ATHANASIUS ON THE INCARNATION
The narrative of the rise of Christianity is
a pretty remarkable one. Since the establishment of the Roman Empire in the
40s, Christianity was a persecuted apocalyptic religious order. In the first
centuries after the death of Christ, Christians were tortured, beaten,
prosecuted and punished often with death. [i]However
emperor Galerius in 311 ordered the end of persecution of Christians.[ii]
Christianity grew numerically under persecution. When emperor Constantine
declared Christianity to be the official religion of Rome, the church’s
relationship to the social, economical and political world changed
dramatically. [iii]Christianity
became the dominant powerful institution that was protected by Rome. Alister E.
McGrath in his book Historical Theology
asserts that, “ Christianity was now a legal religion; It was, however, merely
one among many such religions. The conversion of the emperor Constantine
changed this irreversibly, and brought about a complete change in the situation
of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.”[iv]
(20)
This ushered in a new era for Christianity’s
theological discourse. Theological debates, which were once done in secret,
were now done publicly throughout the empire.[v] Doctrinal
debates were no longer of theological importance alone but also of political
significance. The unity of the political empire now heavily depended on the
unity of doctrine. Constantine no longer had the luxury to afford doctrinal
schisms and divisions in the church. Hence in the Roman Empire heresy was
considered a crime punishable by death. It was in light of this historic
backdrop that the patristic fathers developed creeds in order to defend and
articulate their faith.
The fourth century saw the birth of a lot of
doctrinal controversies, which included, the Arian controversy, the
Christological controversy, the Trinitarian controversy and the Gnostic threat.
The Christological controversy had two main issues first had to do with the
divinity of Jesus and the other about the humanity of Jesus. The Christological
controversy arose from the interpretation of John’s gospel. The logos is an
important term in philosophy, rhetoric and religion. It comes from the Greek
word lego which means “I say”.It is usually translated as “word”, “speech”,
“account” and “reason”. The sophist used the term to mean discourse, and
Aristotle applied the term to mean “the argument” in the field of rhetoric. The
Stoic philosophers identified the term with the divine. Justin Martyr infused
Christianity with Greek Philosophy.[vi]
He argued that hints of Christian truth were littered all over pagan
philosophical writings.[vii]
Around A.D 200 Clement of Alexandria taught that the logos gave the law to the
Jews just as the logos gave philosophy to the Greeks. However according Justin
the final revelation of the logos was found in Christ.
The council of Nicaea (325) convened to settle
the Christological arguments within the Roman Empire. They agreed that the Word
(logos) is not a mere creature but is God, equal to God the Father. Athanasius
and the Nicene Creed insisted that the “Word of God” or “Son of God” (logos)
incarnate in Jesus is “of the same substance” (homoousion) with God the Father.
They wanted to affirm that the Word of God is not a creature but fully divine.
This meant that the fully divine Word (logos) was a creator and redeemer of
mankind. Since only God can redeem mankind. The Word’s identity as God had
secured his position as savior. Paul Capetz in his book God, A brief History says “ For Athanasius, the fully divinity of
the Word secured the identity of the creator and the redeemer: ‘the renewal of
creation has been wrought by the self-made Word who made it in the beginning’
”.[viii]
(48) Jesus is God incarnate and since God and God alone can destroy the power
of sin. Jesus had to be God to be able to save mankind. Since only the creator
can redeem the creation Jesus must be in the same substance with God meaning
that he is creator or co-creator with God.
The Nicea creed emphasized that the logos is
divine and not be creature. They agreed that the Word of God was not created
but rather “the Son is eternally begotten, not made.” This statement meant to
reveal that the Son is not a creature.[ix]
The Son and the Father are both creators in unity. This statement also denies
Arius claims that “there was a time when he was not.” This meant that if “the
son is eternally begotten and not made” there was never a time he was not. The
logos is eternal just as the father is eternal. The logos has no beginning just
like the father has no beginning. The difference is that creatures have a
beginning. Athanasius taught that all creatures were created from nothing and
when Adam fell due to sin, he opened the door for death or falling back into
nothingness. The Incarnation of the logos has meant to restore the Image of God
(Imago Dei) back to mankind. In order to
perform the work of redemption the Word cannot be a creature, made out of
nothing but must be immortal or eternal. Hence the logos was made of the same
substance (homoousion) with God.[x]
After the doctrine of Christology was settled
at Nicea, questions about the relationship of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit emerged. Hence the doctrine of Pneumatology emerged. Therefore the
doctrine of Christology gave birth to the doctrine of Pneumatology.
[i] Alister E. McGrath, Historical
Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, 2nd ed.
(Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 20.
[ii]
Ibid.
[iii]
Ibid.
[v]
Ibid, 21.
[vi]
Ibid, 24.
[vii]
Ibid.
[ix]
Ibid,47.
[x] Alister E. McGrath, Historical
Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, 2nd ed.
(Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013), 30.
Bibliography
1. Capetz, Paul
E. God, A Brief History. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2003.
2. Mcgrath,
Alister E. Historical Theology. Second. Chichester, West Sussex:
Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
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