Free «Why is Incarnation the Central Idea of Christianity» Essay Sample

Christianity wasn’t the first religion or philosophy that introduced the idea of incarnation – the God coming down to the Earth in physical body to get involved in men’s affairs. Ancient philosophers, Judaism and other movements and religions found the idea of God in the souls of people really appealing and able to explain the contradictory nature of humans. There is no wonder that incarnation is referred to the fundamental doctrine of Christianity, practically stating the ambiguous nature of all humans and Jesus particularly. On the other hand, this is a harmonious ambiguity without contradiction.

What makes it so important to the philosophy of Christianity? This question is as old as Christianity itself, and is still disturbing modern theologians. Although it may seem challenging to give a definite answer to it, the question opens the opportunity to investigate and tie together many historical, logical and theological issues (Thomas and Wondra 175).

The first point to consider is the strong connection of incarnation with all other doctrines. It is the answer to the questions they ask. For instance, salvation is thought of as the divine power participation in the life of humans, and vice versa (Thomas and Wondra 180). Why God wants to save us all? We are His children who have pieces of divine power kept inside. This is especially relevant with Orthodox and Catholic Christianity. It is not a hint about the sinful nature of humanity; it rather puts an emphasis on the intimate connection between every human and God. Christianity demands belief that is not necessarily supported by everyday miracles, but the understanding of the divine origins of oneself, finding God inside oneself is essential in finding God in the outside world and sharing Him with the others. The conclusion is that incarnation is, in fact, a basis for building up the reasoning behind all other Christian doctrines, a linking element that invisibly sets the connection, which is crucial for the entire religious and philosophic system.

Another reason why incarnation is a central doctrine in Christian doctrine is that it is paradoxical and involves pure belief with no factual foundation. Another paradox point in it is Jesus being both entirely divine and entirely human (Thomas and Wondra 10). The contradictory nature of incarnation explains the contradictory core of human heart to the human himself, using the analogues of divine embodiments. The complexity of the concept is comprehended easier, as it is similar to what humans feel about themselves, their emotions, feelings, life goals and motivation. As a result, this mystery is celebrated by billions of those who believe.

Incarnation doctrine has also a historical background behind it, involving the figure of Jesus Christ, the God Son who existed and was affirmed as a real person. The main points of Jesus life are credible enough to drive the most skeptical non-believers to stop seeing the edge between the truth and the myth. This is, again, a support for the entire Christian philosophy stating that most divine things cannot be seen with the eyes, but only felt with the heart. Jesus life story, including his deeds, teachings, and dying relates to the very core of Christianity (Thomas and Wondra 160). This historical promotion is a powerful leverage to expand Christian influence and prove the undoubted reality of God’s involvement in human lives. Christianity seems to be insufficient, incomplete, and even fading without the strong image of Jesus Christ that is checked with the real historical events.

The figure of Jesus Christ is unique and has no matches with any other events or figures of human history. This uniqueness is stressed by the personality of Jesus Christ; it cannot stay unseen or forgotten by both believers and non-believers. The very way God interferes into the human world – sending a messiah Son who suffers to make satisfaction for all the people’s sins – is indisputably very appealing to the minds of people. On the other hand, it goes in perfect correspondence with the ideas of innocence, fulfillment, salvation, Holy Trinity, perfection and humanism forwarded by Christian philosophy.

The major function of incarnation is bringing up the best in men and women. The coming of Christ revealed the light of humanistic approach to the eyes of people and set an unforgettable example. All former recordings of the divine will were not as impressive and goal-setting as the real man appearance. Incarnation opened the way to purify the soul from sins and open the heart to the God. Atonement and incarnation are close concepts that get to be inseparable (Meeter 143). Reigning over your own creation, fortifying the divine in yourself, fighting against the remains of inner demons without forgetting about their constant presence introduce a lifestyle of faith supported by knowing of who you really are. The greater meaning of Jesus Christ arrival to the Earth is supplemented and explained by incarnation, its mysteries and invisible strength. Incarnation reveals and relieves the problems of human responsibility and divine interference, the relationship between God and human heart. The most pressing part is how Jesus Christ relates to each of us in everyday life, and incarnation gives a clear answer – we are all divine children of God.

For the last thing, incarnation supports some major ideas of Christianity that are verified by the Bible and other sacred writings. Incarnation stands for the necessity to resist your inner demons, stand up after each fall, repent your sins and follow the God without actually seeing Him. Meanwhile, our God is able to save us from our sins as long as we trust Him enough to do it.

In conclusion, it’s worth emphasizing that incarnation is surely the very doctrine to serve ground for building up all other doctrines. It’s quite impossible to imagine Christianity survive through many centuries till now without such a strong milestone.