[* Condensed and modernized from “St. Athanasius on the Incarnation,” translated and edited by a religious of C.S.M.V. (St. Vladimir’s, 1944). Used with permission.]

What was God to do in face of the dehumanizing of humankind, this universal hiding of the knowledge of himself by the wiles of evil spirits? What else could he possibly do but renew his image in humankind, so that through it people might once more come to know him? And how could this be done save by the coming of the very image himself, our Savior Jesus Christ? Human beings could not have done it, for they are only made after the image; nor could angels have done it, for they are not the images of God. The Word of God came in his own person, because it was he alone, the image of the Father, who could recreate human beings made after the image.

...

The solidarity of humankind is such that, by virtue of the Word’s indwelling in a single human body, the corruption that goes with death has lost its power over all. You know how it ...

FREE E-Newsletter Sign up for the ChristianHistory.net e-mail newsletter. Discover more about your Christian heritage with this weekly e-newsletter that features key people, topics, and events from the history of Christianity.      RSS Feed   RSS Help