Divine Person, Divine and ­Human Natures

Abstract

This chapter highlights that it may be useful to begin by asking about the Christ they encountered if people claimed to experience the presence of Christ. It argues that much of the historical literature over the past two generations has assumed that late medieval devotion was chiefly to the humanity of Christ. The chapter shows that this notion is problematic. In the religious literature and in common parlance, Christ is almost ubiquitously referred to as God. The chapter also explores the standard, long-standing theology of Christ's person and natures as well as the late medieval sources. It shows that Christ's divinity is not only a matter of faith but also a fundamentally important precondition for both ordinary and exceptional experience of his presence. The chapter concludes by discussing the basic argument and its theological implications.