Clecio Schadech

Comprehensive Examination

I. Creeds and Confessions

1. Analyze the central issues of the Christological controversies leading to the Nicene Creed of
325 A.D. and relate them to the question of salvation in Christ.

The central issues of the Christological controversies leading to the Nicene Creed are

related to the status of the Son in relation to the Father as well as his relationship with creation.

In this regard, the efforts done at Nicaea express the confidence that the Son was of the same

substance of the Father and became and man "for us and for our salvation".

The status of the Son in relation to the Father started to be questioned early in church

history. In fact, already in the time of the New Testament, the church had to face gnosticism,

which taught a superior spiritual life over against the material world, and for this reason also

understood Christ's humanity in docetic terms. Later on, also the appearance of monarquianism

had forced the church to clarify her confession regarding the Son of God. The monarquians

defend the unity and simplicity of the Godhead and understood that the Son could not be the

same essence, because, according to them, it would represent a division on the Godhead.

Modalism, for instance, taught that the Godhead manifested himself in different modes. The

Dynamists, on the other hand, taught that Logos had been given to the person of Jesus on his

baptism.

At the time of Nicaea, the controversy revolved around the teachings of Arius. He also

defended the unity and simplicity of God and taught that "there was a time when the Son was

not". According to him, the Son was created before the world and, in this regard, had a status

superior to the rest of creation. In this regard, he understood that there were three distinct
hypostaseis. It is important to note that for Arius the word hypostasis means persons with distinct

idendity and also distinct essence. On the other side of the controversy was Athanasius, who

defended that the Son is of the same essence of the Father. His approach had, first of all, the

concern to defend the economic work of God and to confess the faith revealed on the Gospel.

In this regard, the great and important effort done by Athanasius was to express the

content of the faith as it is revealed on God's Word so that the salvific work of Christ would

remain the main message of the Gospel. It is important to note that Athanasius used the word

Homoousios as a tool to describe the reality of the relationship between the father and the Son,

indicating by this that what is important is not so much this word, but that fact that the Son must

be confessed as true God with the Father. The Nicene Creed had adopted that word when

confessed that Jesus Christ is "God of God, light of light... of the same substance of the Father."

At the same time, the Nicene faith also confesses that the Son was not made, but generated by

the Father. According to this confessions, it would be difficult to defend the Trinity if one

understands that there was a time when the son was not. That would mean that the Trinity was

not complete at the begining. On the contrary, it would mean that God had to change throughout

the time and become what one recognizes now as Trinity. This aspect rendered it difficult to

maintain Arius's position. This aspect was worked also in details latter by the cappadocians, who

explained also the eternal generation of the Son and its implication for the understanding of the

Trinity.

As far as the question of salvation is concerned, the point defended by Athanasius and by

the Nicene Creed was that salvation depends on the true divinity and true humanity of Christ. In

this regard, if the Son would be recognized as a creature, one could question his work and the

completion of it. On the other hand, if is was not true man, it would mean that he could not stand
on man's behalf. So the main issue defend by the Nicene Creed is that Christ is homoousios to

the Father and, as such, came down and incarnated "for us and for our salvation".

II.Studies In Luther's Theology

1. discuss Luther's understading of the two kinds of righteousness and explain the significance of
it for a right understanding of Christian vocation.

In his commentarie on Galatians, Luther points out the two kind of righteousness as well

as the relationship between them. He explains that the person lives by faith in the work of Christ

and receives it passively through faith. He also explains that the person lives in this world

actively working toward God's creation. In this regard he also indicates that both are necessary

and shape human life according to God's intention.

As far as the passive righteousness is concerned, Luther points out that it is given to man

by the proclamation of the Gospel, which reveals and also gives to the sinner the life and work of

Jesus Christ. In this regard, he also points out that through the proclamation of the Gospel the

righteousness of Christ is given to man and is the basis for the justification of the sinner. The

faith, in this regard, is also the gift of the Holy Spirit who, through the preaching of the Gospel,

bestows the benefits of Christ's work upon man and gives him the reality of reconciliation and

new life. At this point is important to note the fact that man is declared righteous by faith on

account of the work of Jesus Christ. This passive righteousness is not a parcial condition, but a

complete and perfect righteousness through which one is accounted completely saint before God.

