Christ in East and West

Paul Fries and Tiran Nersoyan, Editors
Introduction by Jeffrey Gros, F.S.C.
(Mercer University Press, 1987)
ISBN 0865542678

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In the course of the two millennia since Jesus lived and taught in the world, his followers have become divided from one another. The purpose of Christ in East and West is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the centrality of Jesus Christ in the quest for Christian unity (ecumenism), and to assist Christians who confess his true humanity and true divinity to understand and transcend controversies that have kept their churches separated for over 1,500 years. The very center of the Christian mystery is the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. While the New Testament witness to the humanity and divinity of Christ as understood by the apostles is very rich, the verbal expression of this revealed reality has been the focus of controversy and theological reflection through the centuries. Christ is the center of Christian unity for those who confess Jesus as the foundation of their faith and who see the message embodied in the community he left behind - the church.

An underlying assumption of this book is that as divided Christians come closer to Jesus Christ in spirituality, mission, and theology, they come closer to being that Body of Christ they are called to be. Understanding the person and nature of Christ is intimately connected to the understanding the church and its mission in the world.