Engaging the Doctrine of Jesus (and Mary): A Traditional, Historical-Critical, and Mariological Christology

The six chapters of this book focus upon Jesus’ conception and birth from a virgin, his authoritative teaching, his miracles, his cross, his resurrection, and his ascension. The purpose of the book is to articulate and defend the truth of these salvific mysteries as presented to us in Scripture. In addition to conversing extensively with historical-critical biblical scholarship, the chapters make recourse to the theological tradition from the church fathers onward, with Thomas Aquinas as a touchstone. Levering seeks to make a case for believing in Jesus. At the same time, he shows how each of these mysteries is intimately linked with a truth about Mary the Mother of Jesus, thus arguing for the integral relationship of Christology and Mariology. Mary enacts the reception of the Lord by God’s faithful people: the New Adam never chooses to be without the New Eve in God’s new covenant family. The Christology offered in this book is therefore both attuned to historical studies of Jesus and Second Temple Judaism and, at the same time, deeply traditional in a contemporary Catholic and ecumenical way.

Matthew Levering holds the James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including such studies as Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?, Jesus and the Demise of Death, Christ’s Fulfillment of Torah and Temple, and Reconfiguring Thomistic Christology. The present volume is the sixth of the Engaging the Doctrine series, with this volume being preceded by volumes on marriage and Israel.