Folia Theologica 11. (2000)
László Vanyó: The Patristic Interpretation of 'Redemptio'
30 L. VANYÓ the natural process. The presence and the connection of the divine Logos in and with the physical reality of man means automatically the healing and the repairing of human nature, without weighing the significance of sin. It is true that Irenaeus did not exaggerate the significance of sin, which had also advantages, similarly as has the strict connection of redemptio and incarnatio because it guaranteed that the basis of the salvation is exclusively the person of the divine Logos made man. However the teaching of the father is more multifold and deeper. At the beginning of Adversus Haereses V. explains: the teaching Christ (Christus Magister) is the Word made man, who has created a communion with us, so that we can see Him, we can grasp His word, we can imitate His deeds, we fulfil His command and by granting the incorruptibility He wanted to form us to His likeness. In the same time Christ is the mighty Word and true man (Verbum potens et homo verus), who rationally (rationabiliter) redemed us by His blood giving Himself as a ransom (redemptionem) for us. For Irenaeus is important that the redemption was realized rationally, i.e. for man reasonably and verifiably. He does not allow any right of Satan to have domination over man after the Fall, on the contrary he sais expressively that Satan unjustly (injuste) dominates mankind because it belongs to God according to its nature (natura essemus Dei omnipotentis), and he (Satan) alienated and apropriated us agains our nature (contra naturam). The Word, who is mighty in all respects, is also perfect in His justice, so He could turn against the enemy, not with force, but with persuasion and kindly, assuming justly all that belongs to Him (sua proprie et benigne assumens). The exposition of the father makes it clear that he regarded incarnation as a condition of redemption but he maintains it expressively that Christ redeemed mankind by his blood. It indicates the justice of redemption, he also turned against the enemy with justice, while redemption for us is the expression of His kindness. We need the community with Him but He does not demand anything from us. His redeeming act inaugurated the history of salvation, emitting the Spirit of the Father so that God and man unite and be in cummunion. Through the Spirit He deposited God by men, while He deposited man by God in heaven. Through His incarnation he granted truly and surely the incorruptibility to man.27 We must emphasize that Irenaeus sets forth the pneumatic as- 27 27 Adversus Haereses V,l.l ff: Non aliter nos discere poteramus quae sunt Dei, nisi magister noster, verbum existens, homo factus fuisset. Neque enim alius poterat enarrare nobis quae sunt Patris, nisi proprium eius verbum... Neque rursus
