(urth) christ, already

[Matthew Weber]

The Incarnation can be seen in a number of different ways.  According to St
Gregory Nazianzen, the entrance of an incarnate God into his fallen creation
has a ripple effect which gradually re-sanctifies the world--an idea later
appropriated by contemporary Catholic theologian Karl Rahner.  As St Clement
of Alexandria writes : “The Word of God became man, that you may learn from
man how man may become God."  Eastern Christians refer to this as theosis.

In Western Christianity, it is seen as necessary in order for God to be able
to suffer and die (God by nature being impassible and immortal) in order to
pay the price for humanity's sins.  The Epistle to the Hebrews compares the
sacrifice of Jesus (God incarnate) to the sacrifices of the Temple, and
poses the question that if God is willing to accept mere birds and bullocks
as sacrifices for this or that sin, how much more could the sacrifice of God
Himself be worth to blot out the sins of all humanity?



On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 4:22 PM, Craig Brewer <cnbrewer at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Just curious, then: if the Logos was eternal, why did it have to enter
> history in the form of an actual living man?
>
> (Not arguing...honestly curious. And sorry to get away from Wolfe.
> Theological discussions on this list sometimes seem to get contentious.)
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Matthew Weber <palaeologos at gmail.com>
>
> *To:* The Urth Mailing List <urth at lists.urth.net>
> *Sent:* Wed, December 15, 2010 6:18:46 PM
>
> *Subject:* Re: (urth) christ, already
>
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 4:13 PM, Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>wrote:
>>
>>
>> Is it correct in Catholic theology to say that the Second Person or Logos
>> has existed eternally but didn't become Jesus Christ till he incarnated?
>>
>>
>
> That is precisely the case.
>
> --
> Matt +
>
> The seaman's story is of tempest, the plowman's of his team of bulls; the
> soldier tells his wounds, the shepherd his tale of sheep.
>     Sextus Propertius (54 B.C.-A.D. 2), Elegies, II, i, 43
>
>
>
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-- 
Matt +

The seaman's story is of tempest, the plowman's of his team of bulls; the
soldier tells his wounds, the shepherd his tale of sheep.
    Sextus Propertius (54 B.C.-A.D. 2), Elegies, II, i, 43
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