The person of Christ has been debated for millenia. Was He a good man, a great seer, or something more? Even in the early Church, the question of who and what Jesus Christ is raised many debates. They all knew He existed. That He lived. That He died. But…did He really rise from the dead like witnesses claimed? Or, was it a supernatural being who ‘pretended’ to die? Was He perhaps a spirit who had cast aside the need for the flesh?
It’s alway been my belief that it’s not enough to know about Jesus but you have to know who the Jesus is. A lot of faiths and religious institution know about Jesus. Who is the true Jesus?
On this episode of the Parker J Cole show, we’ll be talking to Dr. Jim Papandrea, author of The Earliest Christologies: Five Images of Christ in the Postapostolic Age. What did the early Church fathers believe and how has that shaped our understanding of Christ. You can call in at 646-668-8485, press 1 to be live on air. Or, you can download Stitcher on your mobile device. Or, click on the link here.
Jim Papandrea is a teacher, author, speaker, and musician. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in music and theatre arts, Jim went on to receive his M.Div. degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, with a concentration in youth ministry, then spent several years in full time ministry, focusing on youth and music ministry, and serving as a consultant in youth ministry. Jim went on to receive a Ph.D. in the history and theology of the early Christian church from Northwestern University, with secondary concentrations in New Testament interpretation and the history of the Roman Empire. He has also studied Roman history at the American Academy in Rome, Italy. Jim is currently Associate Professor of Church History at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary at Northwestern University, as well as a consultant in the area of Adult Faith Formation, and a regular speaker in parish and lay formation programs in the Chicago area. Jim is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the North American Patristics Society, and the Catholic Association of Music. When he’s not teaching or performing music, Jim can be found traveling with his wife, Susie, taking photographs and making pilgrimages to places like Rome and Assisi.