In the Shadow of the Incarnation: Essays on Jesus Christ in the Early Church in Honor of Brian E. Daley, S.J.

The early centuries of the Christian church are widely regarded as the most decisive and influential for the formation of the church's convictions about Jesus Christ. The essays in this volume offer readers a fresh orientation, and ground-breaking analyses, of the figure of Jesus in late antiquity. Written by historians and theologians who examine the thought of leading theologians, Latin and Greek, from the second through the seventh centuries, these essays honor and complement the scholarship of Brian E. Daley, Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.

While most discussions still confine patristic Christology to its conciliar trajectory, this volume broadens our horizons. The essays gathered here explore aspects of early Christology that cannot be narrowly confined to the path marked by the ecumenical councils. The contributors locate Jesus within a rich matrix of relationships: they explore how early Christian theologians connected Jesus Christ to their other doctrinal concerns about God, the gift of salvation, and the eschaton, and they articulate how convictions about Jesus Christ informed numerous practices, including discipleship, martyrdom, scriptural interpretation, and even the practice of thinking well about Christ. "The rich diversity and wealth of information found in these essays offers an admirable reflection of the wide-ranging and depth of scholarship that has long been associated with Brian Daley's work. Considering the scope of participants in this collection; from accomplished peers to recent Ph.D. graduates, the book bears witness to the degree Fr. Daley has influenced and shaped generations of scholars. As such, this collection succeeds in honoring a man of faith who is certainly worthy of such an honor." --Daniel H. Williams, Baylor University "The essays in this volume all address in differing ways themes that arise out of the classical Christological tradition of the early Church. For a collection of essays the material is unusually well focused and the volume will make a fresh contribution to the current state of patristic scholarship on early Christian thinking about the person and work of Christ." --Robert Louis Wilken, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of the History of Christianity, University of Virginia "Jesus' question to his disciples, 'Who do you say I am?' is the starting point of all Christian theology. In this splendid volume, more than a dozen distinguished scholars encounter that question again, in many and varied ways. Together, they provide fresh insights on the person of Jesus Christ as they reflect on the thought of the Fathers of the Church from contemporary perspectives." --Joseph T. Lienhard, S.J., Fordham University "Brian Daley belongs in the front rank of patristic scholars in the United States. It is fitting, therefore, that he be honored with this collection of essays, centering on his long-standing central concern with Christology. These essays nuance the Christological thought of key documents and figures from the second to the seventh century. They deal with not just the ontological nature of Christ but also general aspects of the faith in Christ as connected with other Christian doctrines. The distinguished list of contributors testifies to the influence of and esteem for Brian Daley. The volume is a worthy tribute to a premier patristic scholar." --Everett Ferguson, Abilene Christian University