1st Edition

A Kryptic Model of the Incarnation

By Andrew Ter Ern Loke Copyright 2014
    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Incarnation, traditionally understood as the metaphysical union between true divinity and true humanity in the one person of Jesus Christ, is one of the central doctrines for Christians over the centuries. Nevertheless, many scholars have objected that the Scriptural account of the Incarnation is incoherent. Being divine seems to entail being omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, but the New Testament portrays Jesus as having human properties such as being apparently limited in knowledge, power, and presence. It seems logically impossible that any single individual could possess such mutually exclusive sets of properties, and this leads to scepticism concerning the occurrence of the Incarnation in history. A Kryptic Model of the Incarnation aims to provide a critical reflection of various attempts to answer these challenges and to offer a compelling response integrating aspects from analytic philosophy of religion, systematic theology, and historical-critical studies. Loke develops a new Kryptic model of the Incarnation, drawing from the Greek word Krypsis meaning ’hiding’, and proposing that in a certain sense Christ’s supernatural properties were concealed during the Incarnation.

    Chapter 1 ‘Veiled in Flesh the Godhead See’? Thinking Critically about the Incarnation; Chapter 2 Problems Concerning Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence; Chapter 3 The Need for a New Solution to Problems Concerning Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence; Chapter 4 A New Kryptic Christology: The Divine Preconscious Model; Chapter 5 Addressing the Problems Concerning Omniscience, Omnipotence and Omnipresence; Chapter 6 Addressing the Difficulties Facing the New Kryptic Christology; Chapter 7 Conclusion;

    Biography

    Andrew Loke completed his PhD at King’s College London. His PhD covered the disciplines of analytic philosophy of religion, systematic theology and historical-critical studies, and it was awarded the highest grade by the external examiners. He has published articles in leading international refereed journals such as Religious Studies (Cambridge University Press), Journal of Theological Studies (Oxford University Press), New Blackfriars (Wiley-Blackwell) and Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie (De Gruyter). Prior to doctoral studies, he earned his bachelor degree from the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, worked for seven years as a medical doctor, and completed his Masters in Philosophy at Biola University, California. Since completing his doctorate, he has taught at King’s College London, GETS seminary and Hong Kong University, and presented papers at various universities such as York University and Cambridge University.

    "This book presents an original and important new model for understanding the Incarnation, one that has some interesting virtues and that avoids some of the problems in other models. Although I remain an advocate of Kenotic Christology, I believe this is a significant contribution to the debate.’ C. Stephen Evans, Baylor University, USA ’Well organised and comprehensive, contributing new material to a debate that is complex and philosophically challenging." -  Anna Marmodoro, University of Oxford, UK

    "There is no question that the work exemplifies the best of analytic theology – theologically judicious, historically attentive, and cautiously applying the tools of philosophical inquiry to doctrinal problems." - Darren O. Sumner, Fuller Seminary Northwest, Reviews in Religion and Theology

    "Andrew Loke has contributed a landmark work of philosophical theology to the literature on the Incarnation." - Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Philosophia Christi 
     
    "A significant contribution to Christological studies." -  Joshua R. Farris, Houston Baptist University, Houston TX, Journal of Reformed Theology