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 Redemptor is the Word of the Father made man, which is important for Ireriaeus bacause, if it were not a man who defeated Satan, the enemy of man, the victory would not have been just. But if the redemption were not given by God, it would not be ours for sure - if man were not attached to God, if he did not participate in the incorruptibility. God had to assume man, and man had to rely on God. Thus the battle of redemption is not a duel between God and Satan, and is not even a result 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

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.“

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