1. Luke Cozens God, Christ, and Salvation 07/02/2015
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Is itintelligible to think that the life and death of one human being can effect the reconciliation of
other human beings to God and to each other?
The central claimof Christianityisthatthroughhislife anddeathJesusChristbroughthis
believers1
the graceful giftof salvation –cashedoutas reconciliationtoGodand eachother.
However,sucha claimseemshardlyintelligible asthe consequencesseemtoouniversaland far-
reachingto be achieved byone single humanbeinginhisparticularity.Here Iwill explore more
closelythe problemsof intelligibilitywhile presentingthe theoriesof Tillich2
andMoltmann3
asto
howthisreconciliationmaybe presentedintelligibly.ForTillich,aswe will readhim, the main
concernis to explainthe role thatJesusChristundertakesinordertoachieve reconciliationwithGod
and the mechanismbywhichhe doesit.Moltmannthenshowshow a reconciliationsoachievedcan
bringabout the psychological reconciliationof humans;reconcilingthemnotonlytothemselvesbut
alsoto each other.
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Our firstsource of informationasto how life anddeathof one humanbeing couldintelligibly
effectthe reconciliationof otherhumanbeingstoGodandto each other,then,isTillich.Tillich
speaksof salvationasa form of healing,bywhichmanisreconciledfromhisestrangementwith
God, othersandhimself.Tillichdescribessuchhealingas the human’s enteringintoaNew Being.
Thus,if it isintelligible forJesus Christtoactas the agentof thishealingitis intelligible forhimto
effectreconciliation.
TillichsuggeststhatJesus Christbeginstoheal the relationshipbetweenGodand
humankindthroughhisactionsasa mediator.He notessimilarrolesplayedbydemi-Godsinother
religions,whichactas a mediumforhumansto reachthe highestlevelsof divinity.However,Tillich
rejectsthisrole asappliedtoJesus Christbecause itsuggeststhe presenceof athirdparty in the
process.Contrastingly,JesusChristispartof humankind,but,more importantly,he isGod.God is
not dependentonanythirdparty mediatortoeffectthe reconciliationof mantoGod. Similarly,the
mediationpicture mustnotbe allowedtosuggestthatGodisin needof reconciliation,Godhasnot
wrongedusnor doesGod require anythingfromusforfulfilment.RatherGod, whoisentirely
complete independentlyof humankind,sendsJesusChristas Godself toact as a mediatorinorder
that man maybe reconciledtoGodand thusbe complete intheirrelationshiptohim.
Havingestablishedandclarifiedthisrole of Jesus,Tillichthenmovesonpresentandcritique
the attemptsof patristictheologianstoexplainthe mechanicsof the workdone byJesusChristinhis
role as mediator. Thisisimportantforour projectas althoughthe explanationof Christ’sroleabove
givessome credence tothe intelligibilityof himeffecting reconciliation,sucharole cannotbe
considered fullyintelligibleunless itcanbe shownthat there isa coherentmechanismbehindthe
realisationof thisrole.
The firsttheologianwhose theoryTillichexplore isOrigen.Origenproposesamechanismby
whichSatan,whoholdssinful humankindtoransom, ispersuadedtorelease hisgriponhumankind
inexchange forChrist.Thus,Christishandedoverto Satan andhumankindisfreedyetthroughthe
1 And maybe others
2 Tillich,Systematic Theology, volume 2, part 3, division 2,section E, “The New Being in Jesus as the Christas
the Power of Salvation,”all further references to Tillich comefrom here.
3 Moltmann, The Crucified God, chapter 7, “Ways towards the Psychological Liberation of Man,” all further
references to Moltmann come from here.

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powerof the resurrection - ChristescapesSatan’sgripof death.Such a mechanismisintelligible,but
hardlyacceptable aspart of a theological system.Itreadsmore like astoryof the ancientGreekgods
whofightamongstthemselveslike humansdo,thanpartof monotheistic Christianity, whichholdsto
the supremacyof God. TillichnotesthisproblemasOrigen’sstorygivingtoomuchpowertoSatan –
Satan doesnotexistindependentlyof the sustainingpowerof Godanddoesnot needhimtobe
tricked4
inorderto carry outhis will.However,Tillichdoesnote the importance here of Christ’srole
as liberatingexorcist,freeinghumansforthe darkpowers.Thiswill be exploredfurtherin
Moltmann’sexplorationof Christ’srole in releasinghumansfromthe darkpowersof psychological
oppression,whichhe identifieswithviciouscirclesof poverty,sinfulnessandneurosis. Still,Origen’s
theory,aspresentedbyTillich,doesnotprovideuswithanintelligiblemechanismforJesusChrist’s
fulfilmentof hisrole asmediatorinordertoeffect reconciliation betweenhumankindwithGodand
each other.
