Christology, Psychology, and Participation: A Model for Relating Psychological and Theological Understandings of Humanity

Abstract

AbstractThis paper aims to discuss the relationship between theology and psychology through a model based on Christology. Christology aims to explain how God and humanity are revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, and thus the proposed model aims to explore how theology and psychology, as disciplines studying God and humanity, could also be related through Christology. Such a model approaches the science-theology dialogue from what is arguably a starting point of theology – Christology – and thus seeks to do justice to the methodological and conceptual integrity of both theology and science. In doing so, it will draw inspiration from Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger’s use of the Chalcedonian Definition to relate theology and psychology. This paper will build on Hunsinger’s model by employing an understanding of the Chalcedonian Definition as being a revelation of the God-humanity relationship, through the lens of the Eastern Orthodox thinkers John Zizioulas, Christos Yannaras, and Alexei Nesteruk. In doing so, it will argue that psychological and theological perspectives on humanity can be understood to be in a relationship of participation. This paper seeks to open discussion on how useful this Christological model could be for theological anthropology at large.KeywordsChristologyEastern orthodox theologyDeborah van Deusen HunsingerAlexei NesterukParticipationPsychologyChristos YannarasJohn Zizioulas