Communion with the Divine Logos according to Irenaeus’ Adversus haereses

Abstract

In Adversus haereses, Irenaeus of Lyon, the most significant apologist of the second century, explains the meaning of holy communion with the divine Logos. Firstly, he characterizes the mystical union with the Logos as participation of the human person in the divine Spirit. Secondly, he explains how the Incarnate Logos leads to the unity of the human being with God. Meanwhile, he warns that some people separate themselves from community with the Logos through their disobedience.  Thirdly, he writes about eternal life in the divine Logos as the mortal body is absorbed by immortality. Based on the apostolic and evangelical writings, he confirms that human beings are shaped in the likeness of the Word of God and become similar to the Logos through their cooperation with divine grace. Irenaeus offers a beautiful image of grafting the wild olive into a good olive as the best depiction of community with the Logos. In sum, the Christian apologist explains full participation in the Logos and shows how human nature can be fully restored to its original state.