Certainty

The name “Jesus Christ” links the historical person of Jesus of Nazareth with the religious expectation of the Messiah sent by God and lies at the heart of Christian faith. Since the Enlightenment, the search for the “real” or “historical” Jesus has led to diverse, often contradictory reconstructions, since historical sources provide only probabilities, not certainties. Theologically speaking, however, what is decisive is not historical factuality, but rather the confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the living Son of god who acts within history, as attested by the New Testament. The Gospels recount the humanity of Jesus in the light of the Easter faith, whereby the true significance of Jesus for faith lies in his presence and efficacy as Christ, not in historical reconstruction.

• Christology
• Doctrine of God