The Masculinity of Christ according to Zinzendorf: Evidence and Interpretation

Abstract

This article explores the question of evidence and interpretation in relation to Zinzendorf’s view of Christ’s masculinity. The point of departure is the debate about Fogelman’s thesis that eighteenth-century Moravians believed in a female Jesus. This debate has made clear that the Moravian view of Jesus included female aspects, which are especially linked to the notion of maternal tenderness and the symbolism of the side-wound as birth organ. Generally, however, Zinzendorf’s view of Christ is marked by a strong emphasis on masculinity, associated with Jesus’ male body and his role as heavenly bridegroom. A close reading of the sources suggests that Zinzendorf possessed a comprehensive and coherent theological understanding of Christ’s masculinity that can be described as paradigm of masculinity. For this reason, the interpretation of Zinzendorf’s Christology in terms of androgyny is problematic. The presence of female attributes in Moravian Christology express the pastoral intent to show that the redemptive power of Christ transcends the lines of gender.