Christology in the Making

Christology in the Making analyzes the development of early Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ during the first century CE. This scholarly work traces how the first Christians came to understand and express Jesus's divine status. The book examines key New Testament texts and other early Christian writings to map the evolution of Christological thought. Dunn investigates concepts like the Son of Man, Wisdom, Logos, and preexistence across different Christian communities and timeframes. Step by step, the text reconstructs how various strands of Jewish theology and Hellenistic philosophy influenced early Christian views of Christ. The analysis covers major theological shifts from Jesus's ministry through Paul's letters and into the Gospel of John. This comprehensive study challenges assumptions about uniform early Christian beliefs and demonstrates the complex process through which Christology emerged. The work illuminates tensions between Jewish monotheism and growing convictions about Jesus's divine nature.

Readers value Dunn's thorough examination of early Christological development and his analysis of how beliefs about Jesus evolved in the first century. Many note his clear writing style and extensive documentation of sources. Positive comments focus on: - Clear breakdown of Jewish and Hellenistic influences - Detailed New Testament textual analysis - Balanced academic treatment Common criticisms: - Dense academic language can be difficult to follow - Some find his conclusions too conservative - Limited discussion of non-canonical texts One reader noted: "Dunn meticulously traces how early Christians came to view Jesus as divine, though his technical language requires careful study." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (18 reviews) Several seminary students mentioned using it as a key reference text, while others felt it was too complex for newcomers to the subject. Multiple reviewers praised the extensive footnotes and bibliography.

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🔹 James D.G. Dunn coined the influential term "New Perspective on Paul" in 1982, which revolutionized modern understanding of Paul's writings and first-century Judaism 🔹 The book traces how early Christians gradually developed their understanding of Jesus's divine nature, showing this wasn't a sudden belief but evolved over decades 🔹 First published in 1980, "Christology in the Making" was groundbreaking for examining Christian beliefs about Jesus chronologically rather than through later theological frameworks 🔹 Dunn's work demonstrates that the title "Son of God" meant different things to different early Christian communities, and its meaning evolved significantly over the first century 🔹 The author sparked considerable debate by arguing that Jesus wasn't explicitly identified as pre-existent until the Gospel of John, challenging traditional interpretations of earlier New Testament texts