Eastern Catholic (Byzantine Rite)
Roman Catholic
Affirms

Word is God; eternal Logos affirmed in Catholic tradition

The Maronite Catholic Church, as part of the Roman Catholic communion, affirms the traditional reading of John 1:1 that identifies the Logos with God (theos). The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) and subsequent Catholic magisterium teach that Christ is 'true God from true God' (Nicene Creed). The Maronite theological tradition, rooted in the Syriac fathers and in union with Rome, receives this doctrine as part of the universal Catholic faith.

In Maronite liturgy and catechesis, John 1:1 is understood as asserting the full deity and eternal nature of the Word made flesh. The incarnation presupposes the eternal divinity of the Word; the Maronite tradition emphasizes both Christ's full divinity and full humanity as the foundation of Christian redemption and mystical union.

Key Distinctions

Logos divinity:
Word's divinity is eternal and coequal with Father
Incarnation:
emphasizes the mystery of God becoming human
Creation role:

Scripture References

Sources

  • Fourth Lateran Council (1215)
  • Nicene Creed
  • Maronite Liturgical Tradition
  • Catholic Catechism, sections 465-469