After,Origen,then,Tillichexploresthe theoryprovidedbyAbélard.Abélard’stheory
suggeststhatJesusfulfilshisrole asmediatorby givingmana full impression of the Christ’sself-
sacrificinglove.However,Tillichimmediatelyrejectsthis theory;suchanimpressionisnotsufficient
to remove the anxietyandguiltof humankindandsoto achieve reconciliation.The mechanismfails,
Tillichargues,because itprovideslove alone,whilelove withoutjustice becomesweaknessand
sentimentality5
.
A bettertheory,accordingtoTillich,isgivenbyAnselmwhosuggeststhatthere isatension
withinGodbetween hiswrathagainstthe sinfulnessof humankindandhislove forthem.This
tensionisrelievedonthe crosswhere Christtakesare punishmentandthusGod can exercise his
mercywithoutviolatingjustice.Inthistheory,Christ’ssufferingissubstitutedforthe suffering
humankinddeserves.However,thistheoryseemstobe unintelligible, asjustice isnotmetbyone
person’spunishmentbeingmetedoutontoanother.
Tillichrespondstothisworrybyincorporatingthe thoughtsof Aquinas. Aquinassuggests
that Anselm’stheoryfailsasitignore the subjective sideof atonementbywhichmanacceptsthe gift
offeredtohim.AquinassuggeststhatforAnselm’stheorytobecome intelligible itmustacceptthe
principle of participation - byacceptingChristinfaithbelievers participate inhissufferingwithhim
and as such theyserve theirpunishmentthemselvesandreconciliationisachieved.
Thus,we have what seemsanintelligiblemechanismforJesusChrist’sfulfilmentof the role
of mediator.
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We mustnowturn to Moltmannto betterexplore how thisreconciliationisachievednotonly
betweenGodandhumansbutalso betweenhumansandeachother.Moltmannsetsouttoexplain
the freedomofferedbyreconciliationinChristintermsof psychological therapyandrelease from
neurosis.He exploresthisthemethroughvariousFreudianprinciplesof the neuroticoppressionof
man explaininghowChristbyhisreconciliationhealsmanandreleaseshimintoproperrelationwith
others.
The firstFreudianprinciple isthe law of repression.Thissuggeststhatinorderto deal with
repressedfears,guilt’sandanxieties,peopleoftenbuildupsystemsof obsessionandritual which
4 I will not discussitatlength, but itis worth noting that the idea of God carryingout any sortof “trick” is
unpalatableto most of Christian theology.
5 Weakness and sentimentality areterms taken from Tillich,p 199

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give thema patternof livingandhelpsthemtoachieve control overtheirlives.Moltmannnotesthat
religioncanoftenappeartofitthisdescription,withitsrules,regulationsandritualsbeingusedby
people toachieve control andimpose meaningontheirlives.However,he suggeststhatsuch
religiononlybecomeneurosiswhenthe symbolsandpracticeslose theirparticularsignificances.
Otherwise,theyimparttrue meaningandsatisfaction.Infactitis onlyinGod that such meaningcan
be achieved.Thus,Moltmannargues,Godcan liberate fromneuroticobsession.However,thisdoes
not provide uswithaclear indicationastohow thisappliestoreconciliationthroughChrist.Tosee
howonlythismethodcan properlyfulfil the liberation described above we mustturntothe law of
parricide.
The law of parricide isbasedona Freudianstoryof primal history.Inthisstory, the father
preventshissonsfromhavingtheirmotherandthuscastratesthem, and the sonsthenrespondby
murderingtheirfather.Thisprimal murdercarrieswithitguiltthatcontinuesdownthe generations
and oppressesthe sons.Thisparadigmcanbe seenas a viciouscircle enactedbyeachgenerationas
theyfeel the tensionbetweendesire forthe father’sprotectionandthe wishtoescape hisdespotic
control.FreudsawChristianityaspartof thisparadigmforming a sortof father-cultwhere the father
ismurderedonthe cross. Moltmannhoweversuggeststhatthe betterexample of primal guiltis
providedinthe storyof the fall and that Christinfact subvertsthe fathercultentirely.Insubmitting
himself tosufferinganddeath,Christbreaksthe paradigmof the father-cultshowingGod’strue
nature to be one of love andnot despotism.Bydealingwithguiltonthe crossonce for all,he also
breaksthe viciouscircle of guiltbetweengenerations,thisisnottobe re-enacted–“itis finished”.
