Description
This Element examines a phenomenon that reflects a distinctive and insightful Christological imagination, yet one that has received little sustained attention within the field of Christology. Specifically, it focuses on the sphere of deputation, characterized by Jesus' authorization of his disciples to serve as his proxies. In their deputized capacity, Christians engage in activities that reflect the dynamics through which Jesus' presence is enacted in his post-earthly life, albeit within the limits of his prerogatives. Jesus may choose, through such enactment, to act by means of his disciples, both individually and collectively as the church. I argue that attention to this sphere of deputation moves both formal Christology and informal, grassroots Christology beyond the traditional Christological concentration on ontology, function, and significance.
Table of Contents
Introduction; 1. Sphere of deputation: conceptualizing its distinctives and Christological foundation; 2. Deputized enactment: the role of the dyadic acts of invocation and use of Jesus Christ's powers; 3. Jesus as Ọtụmọkpọ: a case study of deputized enactment in the Grassroots Christologies of Nigerian Christianity; 4. The sphere of deputation, Grassroots Christologies, and the field of Christology: redrawing the Christological landscape; Conclusion; Bibliography.
