Christology

[kris-taw’-luh-jee]

The discipline within Christian theology that deals with the nature of Jesus Christ, particularly focusing on how the human and divine co-exist in one person. Christology also seeks to explain the saving work of Christ, though is generally less concerned with the details of Jesus’ life. In systematic theology it logically precedes soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). However, in church history soteriology preceded Christology, because the belief in Jesus’ saving role led to the subsequent claims about who he was.