As far as the active righteousness is concerned, Luther points out that it refers to human

activity in the world by which one works toward God's creation. In this regard, Luther points out

that man is to be completely active and must be completely involved in all stations and vocations

of life. In this aspect, the law, as it is revealed in the Ten Commandments, is to describe how one
has to live and what are the ways God has intended life to be.In this regard, vocation is to be

understood as the place where God has placed us to be active and work on the love of the

neighbor. All the works done in this regard are to be done in behalf of the neighbor in such a way

that these works effectively help and benefit the persons that are in need of them. The works

done are not to be counted as righteousness before God, but before man.

Regarding the relationship between the two kinds of righteousness, Wingren points out

that the Righteousnes of Christ frees the conscience of man from the bound of sin and gives him

complete assurance of God's forgiveness. This righteousness, however, does not liberate man of

his work in this world. On the contrary, gives him the sthrenght to "descend" toward earth and do

all the work in behalf of God's world. The law, in this regard, guides man to this active service of

love in the many vocations: family, society, church, etc. The dificulty arises when the two kinds

of righteousness are mixed, that is, when one applies the liberty given to the conscience to the

many stations of life and lives as there is no obligation and necessity of doing good works in

behalf of the neighbor. On the other hand, when one uses the active righteousness to merit God's

approval, then Christ's works is depreciated and salvation becomes dependent on man's active

works.

Finally, as one can note from Luther's understanding of the two kind's of righeousness, its

significance resides in the fact that Christian life has a cruciform shape, that is, one receives

passively from heaven through the proclamation of the Gospel, the righteousness of Christ and

on account of that is declared a righteous man coram Deo. At the same time, man also lives

coram mundo, and has been placed in it for the benefit of all God's creation. In order to do this,

and for the mortification of the old man, one is to serve, at the same time that also is served, in

behalf of man.
 IV. Lutheran Confessions

2. Discuss the prospects for Lutheran Confessionalism in light of Arand's analysis of Lutheran
unity and the interpretation of the Lutheran Confessions.

Arand points out the importance of the reading the Lutheran Confessions in a historical,

but also canonical way. In this regard, he indicates that the different readings had led to different

commitments to the Lutheran Confessions. Arand emphasizes the importance of the historical

context of each document and also shows how the canonical reading of them indicates a

theological coherence.

As far as the historical reading is concerned, Arand poinst out that it is important in order

to understand the issues involved in the discussion and how the Confessors responded to them.

For instance, one needs to be aware that the Apology of the Augsburg Confession was written

after the presentation of the Confutatio. The historical and theological context shed light to the

great emphasis given to jsutification by faith on account of Christ's work. In this regard, Arand

also points out that some had understood the Lutheran Confessions as only historical documents

and had looked at them as a individual confession for that time. This also implies that the

Confessions are not to be normative for our day, but only historical tools intended to describe

how they had answer the issues at that time. It also gives permission for the authors to alterate

these documentos according to the circumstances. An example of this is the Variata of 1540.

On the other side, Arand also indicates that a reading "atemporal" of the Lutheran

Confessions would lead one the have a partial understanding of the Confession of faith given by

the confessors at that time. It also would implie that the Confession of faith is not concerned with

the historical situation of the church and there is no need to pay attention to what goes one

around the world. In this regard, the confessors themselve pointed out that their intention was to
remaind faithful to the Confession of faith presented at the Augsburg, which is grounded on the

Ecumenical Creeds of the church and is the proclamation of the Gospel. The documents that

followed the Augsburg Confession are to express the same faith and give to the reader further

details of the same faith. The canonical reading, therefore, implies a theological coherence

present in these documents.

It is important to note that centrality of the justification by faith on account of Christ's

work in this documents. In this aspect, all the documents express in its own context the

Trinitarian faith and the soteriological implications of the work of Christ on behalf of man. In

this regard, one should understand the Confession of faith as something to which one needs to

subscribe unconditionally. One that gives public confession of faith is bound to that confession

and risks everything, that is, by that confession indicates that there is not other way for salvation.

Since the Lutheran Confessions express the true of the Gospel, it must be subscribed

incoditionally, not as a particular confession, but above all, as the Confession of the Church.

III. Contemporary Theology

3. Gustavo Gutierrez

Gutierrez proposes to interpret the Christian faith through the lens of those who live in

the margin. In this regard, he understands that the work of Jesus had and holistic effect of

liberation in human reality. He understands that, for many reasons, the Christian faith had been

oftentimes interpreted and applied in favor of the dominant classes.

