Christology is a branch of theology that simply refers to the study of Jesus Christ. Christology can take on many forms which look at Christ’s nature, life and ministry, role in the Bible, and much more. Given the different Christian denominations, Christology helps to delineate key positions held by past and current churches. The different Bible versions also play a role in Christology given that they were translated using different manuscripts, methods, and textual traditions. Digging a bit deeper, Christological studies typically involve the person (Ontological Christology) and work (Functional Christology) of Jesus Christ by examining His humanity and divinity and the relationship between each. Soteriological Christology then focuses on the salvific aspects of Christ. Students may begin the study of Christology “from above” (High Christology; divinity) or “from below” (Christology from Below or Low Christology; humanity) depending on preference. It’s in this spirit that our editors compiled this list of the best Christology books that offer all the information you’ll need to begin studying Jesus Christ. These titles are the most popular currently available on the topic, written by noted scholars in the field. Note: We only included the best Christology books for Christian counseling with a 4-star or better ranking and a minimum of 50 reviews.
The Best Christology Books
Most Popular: Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness
Author/Publisher: Richard B. Hays
From the publisher: “In Reading Backwards Hays demonstrates that it was Israel’s Scripture itself that taught the Gospel writers how to understand Jesus as the embodied presence of God, that this conversion of imagination occurred early in the development of Christian theology, and that the Gospel writers’ revisionary figural readings of their Bible stand at the very center of Christianity.”
Also Popular: The Christological Controversy
Author/Publisher: Richard A. Norris
From the publisher: “For more than thirty years, The Christological Controversy has been an essential text for courses in theology, church history, and early Christianity that seek to better understand the development of Christology from its earliest roots to the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The volume gives modern readers an idea entry point into the issues by presenting clear, fresh translations of the most important primary sources, along with simple and informative introductions to explain the context of the writings.”
Best Value: Fully Human, Fully Divine: An Interactive Christology
Author/Publisher: Michael Casey
From the publisher: “A solid blend of theology and spirituality, this refreshing book introduces the reader — in an interactive way — to the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Furthermore, Fully Human, Fully Divine applies its significant points to the reader’s spiritual life.”
Popular Systematic View: Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus
Author/Publisher: Gerald O’Collins
From the publisher: “In this fully revised and updated second edition of his accessible account of systematic Christology, Gerald O’Collins continues to challenge the contemporary publishing trend for sensationalist books on Jesus that are supported neither by the New Testament witness nor by mainline Christian beliefs. Clear, balanced, and accessible, this book should be valued by any student reading systematic theology, anyone training for the ministry in all denominations, as well as interested general readers.”
Popular Christology Fundamentals: Jesus Christ: Fundamentals of Christology
Author/Publisher: Roch A. Kereszty
From the publisher: “This revised and expanded second edition of Father Kereszty’s widely used Christology text is equipped with recommended readings, study questions and updated bibliography. In dialogue with contemporary concerns and controversies, it presents a penetrating and integral approach to the mystery of Christ, with broad appeal to Roman Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians alike.”
Popular Christology Introduction: Who is Jesus? An Introduction
Author/Publisher: Thomas P. Rausch
From the publisher: “Who Is Jesus? covers the three quests for the historical Jesus, the methods for retrieving the historical Jesus, the Jewish background, the Jesus movement, his preaching and ministry, death and resurrection, the various New Testament christologies, and the development of christological doctrine from the New Testament period to the Council of Chalcedon.”
Popular New Testament Christology: An Introduction to New Testament Christology
Author/Publisher: Raymond E. Brown
From the publisher: “Who Is Jesus? covers the three quests for the historical Jesus, the methods for retrieving the historical Jesus, the Jewish background, the Jesus movement, his preaching and ministry, death and resurrection, the various New Testament christologies, and the development of christological doctrine from the New Testament period to the Council of Chalcedon.”
The Best Christology Books – Best of the Rest
Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity
Author/Publisher: Richard Bauckham
From the publisher: “This book is a greatly revised and expanded edition of Richard Bauckham’s acclaimed God Crucified: Monotheism and Christology in the New Testament (1999), which helped redirect scholarly discussion of early Christology.”
Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology
Author/Publisher: Elizabeth A. Johnson
From the publisher: “Consider Jesus is widely regarded as the finest general introduction to Christology. Adopted for adult education courses, classrooms, and seminars, this classic book, written by one of the leading theologians of our era, presents major themes about Jesus in clear and accessible language.”
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