The Incarnation An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Incarnation of the Son of God

This interdisciplinary study follows an international and ecumenical meeting of twenty-four scholars held in New York at Easter 2000: the Incarnation Summit. After an opening chapter, which summarizes and evaluates twelve major questions concerning the Incarnation, five chapters are dedicatedto the biblical roots of this central Christian doctrine. A patristic and medieval section corrects misinterpretations and retrieves for today the significance of the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) and its aftermath, as well as clarifying Aquinas' enduring metaphysical interpretation of theIncarnation. The volume then moves to theological and philosophical debates: three scholars take up such systematic issues as belief in the Incarnation, the self-emptying that it involves, and its compatibility with divine timelessness. The remaining four essays consider the place of the doctrine ofthe Incarnation in literature, ethics, art, and preaching. There is a fruitful dialogue between experts in a wide range of areas and the international reputation of the participants reflects and guarantees the high quality of this joint work. The result is a well researched, skilfully argued, and,at times, provocative volume on the central Christian belief: the Incarnation of the Son of God.

Stephen T. Davis is Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, Claremont McKenna College, California. Daniel Kendall, SJ is Professor of Theology, University of San Francisco. Gerald O'Collins, SJ is Professor of Systematic and Fundamental Theology, Gregorian University, Rome.