Folia Theologica 11. (2000)
László Vanyó: The Patristic Interpretation of 'Redemptio'
THE PATRISTIC INTERPRETATION OF ‘REDEMPTIO’ 27 mons was presented by them as a struggle against a greater and greater depravation.21 The living picture of Christ is Israel, in whose name 21 Justinus, 1 Ap. V-VI (Ed. E., J.Goodspeed, Göttingen, 1914, p.29): 4. ou yap povov EAApoi 8m XcoKpaxouç urco Aoyou pAeyxOp tama, aAAa Kat ev ßapßapoic un auxou tou Aoyou pap<j>tü0£vxoç Kat avOpcoTtou yevopevou Kat Ipoou Xpiaxou KApOevxoç, cû TOioBevieç ppaç xouç rama (<j>. 203 ß) Tipaçavxaç Saipovaç ou povov up opGouç eivat oapev, aAAa kokouç Kai avoaiouç ôaipovaç, oi ouôe xoiç apexpv xoôouaiv avOpconou; xaç xpaçeiç opoiaç eyouoiv. 6. 1 EvOev 5e Kai aOeoi KeKAppeOa: Kat opoAoyoupev xcov xotouxcov vopiÇopevcov Oecov aOeoi eivat, a A. À ouyi xou aXpGeaxaxou Kai xaxpoç ôiraioauvpç Kai acoppoauvpç Kai tcûv a. A A to v apexcov avempiK- xou xe raraxç Oeou: 2. aAA eKetvov xe Kat xou rnxp auxou utov eAGovxa Kai SiSaiçavxa upaçxauxa, Kat xov xcov aAAtov erapevcov Kat eçopoioupacov ayaOtov ayyeAAoov axpaxov, Ttveupa xe xo npoôpxiKOv oeßopeOa Kai npooKuvoupev, Aoyco Kai aApOeia Tipcovxeç, Kai rcavxi ßouAopevco paOEiv, coç eôiôaxOppev, a<|)9ovcoç 7tapa5i5ovxeç. Athenagoras, Suppl 25,3 (Ed. Transi. W.R.Schoedel, Oxford, 1972, p.63): 3. aAA ertei ai ano xauvavxiou txveupaxoç SaipovtKca. Kivpaeiç Kai evepyeiai xaç axaKxouç xauxaç enupopaç rapexoucnv, p5p Kai xouç av07UO7touç aA- Aov aAAcoç, Kai Ka0 eva Kai Kaxa eOvp, pepiKtoç Kai Koivtoç, Kaxa xov xpç uApç Aoyov Kai Tpç jrpoç xa Oeia aupxaeeiaç, evôoOev Kai e^coOev ki- vouaai, ôia xouxo xweç, eov Soçai ou piKpai, evopioav ou xaçei xivi xo nav xouxoouveoxavai, aAA aAoyco xu/p aveOai Kai PepeaOa.i, ouk eiSovxeç oxi xcov pev népi xpv xou navxoç raapou auaxaaiv ouSev axaKxov ouSe a Tippe Appevov, aAA eKaaxov auxcov yeyovoç Aoyco, 5io ouSe xpv copiapevpv eit auxoïç 7iapaßaivouoi xaiçiv, 4. o 5e avOpcoraç Kaxa pev xov rceTtoipraxa Kai auxoç euxaKxcoç exei Kai xp Kaxa xpv yeveaiv <])uoei eva Kai koivov etc eçouap Aoyov rai xp Kaxa xpv xAaaiv SiaOeaei ou Ttapaßaivouap xov en auxp vopov rai tco xou ßiou xeAei ioco Kai koivco pevovxi, Kaxa 5e xov i5iov eauxco Aoyov Kai xpv xou e7texovxoç apxovxoç Kai xcov naparaA- OU0OUVXCOV Saipovcov evepyeiav aAAoç aAAcoç pepexai Kai Kiveixai, koivov Tiavxeç xov ev auxoïç exovxeç Aoyiapov. 3. But since the demonic impulses and activities of the hostile spirit bung these wild attacks - indeed we see them move men from within and from without, one man one way and another man another, some individually and some as nations, one at a time and all together, because of our kinship with matter and our affinity with the divine - in light of this, some men, whose reputations are not small, have thought that our universe did not arise in an orderly fashion but is the random product of irrational chance. They do not recognize that none of the things of which the whole world is composed is disordered and neglected. Each of them is the product of reason, and that is why they do not go beyond their appointed order. 4. Even man himself is a well-ordered creature to the extent that is depends on the One who made him: his nature in its origin has one common reason, his bodily form does not go beyond the law set for it, and the end of life remains common to all alike. But to the extent that it depends on the reason peculiar to each individual and the activity of the ruling prince and his attendant demons, one man is swept along one way, another man another way, even though all have the same rationality within.
