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

László Vanyó: The Patristic interpretation of 'Redemptio'

In God's plan of salvation the mission of Christ is fixed to a certain time, definitive, yet, it is a superterres trial expression, the love of the irate God to man. This love is always efficient and is not dimished, and it brings us, through the crucifixion and death of Christ, reconciliation and sonship.65 The work of redemption must be worthy both of God and of man. God forgives and forgets sin only if man repents and atones it, and after this God abolishes for the future together with the sin also the death. Thus reparation and reconciliation is based on righteousness, because only by this way can man be involved in the history of salvation. Man is ravished by salvation to such an extent, insofar man has accepted salvation and redemption. In the process of redemption humanity is present in his head, Jesus Christ, even it participates actively in the redemption, thus redemption is not an event outside of man.66

The redeeming sacrifice of Christ is the peak of the cultic and moral actvity of mankind, a single, unique sacrifice and merit. The death of Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice and a worship, obtained the salvation for His brothers, when the Father returned the perfect delivering of Himself of the Son with hearing. The crucufixion is a summary of all the sacrifices offered by man to God up till now, thereafter all sacrifices, that of the Church too, can be only the representation of this sacrifice.67 Redemtion is not merely a gift or grace, because the obedience of the Son was the satisfaction, His blood the ransom by means of which He freed, liberated, obtained and merited the justification.68

The type of Christus-Victor-redemptio involves the risk that the satisfaction, necessary to the reconciliation, may be dissolved in its elements: “factio" remains the duty of man, and “satis" will be assigned to God. For St.Augustine Christ fights His battle as a man

De spir et litt. 6. De nat et gr XIII,24 De gr Chr et pecc. or. 1,8-9 2,24-29 PL 44; 205, 258, 364, 399

65 Enchr. 10,33 PL 40; 248-49

66 Sermo CLXIX, 11,13: "Esse potest iustitia Dei sine voluntate tua, sed in te esse non potest praeter voluntatem tuam. ... Qui ergo fecit te sine te, non te iustificat sine te. Ergo fecit nescientem, iustificat volentem. .. Erit opus Dei, non solum quia homo es, sed etiam quia iustum es. Melius est enim iustum esse, quam te hominem esse. Si hominem te fecit Deus, et iustum tu te facis, melius aliquid quam quod fecit Deus." (PL 38;923)

67 Enchr. 10,13 13,41 PL 40; 248-49 and 253-,

68 De Trin XIII, 14,18 - 15,19

48