Still Moltmannadmitsthatthe Christianreligion(asopposedtofaith) needstoavoidan Oedipus
complex surroundingthe crossandmust make clearits meaning.Thusitbecome intelligiblethat
Christ’slife anddeathcanleadto the reconciliationthatprovidesfreedomfromneurosis,butwe
have still toshowhowthishappensuniquelyinthe Christ andhow thiscompletionof the individual
personcan leadto reconciliationwithothers.
To see the uniquenessof Christ’sofferingwe mustexplorethe FreudianPrinciple of Illusion.
For Freuddreamsoperate undertwoprinciples.The firstisone of wishfulfilmentandisfoundin
childrenandinfantileadults.Thesedreamsoperate underthe pleasure principlebywhichthe
dreamercreatesan illusionorremembersthe pastinanattemptto fulfil wishesthatare notbeing
metin the present.SuchdreamsFreudseesasdangerouslyneurotic.The pleasure principle,Freud
suggests,isreplacedinadultsbythe realityprinciple.This consistsinaresignationtothe factthat
the worldisnot designedtogive people pleasure and,assuch,thatsuch wishesare futile.Thus, itis
ingivingupthese wishesthatpeople reachmaturity.However,Moltmanndisagreesandsuggests
that a betteranalysisof dreamsisgivenbyBlochwhoacknowledgesthatwhile night-dreamsoften
lookto the past to findsatisfactioninreminiscence, daydreams more oftenlooktohopesforthe
future.Suchconnectionwithpastandfuture,Moltmannsuggests,ratherthanmakingpeople
infantile actuallybringsthemgreaterfulfilment.People donotexistinsinglemomentsbutare
spreadout overtime andthustheirdreamsallow themgreaterconnectionswiththeirwhole selves.
However,the illusions we create are still dangerousas,while theyare fictionsbuilttoprotectus,
theyseal usoff from the realityof life andeventuallyleadtoexistence purely inillusion.Such
illusionsbecome sofundamental inpeople’slivesthattheybecome agreatsource of anger when
attachedand leadto estrangementsbetweenthose whoshare differentillusionsasthe mere
existence of someone withadifferentedificechallengesthe illusionsuponwhichthe personbuilds
theirwhole life.Thisisthe estrangementbetweenmenthatChristhopestofix.
Thisprinciple issubvertedinthe sufferingof Christ.ByplacingtheirtrustinChristand

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puttingtheirhope in him, believersreceive the satisfactionandfulfilmentof illusionwithoutthe
correspondingdivorce fromreality.Belief inthe true Christcannotbecome anillusionasitisrooted
too deeplyin sufferingand, assuch, it becomesthe perfectunionof hope andreality.Suchaunionis
shownperfectlythroughthe resurrection,which isrootedwithequal depthinthe starkrealityof
mortalityanddeathand the greathope of eternal life.
Thus,Moltmannshowsthat Christby hislife anddeathreleasesmanfromtheirobsessive
rituals,parracidiccultsandsociallyexcludingillusions.Itisthusintelligiblethathislife anddeathcan
leadto the reconciliationnotonlyof Godto humankind, butalsoof humansto each other.
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The above is byno meansa complete picture of salvationin Christ;however,itdoesprovide
an explanationof howsuch reconciliation maybe intelligible.JesusChristactsasa mediator
betweenGodandman.His sufferingmeetshisownrequirementof justice notbybeingsubstituted
for our own,butby our participationinit,whichallowsustobe reconciledtoGod.Inthis
reconciliation, the realityof JesusChrist’slife anddeathcanprovide uswithasource of true
meaningandsatisfactionallowingustoescape fromobsession.Havingdone sowe are free tosee
the true picture of God presentedonthe cross, whichallowsustoescape the viciouscirclesof
parricide.Thisdone we mayturn to participate inthe hope of Christ,whichgivesusfulfilmentwhile
beingrooteddeeplyinreality. Thus,mancanmature fullywithoutresigninghimself toapathy.These
twoprincipleswhile fragmentaryare sufficienttoshow thatit isintelligible tothinkthatthe life and
deathof one humanbeingcaneffectthe reconciliationof otherhuman beingstoGodand to each
other.