GRACE & CHRISTOLOGY IN EARLY CHURCH OECS:NCS PAPER

by Donald Fairbairn

How did the early Church understand the relation between grace, salvation, and the person of Christ? Donald Fairbairn's persuasive study shows that, despite intense theological controversy, there was in fact a very strong consensus in the fifth century about what salvation was and who Christ needed to be in order to save people. This consensus can serve as a standard by which to judge the varied pictures of Christ which coexist in the contemporary Church.

Genres: Theology

Paperback

First published March 6, 2003

Reviews

[Gregory Wassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well argued book. It shows very clearly that the early Church's Christology had features often identified as "Cyrillian" or Alexandrian. Theodore, Diodore, and Nestorius' Christology was idiosyncratic and not characteristic for "Antioch." It also shows that St. John Cassian's Christology is very much in accordance with standard orthodoxy. The issue at hand is "christological grace." Does God Himself share our life and let us share in His in Jesus Christ or does grace rather imply that God helps us on our way to a higher state of life. Iow is salvation history a three part story (creation -> fall -> union with God) or a two part story (creation -> achieving perfect humanity) the latter option being characteristic of Theodore, Diodore, and Nestorius which is what underlies their respective christologies. Cassian believes that there was a creation, a fall, and that the Incarnation is salvific because God Himself offers Himself to us and not simply assistance to achieve perfection.