RECAPITULATION THEORY OT THE ATONEMENT

As a man caused the fall, so a man must cause the restoration. He must be a man able to sum up (recapitulare) all the human species in Himself, so as to bear the punishment of all, and to render an obedience that will compensate for their innumerable acts of disobedience. Jaroslav Pelikan in the Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) writes: Irenaeuss doctrine of recapitulation can be read as the most profound theological vindication in the second and third centuries of the universal Christian ideal of the imitation of Christ. For Irenaeus, the imitation of Christ by the Christian was part of Gods cosmic plan for salvation which began with Christs imitation of Adam. The Logos assimilated himself to man and man t0 himself in his life and passion. After his incarnation he passed through every stage of human growth, hallowing each and redeeming each by being made for them an example of piety, righteousness and submission. The disobedience of the first Adam was undone through the complete obedience of the second Adam, so that many should be justified and attain salvation ( p.145) For Irenaeus then, the Atonement was not an exchange that occurred only at the cross. It began with the Easter of the Incarnation in Christs condescension to take on human flesh in order to redeem it. However, it was indeed the obedience of his passion, which on the tree of the cross undid the damage done by the tree of disobedience. According to Pelikan, the early fathers wrote strikingly little on the meaning of the death of Christ. However, what has been preserved through the liturgies of the early church reveals how they understood what happened on Calvary. From a very early date, the concept of Christs death as a sacrifice was clearly connected to and articulated in the Eucharistic liturgies. It seems clear that the early Christians emphasized the resurrection of Christ as the significant moment of salvation. So great was that emphasis

in the soteriology of many church fathers that the definition of salvation through Christs victory over mans enemies has been called the classic theory of the atonement. To be sure there are other ways to talk about the atonement but CHRIST AS VICTOR was more important in orthodox expositions of salvation and reconciliation than has been realized in the West. In this theory, Christ was the champion of mankind, doing battle with Adams conqueror and vanquishing him.