Folia Theologica 11. (2000)

László Vanyó: The Patristic Interpretation of 'Redemptio'

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L. VANYÓ

of a bargaining between God and man. The condition of redemption was the real, yet a virginal birth, its final realisation was the death and resurrection of Christ.29 Its final reason is the good-will (benignitas) of God. That is why the Word became a child like us, while in His relation to God is power, wisdom, goodness. He made for man possible to reach the elevation, after they have received from God the virtue of the increated (virtutem infecti assumens), they attain the everlasting indestructability, but the difference of God and man remains. It is necessary, that God and man turn towards each other while love surmounts the differenc between the natures, but the ontological difference remains.30

Of this redemptio-teaching cannot be asserted that it is either a theopantism or a humanism of Promethean character, on the contrary, its substance is: God likes to shine in man.

As the redemptio is also a manifestatio of the power of God, if might suggest that God reaches over man and ransoms him without entering in a real relation with him. Also for Irenaeus was it very important that the Logos Himself, who is God, fulfilled the redemption, He Himself entered into the empire of corruption and death, He overcame it and not a sort of substitute or mediator did. The Greek Fathers, speaking about redemption, speak about sin rather in connection with death and corruption. They often seem to say that sin is some mysthic factor and is not a human reality.. Thus in what respect means redemptio also the mastering of sin? To tell the truth they interpret redemptio first of all as giving life, pardon, overcoming mortality. However already in the New Testament sin can mean a superhuman power, as well as such a single action which provokes the enmity between God and man and which needs a recontili- ation. All these do not mean the negligation of moral aspects. The question is rather: what is the relation between sin and death, sin and corruption, sin and evil according to the Greek Fathers? It is a matter of fact, emphasizes also Irenaeus, that is a death which separates man from God.31 We have to show the adventage of this idea, too: it protects from the purely moralizing idea of sin. Sin has namely its natural consequences, like corruption and death. The person of the Redeemer could not get in immediate touch with sin, but trough the experience of suffering and death He could get in touch with it.

29 AH V. 21,1-3 “Omnia ergo récapitulons recapitulatus est, et adversus inimicum

nostrum bellum provocans. ”

30 AH IV. 20,7 "Gloria Dei vivens homo: vita autem visio Dei. ”

31 AH V, 27,2