Merry Incarnation

I recently wrote a paper presenting and defending the coherence of the Chalcedonian definition of the Incarnation of Christ – i.e., that he was one person with two natures. I found the whole experience not only thought provoking and challenging – it was devotionally powerful for one specific reason (although there are obviously heaps of inspiration in the fact of the Incarnation): Christ’s assumption of a second human nature teaches us a completely brand new (and expanded) metaphysic – namely, that one person can have two natures! – and to me, this accentuated the comforting effect of God’s presence with us – his presence with me. He isn’t bound by of metaphysical models for substance and individuation. And therefore, he wasn’t (and isn’t) bound from being Emmanuel (God with us).

I don’t think this will be my final foray into the Incarnation as a philosophical-theological project. There’s probably a life’s worth of study and devotion found in this very strange, very stark, very soothing event that we celebrate today.

Here’s the paper. I’ll likely come back to it, as I don’t develop an actual metaphysical theory in it, but only seek to defend the Incarnation from the objection that it is logically incoherent.