The Expression Son of Man and the Development of Christology (Copenhagen International Seminar)

'Son of Man' is practically the only self-designation employed by Jesus himself in the gospels, but is used in such a way that no hint is left of any particular theological significance. During the first centuries of the church the expression was interpreted as signifying Christs human nature. Later 'Son of Man' was thought to be a christological title in its own right. Contemporary scholarship inclines to treat the term - in the context of the original Aramaic of an historical Jesus as a simple rhetorical device referring to the one speaking. The Expression 'Son of Man' and the Development of Christology is the first study of the 'Son of Man' trope, tracing the history of interpretation from the Apostolic Fathers to the present, and revealing how changing interpretations reflect changing doctrinal assumptions.