Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology
The Christian tradition is alive with stories and discussions of friendship but much of that tradition has been forgotten or shrugged off as irrelevant in the modern world and even the modern church. This essay attempts to counter such notions by arguing for the place of friendship in Christology, w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Moral Theology |
| Online Access: | https://jmt.scholasticahq.com/article/18906-jesus-is-not-just-my-homeboy-a-friendship-christology |
| _version_ | 1797654231808737280 |
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| author | Justin Barringer |
| author_facet | Justin Barringer |
| author_sort | Justin Barringer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Christian tradition is alive with stories and discussions of friendship but much of that tradition has been forgotten or shrugged off as irrelevant in the modern world and even the modern church. This essay attempts to counter such notions by arguing for the place of friendship in Christology, with an emphasis on Jesus as the ultimate friend. It interrogates who Jesus was and is by utilizing Aristotle's ideas of _megalopsychia_ and _mikropsychia_ arguing that Jesus is the best of both as the one with whom all humans should most want to be friends and as the one who lowered himself to the point that he could invite mere humans, even "sinners," into friendship. The essay then argues that this friendship offered by Jesus has political implications, namely that Jesus and his friends create a new form of civic life in the church. Furthermore, the essay explores how Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity, makes intelligible the ancient idea that friends are other selves. Finally, the essay illumines the notion that Jesus' invitation into friendship is extended to all people. The essays concludes by exploring Jesus' friendships with both Judas and Peter to revisit the themes of the essay and suggest that friendship should be a central concept for discussing Christology. Of particular importance in this essays is that Christians do not have a theory of friendship but rather a friend in Jesus. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:55:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-856d2f582d7147b38415b2e72323ccac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2166-2851 2166-2118 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:55:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Moral Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-856d2f582d7147b38415b2e72323ccac2023-10-20T17:33:50ZengThe Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.Journal of Moral Theology2166-28512166-21182021-01-01101Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship ChristologyJustin BarringerThe Christian tradition is alive with stories and discussions of friendship but much of that tradition has been forgotten or shrugged off as irrelevant in the modern world and even the modern church. This essay attempts to counter such notions by arguing for the place of friendship in Christology, with an emphasis on Jesus as the ultimate friend. It interrogates who Jesus was and is by utilizing Aristotle's ideas of _megalopsychia_ and _mikropsychia_ arguing that Jesus is the best of both as the one with whom all humans should most want to be friends and as the one who lowered himself to the point that he could invite mere humans, even "sinners," into friendship. The essay then argues that this friendship offered by Jesus has political implications, namely that Jesus and his friends create a new form of civic life in the church. Furthermore, the essay explores how Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity, makes intelligible the ancient idea that friends are other selves. Finally, the essay illumines the notion that Jesus' invitation into friendship is extended to all people. The essays concludes by exploring Jesus' friendships with both Judas and Peter to revisit the themes of the essay and suggest that friendship should be a central concept for discussing Christology. Of particular importance in this essays is that Christians do not have a theory of friendship but rather a friend in Jesus.https://jmt.scholasticahq.com/article/18906-jesus-is-not-just-my-homeboy-a-friendship-christology |
| spellingShingle | Justin Barringer Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology Journal of Moral Theology |
| title | Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology |
| title_full | Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology |
| title_fullStr | Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology |
| title_short | Jesus Is Not Just My Homeboy: A Friendship Christology |
| title_sort | jesus is not just my homeboy a friendship christology |
| url | https://jmt.scholasticahq.com/article/18906-jesus-is-not-just-my-homeboy-a-friendship-christology |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT justinbarringer jesusisnotjustmyhomeboyafriendshipchristology |