced to the soul/rational faculties, then we have the uncomfortable position that angels (and perhaps demons) are also in the image of God. Few want to go down that road.

On the other hand, attempts to get rid of any “substance talk” concerning the image of God and/or human nature don’t work, either. For those who hold that the image is connected with ruling and dominion (which I think it is), we still have substance ideas. Someone who is ruling has the metaphysical properties and capacities for ruling. I think the dominion idea is correct, but you can’t avoid substance-talk.

Desiderata for Models of the Hypostatic Union

Pace Bruce McCormack, we have to deal with substance. Even Barthians like McCormack make claims about the properties or concrete particulars of Christ (78).

The problem: Does Chalcedon commit us to a particular metaphysics?
Answer: Probably.

Some conclusions:
(1) The Son didn’t assume a personal human nature. This is the an/enhypostatic distinction.
(2) For Chalcedon, a hypostasis “was essentially a particular individual within a universal species, identifiable as such or such a thing by the qualities” it/he/she shares with other individuals (Daley, quoted by Crisp, 86).
(3) Persons are concrete things. A person is a substance (or supposit) that instantiates a substance-kind by a de re relation.
(4) This does not entail Nestorianism, though. While almost all human natures are human persons, they don’t strictly have to be. In philosophy a proper part of a person isn’t a person. There is the famous Tibbles-the-Cat experiment. Tibbles is a cat with all of the properties of a cat. He has 1,000 hairs on his fur. He also has the property part of all of Tibbles’ hairs-minus-one (T -1). Does that constitute a new cat? What if he also has the part T -2, and so on until T -999?
(4*) Therefore, God the Son, though he has the property of human nature, is still only a divine person and not also a human person.

The Union Account of the Atonement

What’s the difference between a “model” of the atonement and a “metaphor,” with the latter term being more popular today? A model of the atonement is a thicker description. It actually--with varying degrees of success--attempts to explain the “mechanism” for how the atonement works. Metaphors don’t do that. Crisp (rightly) opts for models in this chapter.

Aulen: Ransom/Christus Victor. Gustav Aulen’s historiography has been thoroughly criticized. So does his claim work on the deeper level? No. It seems that the ransom is being paid to the devil.

Anselm: Satisfaction. God’s nature requires that he be satisfied for the wrongs against him. Human sin was committed against an infinite good and requires an infinite sacrifice. The strength of this view is that it actually explains the mechanism better than earlier views. There are some problems, though. Nothing is said about penal substitution. It isn’t necessary for Anselm’s view, so Protestants might balk at this point.

Crisp then discusses the moral and penal views, with the standard arguments pro and con. His own view, so it seems, is what he calls a “Union Account.” He has Augustine’s philosophical realism do “all the heavy lifting” (130). If traducianism (T) holds (and I think it does), then there is no injustice in God’s punishing me for Adam. I am metaphysically united to Adam.

There are some difficulties at this point, though none of them are fatal. If T obtains, then there isn’t any need for imputation language. Further, are souls fissile? Crisp says no. I think they might be, so that’s not a problem for my traducianism. Further, if T obtains and if the issues resolving sin and human nature are resolved, this doesn’t explain anything about the actual atonement. T only works regarding sin, not righteousness.

Crisp then augments his view with a “mystical union” account. He doesn’t actually develop it in this chapter. He does pick up some ideas in the following chapter on the Spirit and Christ.

The Spirit’s Role in Union with Christ

This section gets interesting as Crisp ties in Nevin’s realism with Edwards four-dimensional ontology and identity with time.

Conclusion

There is some overlap in the book and Crisp does use material from previous essays. Nevertheless, there is a conceptual “flow” to the book.

[Sooho Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an eye towards the orthodox ('Church Fathers,' roughly 3rd c. to 7th c. AD) and Reformed traditions and the other towards current philosophical quandaries about them, Oliver Crisp perceives both through the lens of analytical theology--and The Word Enfleshed is the product of his vision.

The crux of the book, in my opinion, is the climax of chapter 7: "The Union Account of Atonement." Chs. 1-6 set the foundation and chs. 8-9 sweeps the house that is ch. 7--built on the foundation. Much of the earlier chapters (especially 1-3) are adaptions and updates from his previous book (Divinity and Humanity; cf. my summary a couple reviews earlier). To illuminate the connective thread of the book, I quote his words at length:

"Christ is the eternally begotten Son Incarnate, the Word enfleshed, an essentially incorporeal being that has assumed a human nature that includes a corporeal body. He is also the prototypical human being in whose image we are all created. He is the one entity in whom humanity and divinity are united personally as parts of one composite whole that comprises Christ. Because he unites a human and a divine nature in one person, human beings are in principle capable of being united to God in Christ by means of the secret working of the Holy Spirit, who joins believers to Christ. Those so united are members of Christ in a real, metaphysical sense; they are 'parts' of Redeemed Humanity" (165-6).

