Perspectives on the Nature of Christ in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church: A Case Study in Contextualized Theology - Paperback

by Stephen J. Strauss (Author)

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) is non-Chalcedonian, believing that Christ's human and divine natures combined intone nature which is both human and divine. Do Western and Ethiopian Orthodox Christians have the same Christology, but express it differently? If not, how are they different? How should evangelicals in Ethiopia express their understanding of Christ's deity and humanity so that they are clear, inoffensive and biblical? To answer these questions, one must understand historical, formal, linguistic and popular perspectives on the nature of Christ in the EOC. To do this, an ethnographic study of one Addis Abada neighborhood was conducted to begin to understand popular perspectives on the nature of Chris in the EOC. The findings suggest that there are some substantive differences between Chalcedonian and Ethiopian Orthodox perspectives on the nature of Christ. In speaking of Christ, evangelicals in Ethiopia should avoid referring to "two natures" while affirming his full deity and, especially, his full humanity. They should develop a fresh Christological creed for the Ethiopian context.

Author Biography

Dr. Steve Strauss (1955-2013) worked at Dallas Theological Seminary as Professor of World Missions and Intercultural Studies. Previously, he served 8 years as Director of SIM USA and 19 years as a missionary with SIM in Ethiopia. While there, Dr. Strauss helped establish three theological schools, served as assistant pastor of the International Evangelical Church of Addis Ababa, and taught in churches throughout Africa and India. He held a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary and Ph.D. from Trinity International University.