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Copyright © 2014 Robert Lucas Stamps Copyright © 2014 Robert Lucas Stamps All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. “THY WILL BE DONE”: A DOGMATIC DEFENSE OF DYOTHELITISM IN LIGHT OF RECENT MONOTHELITE PROPOSALS A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Robert Lucas Stamps May 2014 APPROVAL SHEET “THY WILL BE DONE”: A DOGMATIC DEFENSE OF DYOTHELITISM IN LIGHT OF RECENT MONOTHELITE PROPOSALS Robert Lucas Stamps Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Stephen J. Wellum (Chair) __________________________________________ Michael A. G. Haykin __________________________________________ Paul Helm Date_____________________________ To Josie, my “nearest neighbor.” TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................... vii PREFACE ........................................................................................................................ viii Chapter Page 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 Background: The Monothelite Controversy in Historical and Contemporary Perspective ..........................................................................................................3 The Dyothelite Consensus ......................................................................... 3 The Reemergence of Monothelitism ......................................................... 7 Contemporary Monothelitism .................................................................... 9 The Significance of the Monothelite Debate ....................................................11 Thesis: A Reformed Defense of Dyothelitism ..................................................13 Dyothelitism ............................................................................................ 13 Reformed Christology ............................................................................. 14 Models of the Incarnation ........................................................................ 18 Method: A Dogmatic Approach ........................................................................19 2. THE CHALLENGES OF CONTEMPORARY MONOTHELITISM .................23 Introduction .......................................................................................................23 Contemporary Monothelitism: Three Overlapping Categories .........................24 Abstractist Christologies .......................................................................... 24 Kenotic Christologies .............................................................................. 39 Spirit Christologies .................................................................................. 46 iv Chapter Page The Challenges Contemporary Monothelitism Faces .......................................53 The Historical Challenge ......................................................................... 53 The Biblical Challenge ............................................................................ 57 The Theological Challenge ...................................................................... 60 3. RETRIEVING DYOTHELITISM I: THE PATRISTIC AND MEDIEVAL CONSENSUS .......................................................................................................62 Introduction .......................................................................................................62 The Question of Christ’s Will(s) .......................................................................64 before Constantinople III ..................................................................................64 Early Monothelitisms/Monoenergisms .................................................... 64 Dyothelite Precursors ............................................................................... 76 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 91 The Monothelite Controversy and the Sixth Ecumenical Council ...................92 From the Monoenergist Debate to the Monothelite Controversy ............ 93 The Contribution of Maximus the Confessor .......................................... 96 Constantinople III and Its Aftermath ..................................................... 105 Medieval Dyothelitism ....................................................................................107 John of Damascus .................................................................................. 107 Thomas Aquinas .................................................................................... 109 Conclusion ......................................................................................................111 4. RETRIEVING DYOTHELITISM II: REFORMED DYOTHELITISM ...........113 Introduction .....................................................................................................113 The Mediatorial Christ: John Calvin’s Dyothelite Christology ......................114 Calvin’s Christology .............................................................................. 114 Calvin’s Explicit Dyothelitism .............................................................. 122 Calvin’s Implicit Dyothelitism .............................................................. 131 v Chapter Page The Covenantal Christ: John Gill’s Dyothelite Christology ...........................135 Gill’s Christology .................................................................................. 139 Gill’s Dyothelitism ................................................................................ 141 The Traducian Christ: William G. T. Shedd’s Dyothelite Christology ..........148 Shedd’s Realism and Traducianism ....................................................... 149 Shedd’s Christology ............................................................................... 154 Shedd’s Dyothelitsm .............................................................................. 158 The Fallen Christ: T. F. Torrance’s Dyothelite Christology ...........................163 Torrance’s Christology .......................................................................... 165 Torrance’s Dyothelitism ........................................................................ 173 Conclusion ......................................................................................................177 5. CONSTRUCTING A CONTEMPORARY DYOTHELITE CHRISTOLOGY 180 Introduction .....................................................................................................180 Biblical Considerations ...................................................................................181 The Gethsemane Narrative .................................................................... 182 Hebrews 10:7, 9 and John 6:38 .............................................................. 191 Responding to the Biblical Arguments of Monothelitism ..................... 198 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 203 Theological Considerations .............................................................................205 Christology Proper ................................................................................. 205 Trinity .................................................................................................... 212 Soteriology ............................................................................................. 221 Conclusion ......................................................................................................223 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................225 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ICC International Critical Commentary IJST International Journal of Systematic Theology JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary WTJ Westminster Theological Journal vii PREFACE This dissertation could not have been completed without the help and encouragement of many dear friends and family members. First, I would like to thank my esteemed committee, Michael Haykin, Paul Helm, and especially my supervisor, Stephen Wellum. These men are recognized experts in their fields, and I consider it a high honor to have received their input on my first efforts as a scholar. I am also grateful to Oliver Crisp for serving as my external reader. His Christological fingerprints will be detectable in this dissertation by anyone familiar with his work. Any weaknesses in the final product are mine alone and cannot be attributed to any of these scholars. Second, I would like to thank the many friends, fellow students, and colleagues who have borne with me as this thesis was conceived, developed, and has finally been brought full term. I am especially grateful to Matthew Barrett, Oren Martin, Kevin Webb, David Burnette, Lee Tankersley, Toby Jennings, Matt Emerson, and John Gill, who have heard me sort through this topic on countless occasions and have offered many helpful suggestions along the way. I am also thankful to my dear friend, professor, and former church
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