Dear Colleagues,
I am writing an essay on the development of the historic theology of =
creation, and it will highlight the role of the Word of God in creation. =
In my readings on the topic, the question of whether the Incarnation =
was simply a response to the bondage of sin into which humankind fell, =
or whether it was part of God's overall intentions for humankind from =
the beginning.
Often, in popular theology, one reads or hears that the Incarnation =
was necessitated because of Adam's sin. This was a belief that I =
commonly held. There is an early tradition, however, that the =
Incarnation was not simply a response to sin. Maximus the Confessor (d. =
662) "espoused the idea that Christ was the goal of creation, and that =
the Word would have become incarnate even if there had been no sin." A =
not unsimilar notion appears in the writings of Rupert of Deutz (d. =
1142) in the West. It is the medieval Franciscan theologians, =
especially Bonaventure and Dun Scotus, in whose works this notion =
particularly appears. The Scotian view is summed up by theologian =
Zachary Hayes, OFM: "The cosmos without Christ would somehow be =
incomplete. ...the Word became flesh not because humans had sinned but =
rather because God wished to share the mystery of the divine life and =
love and beauty as fully as possible with a creature. And that is the =
primary meaning of the mystery of Christ. In this sense, then, God's =
aim in creating is so that Christ may come to be. The conclusion, then, =
is that with or without sin, the incarnation is God's initial aim in =
creating, and would have taken place even if sin had never entered the =
picture. But when sin does become a factor, the modality of the =
incarnation changes. Because of sin, we see the actual incarnation =
taking place in the mode of a suffering, crucified and glorified Christ. =
That is, the incarnation takes place in such a way as to overcome the =
humanly constructed obstacles to achieving God's first aim: the sharing =
of divine life and love with creation" (The Gift of Being, p. 105).
My question to you who are knowledgeable in reformed and evangelical =
theology is this: Does a similar notion about the incarnation occur in =
any of the writings of reformers like Luther or Calvin, or in any =
influential reformed/evangelical thinkers, say, from the 17th cent. =
onward (e.g., Edwards, Wesley)? I would be grateful for any references =
to thinkers that also saw the incarnation as predestined primarily for =
divine fellowship with the creation and only secondarily, or not =
originally, for redemption.
Thanks,
Bob Schneider
rjschn39@bellsouth.net
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