Recapitulation? Can RCs accept?

[Maragal]

I’m very drawn to the recapitulation theory regarding our Lord on the Cross…I’m not sure how this fits into RC theology?

Thanks!

 

[Vico]

I’m very drawn to the recapitulation theory regarding our Lord on the Cross…I’m not sure how this fits into RC theology?

Thanks!

Catechism

460 The Word became flesh to make us " partakers of the divine nature ": 78 “For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” 79 “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” 80 “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.” 81

78 2 Pt 1:4.
79 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 19, 1: PG 7/1, 939.
80 St. Athanasius, De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.
81 St. Thomas Aquinas, Opusc . 57, 1-4.

Catechism

IV. "YOU DID NOT ABANDON HIM TO THE POWER OF DEATH"
411 The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the “New Adam” who, because he “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross”, makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience, of Adam. 305 Furthermore many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary, the mother of Christ, the “new Eve”. Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ’s victory over sin: she was preserved from all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her whole earthly life. 306

305 Cf. 1 Cor 15:21-22,45; Phil 2:8; Rom 5:19-20.
306 Cf. Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus : DS 2803; Council of Trent: DS 1573.

 

[Maragal]

So, I think you are showing here that Recapitulation is taught in the Catechism? Can Catholics hold that exclusively…or along with the “moral example” theories…do we also have to believe in penal substitution and satisfaction?

Thanks!

 

[Vico]

So, I think you are showing here that Recapitulation is taught in the Catechism? Can Catholics hold that exclusively…or along with the “moral example” theories…do we also have to believe in penal substitution and satisfaction?

Thanks!

Penal substitution comes from the Reformed not Catholic.

Catechism

616 It is love “to the end” 446 that confers on Christ’s sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. 447 Now “the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.” 448 No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all.

446 Jn 13:1.
447 Cf. Gal 2:20; Eph 5:2, 25.
448 2 Cor 5:14.

 

[knightfall]

518 Christ’s whole life is a mystery of recapitulation. All Jesus did, said and suffered had for its aim restoring fallen man to his original vocation:

• When Christ became incarnate and was made man, he recapitulated in himself the long history of mankind and procured for us a “short cut” to salvation, so that what we had lost in Adam, that is, being in the image and likeness of God, we might recover in Christ Jesus. For this reason Christ experienced all the stages of life, thereby giving communion with God to all men*.

As Catholics, we believe in substitutionary atonement, but definitely not penal substitution. It’s been a while since I’ve read Anselm, but I think some version of “satisfaction” is part of Catholic thought.