How Did Jesus Know He Was God? Self-Consciousness and Human Knowledge of Christ: Maritain, Rahner, and Weinandy
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
The self-consciousness and human knowledge of Christ is a contemporary christological issue which seeks to understand the awareness that the God-man, Jesus Christ, possessed of himself during his life on earth. The present question primarily concerns itself with exploring how the Son knows that he is the Son in his human mind. Traditionally this question has been asked and answered that, through the beatific vision, the Son knew himself as divine in his human mind. However, recent theories advanced by scholars seem to preclude any notion of beatific knowledge in the Incarnate Son. This book explores the perspectives of three main authors, Jacques Maritain, Karl Rahner, and Thomas Weinandy, in relation to the present question, and attempts to provide an answer for how the Incarnate Son apprehended his divine identity through his human operations. Considered also is the scope of Christ’s human knowledge with regard to two specific objects of knowledge. These concern whether the Son as man had an awareness of those for whom he gave his life (Gal 2:20) and whether the Son was really ignorant of the eschatological final “day and hour” (Mark 13:32; Matt 24:36).
This is a Logos Reader Edition. Learn more.
“William Chami, in his short monograph, has addressed an
important and fascinating theological issue—that of how Jesus, as
the incarnate Son of God, came to know, in a human manner, that he
is the Father’s Son. In examining three authors, of whom I am
honored to be one of those selected, Chami has placed all of the
issues in their historical context, as well as within their
contemporary theological setting—and he has done so with meticulous
clarity, intellectual creativity, and discriminate judgment. This
book is a must-read for anyone addressing the topic of Christ’s
human consciousness and knowledge.”
—Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM Cap., former member of the Vatican’s
International Theological Commission
“This work should be mandatory reading in every Christology
subject. It tackles one of those thorny issues in fundamental
theology many would like to avoid, and it does so in a way that
makes for easy and exciting reading. One does not have to plough
through impenetrable academic jargon. The author can write with
clarity without oversimplifying the complexities. It would make a
great present for seminarians and other students of
theology.”
—Tracey Rowland, St. John Paul II Chair of Theology, University of
Notre Dame Australia
“In this great little book William Chami presents the position of
three prominent theologians on an important and highly debatable
issue in contemporary Christology. Chami not only presents the
three stances on the self-consciousness of Christ in a fair and
impartial manner, but also carries out an informed and intelligent
academic evaluation of them. A great contribution from an emerging,
promising scholar.”
—Mariusz Biliniewicz, Associate Dean, Chair of School Research
Committee, and Senior Lecturer in Theology, University of Notre
Dame Australia
“After a long period of relative consensus that Jesus humanly
enjoyed the beatific vision of God, the general question of the
nature of Jesus’ human knowledge, and the explicit question of
whether or not Jesus knew himself as God with his human mind, are
once more ‘live’ questions. Through his analysis and critique of
the arguments of three great scholars, Maritain, Rahner, and
Weinandy, Chami makes a valuable contribution to the current
debate.”
—Peter John McGregor, Lecturer in Theology, Catholic Institute of
Sydney
- Title: How Did Jesus Know He Was God? Self-Consciousness and Human Knowledge of Christ
- Author: William Chami
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Logos Release Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBNs: 9781725260610, 9781725260597, 9781725260603, 1725260611, 172526059X, 1725260603
- Resource ID: LLS:9781725260610
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-10-16T06:42:34Z
William Chami is a student and tutor at the University of Notre
Dame at Sydney. He has completed his master’s in theology and is
currently pursuing his graduate diploma in philosophy. His research
interests include Christology, the Trinity, and patrology.