Monday, September 03, 2007

The Formula of Reunion (433)


We confess, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man composed of a rational soul and a body, begotten before the ages from the Father in respect of His divinity, but likewise in these last days for us and our salvation from the Virgin Mary in respect of His manhood, consubstantial with the Father in respect of His divinity and at the same time consubstantial with us in respect of His manhood. For the union (henosis) of two natures has been accomplished. Hence we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. In virtue of this conception of a union without confusion we confess the holy Virgin as Theotokos because the divine Word became flesh and was made man and from the very conception united to Himself the temple taken from her. As for the evangelical and apostolic statements about the Lord, we recognize that theologians employ some indifferently in view of the unity of person (hos eph henos prosopon) but distinguish others in view of the duality of natures (hos epi duo phuseon), applying the God-befitting ones to Christ's divinity and the humble ones to His humanity.

2 comments:

MRam said...

Amen!

Arimathean said...

Fr.Dan,

I am writing a paper on the Formula of Reunion. I am trying to track down as many English translations of it as I can find. So far I'm up to seven! Yours does not quite match anything I have. Is it your own translation? If not, what is your source?