medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Do you know when this was phrase became a part of the Latin Mass? I
> ask
> because it seems imbued with the Atonement theology which Anselm
> brought to
> centre stage in the 11th century and which has really held the field
> in
> soteriology ever since in the West. Atonement theology is unknown in
> Eastern
> Christendom and it arouses negative reactions among the Orthodox when
> they
> encounter it.
Atonement (1)
Fr Ambrose, you raise some interesting questions, but I wonder if you
have used "le mot juste" when you talk of Atonement. The Atonement is
an important doctrine for Christians of both east and west, for the
Orthodox just as much as for the Catholics or Protestants. But there
have been several different ideas about how exactly the Atonement was
effected, and I agree with you that Anselm's particular model of the
Atonement has never found much favour in the east.
But it may be that we are talking in terms not understood by some of
our non-specialist list-members, so with your permission I would like
to spend a little time explaining the matter. I believe I did so once
before on this list, but that was a long time ago. Those with long
memories must forgive me if I repeat myself.
Those who study the early councils of the Church - Nicaea, Chalcedon
and so forth - find that those councils defined very precisely the
nature of Christ: that he is truly God and truly Man, of one substance
(homoousios) with the Father, possessing a reasonable soul and body.
And so it goes on. This aspect of theology is known as Christology. But
these councils do not have much to say about the work of Christ to
bring about our salvation, that branch of theology which we call
Soteriology. In particular they do not have much to say about how the
death of Christ effects our salvation. We commonly talk about the
'saving death' of Christ: but how does it save us? These early councils
do not shed much light on the matter.
John Macquarrie, in "Principles of Christian Theology" points out that:
"The Church has never formulated a doctrine of the atonement with the
same precision with which it has tried to define the person of Christ.
Instead, we find several explanatory models that have developed side by
side. Even in the new Testament, a considerable variety of ways of
understanding the atoning work of Christ is to be found. Sometimes
these have been developed into rival theories, and the history of
theology has not been without instances of bitter debate over the
'correct' doctrine."
These debates for the most part took place in the Middle Ages, not in
the patristic period, and we happy band of brothers and sisters who
take an interest in medieval religion are well placed to study a
considerable body of fascinating literatre discussing the working of
the Atonement.
It should be said too that the Church - certainly the Catholic Church,
probably most other Churches - believes that we are saved, not only by
Christ's death, but by his incarnation, his earthly ministry, his
teaching, his passion and death, his resurrection and ascension, his
sending of the Holy Spirit, his eternal intercession with the Father.
In other words, by his whole "life's work." A soteriology which
concerns itself solely with the death of Christ will be an unbalanced
soteriology. But in the west, we have tended to concentrate on the
saving death of Christ, more so than in the east.
Three "models" of the atonement, to use Macquarrie's word, have been
particularly influential, and they may be summed up in the words
"Ransom" "Satisfaction" and "Example." All three can find support in
the New Testament. Tomorrow I shall mention some of these New Testament
texts; but I think this posting is quite long enough for one day.
Bill.
=====
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