Author

Amos Yong

Date of Award

1992

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

During the spring term of 1991 , while studying the develop­ment of Christian thought in the modern period under Dr . W. Stanley Johnson , I began research for my M.A. thesis on the Christology of Oneness Pentecostalism following a suggestion by Dr . Susie Stanley made in light of my background as a Pente­costal. Almost immediately , I came upon the definitive work of David Reed , "The Origins and Development of the Theology of Oneness Pentecostalism in the United States'' (Ph.d Diss. , Boston University , 1978), where in he identified Oneness Christology as primarily Nestorian in character , thus introducing me to the decisive christological controversies of the patristic age . Over the the next six months, while wrestling with his work , I did further research in an attempt to determine the validity of his thesis . When I finally submitted my initial proposal to the faculty of We stern Evangelical Seminary , my intention was to undermine the validity of the Oneness view of the Godhead by exposing the fallacious christological premises--basically Nestorian , fol lowing Reed--upon which it was enacted ; this I sought to do by way of a historical evaluation of the Nestorian heresy , both in its ancient as we ll as in its modern dress .

At this point , the thesis committee recognized the importance of the history of doctrinal development to my study , and requested that I work closely with Dr . Johnson in completing

this project . In view of his expertise and interest in the history of the development of ideas--which was transferred to me as a student in the spring term of 1991 as noted above--I received this turn of event s as a sign of divine graciousness and attention to my theological development . While the following purports to be nothing more than a historical survey-analysis of the doctrine of the person of Christ , it is presented with the anticipation that it is just the beginning of a lifetime of investigation into the fascinating subject of the development of ideas and doctrine , both in the area of Christian theology and philosophy as we ll as in the history of religions .

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