Erdő Péter (szerk.): Bűn és isteni irgalom mint a mai ember problémája - Studia Theologica Budapestinensia 30. (2002)

László Vanyó: The Patristic interpretation of 'Redemptio'

The apologists emphasized in the Gospels the figure of Christus Magister (Christos Didaskalos), in the centre of their interest were his teaching and the expulsions of demons, although Justinus mainly depends on the sacramental practice of the Church and on the formulas of creed. In such cases he always mentions the crucified and risen Christ. The words of the Logos imply a divine force, they have a liberating power. The activity of the demons was traced back by the apologists to the event in Gen 6,1-4. thus they set the activity of evil forces in the frames of the history of salvation. The struggle of Christ with the demons was presented by them as a struggle against a greater and greater depravation.21 The living picture of Christ is Is21 Justinus, 1 Ap. V-VI (Ed. E., J.Goodspeed, Göttingen, 1914, p.29): 4. où yap póuou "EAArjai ôlcc Ï.GJKpàTouç biro Aóyou TjAtyxQr] vavva, ocAAcc kccl eu pappâpOLç un' aùcoû rob Aóyou papcpcuOéuTOç Kai àuOpconov yeuopéuou kccl 'Ipaoû XpLOTOû KApdéuTOç, ô neLoOéuveç Tjpeïç rouç tccvtcc (0. 203 ß) npàÇauTaç ôaipouaç où pôuou pi) ôpOo'vç eïuca cpapëu, ccAAa kcckovç kccl àuooiouç ôaipouaç, oi oùô'e tolç àpevi)u ïïoOoûolu àuOpconoLÇ ràç npàÇeLÇ bpoiocç ë/ouoLU. 6. 1 'Eudeuôe kccl adeoL K€KAi)pe6a: kccl opoAoyoûpeu vécu toloùtcûu uopLÇopéucuu Oeûu ciOeoL eluca, 'ccAA’ oùx'l tou àAr\9eovàxou kccl nccvpbç ÔLKaLOoùuriç kccl ouxppooùwqç kccl vœu aAAcou àpercûu àueïïLpÎKVOu ve KaKÏaç Oeoû: 2. 'aAA' eKeluou ve kccl tou ïïccp' ccbvov ulou cAQÓutcc Kal ÔLÔaÇauTa vp&ç tccvtcc, kccl tou tÔ)u aAAœu ënopéucou kccl ëiopoLovpéuœu àyaOœu àyyéAAcou OTpccTou, iruevpcc Te to npocppT licou oeßopeOa kccl npooKVUovpeu, Aoyco iccc'l àAr\0eia tlpcûutcç, kccl ttccutl ßovAopeuu) pccQeiu, ôç eŐLŐáxOripeu, àcpOôucoç nccpaÔLÔÔuTeç.

Athenagoras, Suppl 25,3 (Ed. Transi. W.R.Schoedel, Oxford, 1972, p.63): 3. 'aAA' én el al àno TaùuauTÎou nueùpaToç ôaLpouLKal klut)oclç kccl ëuepyeLaL tccç ùtcÎktouç TavTaç ënLcpopaç napéxouoLÙ pôp kccl touç àuOnconouç ccAAou aAAcuç, ical KaO' ëua kccl KaTCc ëdurj, pepLKÛç kccl koluûç, Kara tou tt)ç üArjç Aóyou Kal Tfjç npoç Ta Gela oupnaOeiaç, ëuôoOeu kccl ëÇcoOeu KLUoûoai, ôlù toûto tlucç, of u ôôÇaL où pLKpaí, 'euôpLoau où TaÇeL tlu'l to nàu toûto ouueoTauaL, 'aAA' àAôyœ TÙxri aueOaL Kal cpépeoOaL, oÙk eïôôuTeç otl tûu peu nepl tï}u toû nauToç KÔopou ovoTaoLU oùôëu ccTaicTou oùô'e ’anijpeAijpéuou, 'aAA' ëicaoTOu aÙTœu yeyouoç Aoyco, ôl'o oùô'e TTiu ùpLopéur\u en' aÙTÔlç napaßaiuovoL tccE,lu, 4. 'o ô'e ccuOpconoç KaTcc peu tou nenoLrjKOTa Kal aÙT'oç eÙTaKTCùç e%eL kccl ríj Kara tiju yéueoLu cpvoeL ëua Kal kolu'ou èneÇovor) Aóyou KaL ríj Kara tt)u nAaoLu ÔLaOëoeL où napaßaLUobop tou en’ aÙTij uôpou Kal tcô toû ßiou tcAcl loco ical koluco péuouTL, KaTcc ôë tou 'Lôlou èavTÛ Aóyou Kal tt)u toû ënéxouToç apxouTOç ical tgju napaicoAovOovuTcou ôaLpôucôu euépyeLau aAAoç aAAcuç cpépc-TaL Kal KLuelTaL, kolu'ou nàuTeç tou eu aÙTolç ëxouTeç AoyLopôu.

3. But since the demonic impulses and activities of the hostile spirit bnng these wild attacks - indeed we see them move men from within and from ivithout, one man one way and another man another, some individually and some as nations, one at a time and all together, because of our kmship 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

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