christological

Christological is an adjective describing matters pertaining to Christology, the branch of Christian theology that investigates the person and work of Jesus Christ. The term derives from Christ, the Greek christos, and logos, discourse or reason.

Christology asks how the divine and human are united in Jesus, how the incarnation occurred, and how his life, death, and resurrection accomplish salvation. Central concepts include the incarnation (the Word becoming flesh), the hypostatic union (Jesus as one person with both divine and human natures), and the mediating work of Christ in redemption, reconciliation, and revelation.

Historically, Christology developed through early Christian debates and ecumenical councils. The Council of Nicaea affirmed the Son’s divinity, and Chalcedon defined the two natures in one person, rejecting certain interpretive extremes such as Nestorianism and Monophysitism. Over time, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions have elaborated Christological language in ways that reflect different theological emphases, including Marian titles, soteriology, and ecclesial authority.

In contemporary theology, Christology intersects biblical studies, historical criticism, and social or liberation theologies, while continuing to articulate who Jesus is and what his work signifies for faith and ethics. Across traditions, the central claim remains that Jesus is understood as the incarnate God and the mediator of salvation.

See also Christology, Incarnation, Nestorianism, Monophysitism.