Man and the Incarnation: A Study in the Biblical Theology of Irenaeus

by Gustaf Wingren

Wingren claims that in a theologian like Irenaeus there are parts of the Biblical message which are interpreted in greater clarity and power than in any later period of Christian thought. As such, this book deserves the sympathetic attention of theologians both Catholic and Protestant. To summarize it is nearly impossible in view of the richness and fullness of the discussion. We may say, however, that for Irenaeus God made man for growth, yet man was defeated by that Satan whom God also created. The Son of God served to recapitulate and reverse Adam's fall and to restore humanity's lost God-given potentiality for growth. In the Church, through word and sacrament, Christ's benefits are made available to all. In the final consummation, when man becomes like God he is in actual fact becoming man. God and man are not fundamentally in opposition to one another. The only thing to add about Wingren's book is that it must be read. There are very few studies of classical Christian theology which come close to it in clarity, completeness, or convincing power.

Genres: Theology

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best theology book I’ve read so far this year. Wingren’s take on Irenaeus is classic and lucid. His treatment centering on the image of God is helpful and makes the various sections of the book easy to remember. He neatly ties together Adam, hrist, and the church, showing how Christ is both foreshadowed and presupposed by Creation, and how Christ’s recapitulation and new creation both renews and expands those united to him.

The book is divided into three roughly equal sections as elucidated above. The first section on man demonstrates Irenaeus’s theological anthropology, in that since Christ is the image of the Invisible God and man was created in the image of God, man was created in and through Christ, with Christ as the archetype for man’s life. Wingren summarizes Irenaeus’s view of the fall and human sin, by which the image of God is corrupted and man is enslaved to the devil. The second section concerns itself with Christ, in particular how logos Christology and an early Trinitarianism shapes Irenaeus’s doctrine of recapitulation. The final section shows how Christ’s recapitulation and renewal of the Adamic image creates the reality of the church. This is surprisingly similar to later federal theology. Reformed would do well to integrate Irenaeus’s insights into their own theology (as many have already done.) Not an easy read, but not prone to word salad either.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant introduction to and overview of the theology of Irenaeus. I read this for an upcoming essay on Irenaeus for my Early Church Fathers UST module and it was an extremely helpful starting point for that.

I also found it extremely insightful, stirring and as a result devotional.

[Joshua Rodning McIntyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give it 5 stars, but Wingren says that Athanasius and Methodius of Olympus held to a Hellenistic understanding of deification. But a wonderful introduction to the thought of Irenaeus of Lyon.

[Tyson Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this one to any student of theology. It's basic enough for undergrad students, and though it is specific to Irenaeus' thought, it is pertinent across the board.