The Lordship of Jesus Christ in the New Testament

This book is the first time that the 1963 Phd thesis by Albert Nolan OP from the Angelicum in Rome has been published. It deals with a title given to Christ that is problematic for many today. It is a title that is used many times in the New Testament and in the liturgy. When Albert initiated this research, he did so for academic purposes and to further his personal theological knowledge (faith seeking understanding) and spiritual growth. The term 'lord' is still very operative in the liturgy and prayer today. The lordship of Christ is a divine function, a saving function and it was given to Jesus by God. The divine functions are functions of ruling, saving, giving life and sending the Holy Spirit. The term lord is purposeful and meaningful divine service for the benefit of all God's People, the entire Church and for all of Creation, not to be equated with male-controlled interpretations and connotations of our current times. The clarification of the concept 'lord' for Jesus has undergone further clarifications since 1963, but the thesis now in book form, makes it clear that Albert was in search of theological clarification and understanding and he succeeded in his undertaking . . . Albert's findings make it clear that the title is not patriarchal, or sexist and neither exclusive. He underlines that the title 'lord' for Jesus Christ is a function and not a gender concern. The Lordship of Christ is a divine function, a saving function and it was given to Jesus by God. The divine functions are functions of ruling, saving, giving life and sending the Holy Spirit. it was given to Jesus to Jesus by God. The divine functions are functions of ruling, saving, giving life and sending the Holy Spirit.' From the Introduction by Jennifer Slater.



Albert Nolan OP (2 September 1934-17 October 2022) was a South African Catholic priest, theologian, writer and member of the Dominican Order. He is well known for his book, Jesus Before Christianity, first published in 1976. Over the yers it has sold over 150,000 copies and was translated into over 10 different languages. Nolan published his second major book, God in South Africa, in 1988. At one stage during the writing process he 'went underground' to hide from the South African Security Forces during State of Emergency. In 2006 published his Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom. In 1990 Albert Nolan received an honorary doctorate from Regis College, Toronto, Canada while in 2003 the South African government awarded him the Order of Luthuli in silver, in recognition of 'his life-long dedication to the struggle for democracy, human rights and justice and for challenging the the religious dogma including the theological justification for apartheid'. In 1983, he was elected Master of the Order of Preachers. He however declined the office which would have meant transferring to his order's Rome headquarters, preferring to remain in South Africa during this decade of intense political and social transition. During this period he worked for the Institute for Contextual Theology, and was involved in the circle of pastors and theologians who started the process that led to the Kairos Document in 1985. In November 2008, the Master of the Dominican Order, Fr Carlos Azpiroz Costa promoted Nolan to a Master of Sacred Theology in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to theological research and debate. He died in his sleep at Marian House in Johannesburg, in the early hours of 17 October 2022.