Crisp coins and nuances terms (e.g., "Word enfleshed," "composite whole," "parts," "Redeemed Humanity"; each was explicated in their respective chapters) that impresses a deeper meaning than one might initially perceive here. This is, truly, a 'progressive' work--'progressive' as in each chapter progresses the argument further and fuller. To appreciate the climax, hear the crescendo.

cf. www.sooholee.wordpress.com

[A.J. Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained a lot of thick, weighty theological discussion that both was confusing but enlightening. He deals with topics such as Christ's eternal generation from the Father, understanding Christ without flesh, the atonement of Christ, theosis, the image of God, and much more. His logic was well thought out and without much error (in my opinion), but, because his writing style and content were dense, I would not recommend this to anyone below a graduate level education.

[Derek Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author did what He intended, which was too philosophical for my tastes. After getting through the first 3 chapters, I enjoyed it for the most part. However, the grind and determination it took to get through those first three chapters were almost not worth the read. At places, this book is incredibly insightful. It just was not my taste.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The style, like too many theological works, tends toward jargon and away from lucidity, but I appreciated the author's orthodox instincts. Didn't seem to be a great reason for tackling the incarnation and the atonement all in one work, but that didn't hurt his arguments in either locus.

[Andy Dollahite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some of these essays are the start of something very interesting, but insufficiently worked out. I am particularly keen to read more on his notions of Christ as archetype of the human imago dei.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense and verbose, but an insightful take on the incarnation. Very well written and well thought through.

[Kyle Rapinchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crisp's work, The Word Enfleshed, is an excellent example of analytical and historical theology utilized in conjunction for theological insight and clarity. Although not agreeing with all of his claims (nor honestly fully understanding some of them), he nonetheless provides well-articulated and well-defended propositions throughout. Of particular help is the scope of this book and yet its relative brevity. In nine chapters spanning less than 180 pages, Crisp tackles eternal generation, desiderata and proposals for the hypostatic union, a unique yet historically rooted argument for the atonement, and more. This is an excellent work and worth the read for those interested in philosophical and theological issues of the hypostatic union.

[Paul Gesting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. His philosophical excursis to avoid substitution is interesting, but doesn't buy much. Craig's defense against the non-coherence theory of vicarious punishment is a better solution and keeps federal headship intact.

[Janelle Zeeb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here is a summary of a longer report on this book that I completed for my Christology class.

In this book, Crisp desires to examine both Christ’s incarnation and the atonement, as he says that there are many books written on only one of these two topics, but he feels they must be addressed together. For Crisp, the natures of Christ relate to how he atones for sin, and so they must be examined together. He appears to want to endorse two main Christological concepts. First, he wants to defend the “three-part compositional model of the hypostatic union,” and secondly, he wants to defend a view of the atonement called the “union account of the atonement.” The other chapters provide background information needed to support these two main conclusions, as well as engaging in a variety of other Christological debates.

His argument is concisely summarized on pages 165-166: "Christ is the eternally begotten Son Incarnate, the Word enfleshed, an essentially incorporeal being that has assumed a human nature that includes a corporeal body. He is also the prototypical human being in whose image we are all created. He is the one entity in whom humanity and divinity are united personally as parts of one composite whole that comprises Christ. Because he unites a human and a divine nature in one person, human beings are in principle capable of being united to God in Christ by means of the secret working of the Holy Spirit, who joints believers to Christ. Those so united are members of Christ in a real, metaphysical sense; they are ‘parts’ of Redeemed Humanity".

I really appreciated Chapter 4, where Crisp argues that what it means for humans to be in the image of God is not some particular trait (like intelligence, rationality, relationality, etc.) but it is that our humanity is created such that the hypostatic union of the Word to a human nature was possible. I agree that this does have many advantages over traditional interpretations, and found it quite helpful and convincing, and I hope this interpretation does catch on with other Christian theologians.

I also appreciated Chapter 7 where he explains his union account of the atonement and how he believes it is an improvement on the penal substutition theory of atonement, for it avoids the "forensic fiction" of God treating sinners only "as if" they are now sinless and treating Christ "as if" he were guilty of our sin. His idea of humans being actually metaphysically united into a "four-dimensional entity" with Christ as our head (in contrast to our natural position as part of a four-dimensional entity which had Adam as its head), means that our guilt can truly be transferred to Christ and his sinlessness to us, which provides a stronger philosophical metaphysical support for the "great exchange". His chapter 6 on compositional Christology was interesting but not as notable as Chapters 4 and 7.

However, some of the chapters were less than helpful. Chapters 1 to 3 could be removed or skipped over without losing much content that is not repeated elsewhere more clearly, and are really only of interest to experts or those interested in abstract metaphysical debates. Chapter 5 is basically just an endorsement for why we should adhere to the early church creeds on the nature of Christ. And Chapter 9 will really only interest those Reformed theologians who believe in eternal election of some individuals to heaven (and so as an Arminian I found it rather useless).

If you're interested in becoming an expert on the state of contemporary Christological debates, you'll likely enjoy this book. Or if you're interested in the questions of what it means to be made in the image of God, or the penal substituion theory of atonement, I would recommend the related chapters. But if you find Chapters 1-3 a bit too abstract, boring, and irrelevant, just skip to Chapter 4 and start from there.