CONTRA FATUM

"The essence of Christianity is, therefore, nothing else than Christ Himself. The founder of the religion is Himself, its sum and substance. He is not merely the historical founder of a religion; His person cannot be separated from the doctrine which he proclaims, but has an eternal, ever-present significance for the human race. As he is the Mediator and Propitiator, the sacred point of unity between God and the sinful world, so He is also continually the Redeemer of the human race. All regenerating, all purifying, all sanctifying influences by which man is freed from his state of bondage to sin, and made to partake of the mystery of the incarnation and atonement, proceed from the person of Christ, through the Spirit going out from Him into His Church." (Martensen, Dogmatics §15)

Jean-Francois Millet: The Good Samaritan It is, of course, a cliché that the world has become so globalized and communities so broken up, that we do not any longer know what our responsibilities are. The world has always been chaotic, ties broken and relationships distorted (at least since shortly after someone ate a fruit they would have better left alone). Knowing that there have always been problems doesn't solve the problems, however. People - philosophers, politicians, pastors, anyone - still seem bewildered (or are they just passing time?) about who exactly we have duties towards. Is my neighbour anyone, my family, nation, refugees, the guy on the street or the African kid in the television-box? When Jesus was once asked "Who is my neighbour?" (Luk 10:29) he gave the parable of the good Samaritan. We are used to reading the conclusion - that it was the Samaritan who was a neighbour for him who was wounded - not so much as an answer to the question "wh

Gregory of Nyssa Contra Fatum ( lat. against fate , death or the speech of the gods ) is the Latin title of the Church father Gregory of Nyssa's (c. 335-394 ) short treatise against fatalism . Gregory defended the doctrine of free will ,  rejecting the belief that human destiny is determined by the celestial movements . Analogously, this blog is intended as a criticism of modern rationalism (s), whether in the form of political, technological, sociological or economical abstractions (modern astrology!), religious or spiritual-metaphysical ideas such as divine predestination and determinism. All lack a sense that human beings are created in the image of God , with freedom, infinite value , and a reason that cannot be reduced to the formulas of rationalism . Christus Victor! On the positive side the blog is a defense of the classical idea of the atonement effected by the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: Rather than

"God had mercy upon His creation, and bestowed upon them a new salvation through His Word, that is, Christ, so that men might learn by experience that they cannot attain to incorruption of themselves, but by God's grace only." (Irenæus, Adv. Hær. V. 21.3)