Abstract
This article explores two questions: (1) What obstacles does the Christology of the Council of Nicaea pose for communicating faith today? (2) What does it mean that the Council of Nicaea, with its ontologically charged Christology, finally separated itself from Judaism? In the course of the investigation, it becomes clear how closely the two questions are related. The aim of the essay is to provide assistance for the inculturation of a biblically based Christian faith in postmodernity by rediscovering the relevance for faith of the fact that “Jesus is a Jew and always will be” (Pope John Paul II). The essay therefore argues strictly from a biblical perspective. It warns urgently against sophistical Christological disputes far away from life experiences. It asks what ‘truth’ is and warns against the appropriation of truth in the question of power. Against this background, the denominational differentiation of Christianity can also be viewed positively as a return to the plurality of the beginnings. Finally, two examples are used to illustrate the need for ontological disarmament in Christology and to provide a strictly biblical justification for this: (1) Who is Jesus, the Anointed One of God (= Christ): “God of God, very God of very God” (Creed of the Council of Nicaea) or “the image of God” (vgl. 2 Cor 4,4; Col 1,15; Jn 14,9), symbol of God’s faithfulness? (2) How is the unity of God the Father and Jesus, his Anointed One, to be understood: ontologically or as a functional unity?