His theological method seems to involve an hermeneutical circle that initiates at the

social reality, goes to the scripture, and returns to reality. As far as the social reality is concerned,

his method understands that God works in the present historic reality and has used the church as
his instrument to introduce the reality of the new kingdom. The Scripture are, then, addressed by

questions such as: "Who are the oppressor?" "Who are the oppressed?" "To whom God shows his

love and mercy?". With that answer, one goes back to the social situation and applies the word of

God. This hermeneutics guides Gutierrez to understand that the church needs to assume an active

role in the stablishment of a new society were the marginalized are taken care.

Gutierrez's methodology seems to express what Frei points out as the second type of

Christian theology. In this regard, the christian self-description is joined with philosophy with the

result that a new understanding become avaliable. Gutierrez seems to use Marx's struggles of

social classes as an important referent and hermeneutical tool for reading the Bible. As a result,

what we see is a theology of liberation that recognizes sin as something that manifests itself in

oppression caused by the dominant classes over the dominated. Besides, it seems that his concern

is the fully establishment of the kingdom of God here and now on earth. In this regard, Gutierrez

expresses his concern about the way the Church had remained silent and sometimes even

cooperated with injustices and marginalization of people. He then indicates how Jesus had

related to the poor, became also marginalized and had shown God's favor toward them.

Finally, as far as the contribution of Gutierrez's theological method is concerned, it is

important to note his holistic approach of human being. In this regard, it seems that there is

always a tendency in Christianity to depreciate the material and corporeal aspect of human

beings. Gutierrez's approach call attention to the fact that the human being is a unity of soul and

body. It also emphasizes the total relationship of God in the world. He indicates the oftentimes

the separation between Church and World is led the Church to espiritualize her message and to

avoid participation in God's creation.

 V. Loci

2. Evaluate LaCugna's proposal for a reconsideration of the doctrine of the Trinity in light of
recent discussions of the Triniry

LaCugna indicates throughtout her work how the doctrine of the Trinity had lost

significance among the Christians. She points out that initially the Trinity was conceived in

economic terms, but in the course of time and because of different controversies, the church had

to focus her attention of the immanent Trinity. In this regard, Lacugna shows the consequences

of this and how to reconsider the Trinity.

According to LaCugna, the controvery raised by Arius forced to Church to focus on the

intratrinatarian relationship. This had the effect that the church had to use the grammar of her

time to express the faith. It also had the effect that the discussion about God became focused on

the relation of the persons of the Triniry. For instance, the Father of all creation was now seen as

the Father of the Son. Also the Son was in light of this relationship. The Cappadocians had,

according to LaCugna, an important contribution to this understanding, which went further with

Augustine and reached its climax at the time of Aquinas.

LaCugna proposes to reconsider the Triniry as the economic Trinity. She points out that

the Trinity has as its personal characteristic to be relational. The relationship occurs between the

persons of the Trinity as well as with creation. To be a person, is to be relational. In this regard,

She emphasizes the fact that "we honor the monarchy were all persons are equall". This way of

seeing opens the possibility to go back to the confession that God is for us. It is important to note

that the recent trinitarian discussion, especially that presented by Ayres, indicate that the concepts

adopted by Nicaea were concepts that were used as a tool to guide the confession of the Christian

Church. For instance, Homoousius was the term used at that time to express the faith that already
was confessed by the church since the New Testament. In other words, the doctrine of Trinity

was not a creation of the Church. In terms of Confession of faith, it was necessary at that time to

find a word that would communicate the true faith of the Church.

As far as God's relationship is concerned, LaCugna proposal helps (although in some

aspects she seems to go off) for one side, to focus again on the economic Trinity as it is revealed

by the word of God and how Christ, the Son of God relates to all creation, showing the fact that

God is not a being closed in himself, but also relates to Creation. It seems that the Lutheran

Confessions had expressed themselves in terms of the Nicene Creed and Athanasius Creed on its

first article. On the sequence however, they also indicate that this same Triune God is not far

away, that is, "the Father gave the Son to be the propitiation for our sins". On the other side, one

needs to understand that the grammar used at the time of Nicaea was necessary in order to

address and confess that Christ is the Son of God. The Confession of faith is affirmed and needs

to tbe reaffirmed in diferent contexts and realities and it demands the correct grammar so that all

might confess that Christ is the Lord.