The Spirit and the Imago Dei: Reviewing the Anthropology of Irenaeus of Lyons ...,

Evangelical Quarterly: An International Review of Bible and Theology

Volumn 68, Issue 2, 1996, Pages 99-120

  Purves, James G M ^a  

^a Bristo Baptist Church   (United Kingdom)

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EID: 60950616875     PISSN: 00143367     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1163/27725472-06802002     Document Type: Article

References (44)

1. 1 C1h·in l'xplicitly n:jl'l'ls this in l11stitutc 1. lf'iA
2. -́' I11stitult' I. Fi.:)
3. 'J. T. i\lcNeill (Ed.), Calvin: l11stitutl's of' the Christia11 Rel('{io11 (Philadelphia, 19:i·lJ, 1 .
4. 'J. T. i\lcNeill (Ed.), Calvin: l11stitutl's of' the Christia11 Rel('{io11 (Philadelphia, 19:i·lJ, 1 .
5. • Characteristically demonstrated in Louis Bl'rkhot's S,vste111atic Theolog11, whl're onl' of six major sections is given over to 'The doctrine of the Person and Work of Christ', followed by another on 'The doctrine of the application of the work of redemption', wherein the doctrine of the Spirit is dealt with in terms of his action in applying the benefits of Christ on our behalf. There is no section or part of the work which focuses upon the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.
6. The positive value of this approach is evidenced in works such as]. I. Packer, Knowing God (London, 1973).
7. "A good. modern introduction tu the works of Irenaeus is to be found in D. Minns, lrcw1c11s (London,
8. 7 ] . A. Robinson, St. frenaeus: the Apostolic Preaching (New York, 1920), 66-67.
9. 11 This
10. ''J. D. C. Dunn, the Spirit', ExpositOI)' Tirnes 84, 1972-3, 11.
11. 1" Alo_1·s c;rillmeier comments that it is this salvitic focus that shapes Irenaeus' Christology (Christ i11 C/1ristiw1 Tmditio11 Vol. 1 (Oxford, 1975), 98-104).
12. 1 Culhnann applauded lrenaeus for making 'the only attempt in the whole history of do('tri11e to build a Christologv on the concept of " 'Man" '. 0. Cullmann, Tlze of the New Testammt (London, 19G:3), 189.
13. Against Her·esies 4.38.1 (The Ante-Nicene Father·s (= ANCL) Vol. I (Grand Rapids, 1977), 521).
14. u Against Heresies 5.1G.2 (ANCL I, 544).
15. 14 Against Heresies 3.16.6 (ANCL I, 442).
16. "' Nielsen succinctly condenses his understanding of Irenaeus on this as follows: 'Adam was crcated after the image of God, but the image was not shown. For the Word was invisible, after whose image man was created. That was why man so easily losl the likeness. But when the Word had become flesh, two things happened: the Word showed the true image, by itself becoming that which the image was, and the Word secured the likeness for once and all, by making man entirely like to the invisible Father bv means of the visible Word.' Q. T. Nielsen, . Adam and Cl11"i.st i11 tlzc Theolng)' oj Irenaeus ofLyons (Assen, 1968), 22).
17. 11• Against lfe1·1•sies 2.22.4 (ANCL I, 391).
18. J. A. Robinson, St.lre11ae11s: The IJemonstration of the Apostolic P1·eachi11g (London, 1920), 73-4.
19. Ill ANCL I, 535.
20. !hid.
21. w Against Heresies 5.8.1 (ANCL I, 533).
22. D. Cairns, The Image ofGod in Man (London, 1953), 78-9.
23. 22 Against Heresies 4.4.3
24. 2:i D. Cairns, op. cit., 79.
25. c;. \\'ingn·n. Afo11 llWi till' l11caniutio11 (Edinburgh, 1959), 23-24.
26. -'Aglli11st l!tTcsu•s 5.10.1 (ANCI, I, 5:3(i).
27. work to do, is the restoration of man to the process of realising his potential, the potential which God decrees to be realised in his Son Jesus Christ. This is brought about by the agency of both the Son and the Spirit by means of their becomingness from the Father towards man. Consequently, the work of salvation for man can be viewed as a progressive development and transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit for all who are being grafted into union with Christ through faith. The Word of God in Christ is he who would embrace all mankind, in his work of recapitulation; but the executor and means of this centripetal and transforming action of God in man is the Holy Spirit, dra\\ring man more fully into deeper participation with the Son of God incarnate, Jesus Christ.
28. zr;j. Lawson, The Biblical Theologv ofSt. frenaeus (London, 1948), 119.
29. B. Studer, Trinity and Incantation (Edinburgh, 1993), 62.
30. :.lll A fuller discussion oflrenaeus' perception of the Spirit and how it contrasts to that ofJustin is found inj. A. Robinson, St. frenaeus: the Apostolic Preaching, 24-BB.
31. ć.JF. L. Crnss remarks that Agni11st l!cresies appears untidy and unsystematic (The E11d1• <:l1ristiu11 Fatl11Ts (London 19GO), 111-12).
32. "'Agoinst l/cn·su·s :).1() (ANCI, I, 440-44).
33. 1 Against l/crcsit·s ;).17.1 (ANCJ, I, 444).
34. ; i Against Ilcn·si<'.<; 5.1.:{ (ANCI, I, 527).
35. 14 Ay;ni11st llcrcsies 4.preL.4 (ANCL I, 4G3).
36. ,-, Agni11sl llcrcsics .:m.:) (ANCI, I, 521- 22).
37. "; Agaiust Ifrrcsics :t24.1 (ANCL I, 458).
38. ;; Agui11st Ilcn•,<;ics 4.1.1 (ANCJ, I, 4G3).
39. :m Against IIeresies 2.32.4 (ANCL I, 409).
40. :i;i Against Heresies 3.24.1 (ANCL I, 458).
41. .+o The 1'i11c11/w11 rnritatis of Augustinian thought. basis of Irenaeus' construction, a distinctively Christian theology needs to acknowledge the becomingness of both the Son and the Spirit, the Word and the Wisdom of the Father. In this article, we restrict ourselves to mentioning briefly one area ofChristian devotion and practice which has presented, in the eyes ofmany, a challenge to orthodox, evangelical Christianity. We to the growth of the
42. 41 Early lit('rature, such as D. Bennett's Nine O'r:/od,; in till' Momin,!!,· (Eastbourne, 1978), was highly influential. Critical, reflective works include T. A. Smail, The Giving Gift (London, 1988), J. D. G. Dunn, jes11s and the Spirit (London, 1975) andj. Moltmann, The Spirit ofLiji· (London, 1992). More recent popular accounts include j. Wimber, The Dyrwmics of Spirit11al Growth (London, 1990) and D. Roberts, The 'Toronto Rll·ssi11g' (Eastbourne, 1994).
43. G. W. H. Lampe, God as Spirit (Oxford, 1977).