Unit rationale, description and aim
Understanding the significance of Jesus Christ remains central to Christian faith and practice, particularly for those engaged in education, ministry and pastoral leadership. In contemporary contexts, this requires both a sound grounding in Scripture and tradition, and the ability to interpret these sources in ways that are meaningful and relevant to today’s communities.
This unit provides students with the historical and theological foundations necessary for such engagement. It begins by exploring current scholarship on the first-century context in which Jesus lived and ministered. It then examines how the early disciples interpreted their experiences of Jesus, leading to the development of the New Testament witness to his life, mission, death and resurrection. Building on this, the unit investigates the emergence of key Christological confessions and creeds in the early Church, before introducing selected contemporary theological interpretations.
The unit is designed to support students’ development from foundational knowledge to critical analysis and contextual application, preparing them for further study and for applying Christological insights in professional or personal settings.
The aim of this unit is to consider the significance of Jesus Christ for Christian faith.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain key Christological ideas and debates
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse a variety of historical and contemporary a...
Learning Outcome 02
Evaluate theological sources for a critical unders...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- Jesus in the context of Jewish theologies;
- The centrality of eschatology in his mission and ministry;
- The significance of the incarnation, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to Christian faith
- An introduction to the Christologies of the New Testament;
- The major Christological debates and early Church councils and creeds;
- The significance of the Christian affirmation of Jesus Christ as Saviour
- Some contemporary approaches to the person and work of Jesus Christ, e.g., in liberation theologies, feminist theologies, black theologies, ecological theologies; mystical theologies.
- Some contemporary issues in Christology, e.g., the relation of universal and particular in Christ; the importance of context and history in interpreting Christ; the application of Christology to contemporary societal challenges.
Assessment strategy and rationale
To successfully complete this unit, students must submit all assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%.
All teaching, learning activities and readings are designed to develop students’ ability to interpret Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ. The three assessment tasks progressively build this capability and are aligned with the unit learning outcomes.
The first assessment requires students to analyse Christology in a New Testament text or the early Church, presented as a short research paper engaging with scholarly literature (LO1).
In subsequent weeks, students further develop their research and interpretive skills, focusing on the development of early Christian doctrines, including debates surrounding the Council of Chalcedon and the relationship between Christ’s divinity and humanity. These skills are assessed in the second task (LO2 and LO3).
The final assessment builds on earlier work, enabling students to engage with a contemporary approach to Christology—such as feminist, liberation or ecological perspectives—and apply these insights to their own contexts (LO1–3).
Overview of assessments
Short written or oral task on one Christology.
Short written or oral task on one Christology.
20%
Essay on the issues surrounding the Council of Ch...
Essay on the issues surrounding the Council of Chalcedon regarding the divinity and humanity of Christ
40%
Critical analysis task on a historical and/or con...
Critical analysis task on a historical and/or contemporary approach to Christology (e.g., interactive oral, written exam)
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Interpreting the person and work of Jesus Christ requires engagement with Scripture, tradition and the contemporary context in which Christians live. These texts require interpretation through historical knowledge and critical interpretive skills. For contemporary Christians—particularly teachers, ministers and pastoral workers—Scripture and tradition remain central to both spiritual practice and professional responsibilities.
THCT501 is designed to develop students’ capacity to read, interpret, teach and communicate the significance of Jesus Christ in these contexts.
The unit involves 150 hours of focused learning (approximately 10 hours per week over 15 weeks) and is delivered using a range of modes. Teaching is guided by the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model, combining direct instruction with scaffolded learning to support student development.
Learning activities include online lectures, tutorials and workshops delivered via video conferencing, alongside asynchronous collaborative tasks such as forums, reflective journals, wikis and blogs. Additional time is devoted to independent reading, research and assessment preparation.
The GRR approach supports the gradual development of student autonomy, enabling learners to apply knowledge and skills effectively in their personal and professional contexts.