Christus Victor (Atonement)
On the cross, Christ wins a cosmic battle against sin, death, and the devil
Christus Victor understands Christ's death and resurrection as a cosmic victory: through them he conquers sin, death, and the devil and liberates humanity from their power. This way of seeing the atonement runs through early Fathers such as Irenaeus. The Latin label 'Christus Victor' itself is a twentieth-century coinage, popularized by Gustaf Aulen, who gave the ancient theme its modern name and renewed attention.
How it traveled
- 1 CorinthiansEphesus · 67explains
- HebrewsRome · 67explains
- ColossiansRome · 67explains
- RevelationPatmos · 100explains
- Against Heresies: Book VLyons · 202explains
- The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. Second Version.— · 220explains
- The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--Christ's Descent into Hell: Latin. First Version.— · 220explains
- The Gospel of Nicodemus; Part II.--The Descent of Christ into Hell: Greek Form.— · 220explains
- Three Fragments from the Homily on the Cross and Passion of Christ.— · 311explains
- The Incarnation of the WordAlexandria · 373explains
- Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene HymnsEdessa · 373explains
- Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the FleshEdessa · 373explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461explains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274explains
- A History of the Work of RedemptionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of SalvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Christ ExaltedNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Against Heresies: Book V · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. He has therefore, in His work of recapitulation, summed up all things, both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us away captives in Adam, and trampled upon h
Tap to expand
Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations · Aphrahat
Demonstration XXII.—Of Death and the Latter Times. 1. The upright and righteous and good and wise fear not nor tremble at death, because of the great hope that is before them. And they at every time
Tap to expand
Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene Hymns · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn LVIII. 1. Lo! Death was prompt beforehand, to mock Satan: him who was doomed to become a mockery at the last.—2. R., Glory to Thee Who by Thy crucifixion, didst conquer the Evil One: and by Thy
Tap to expand
The Incarnation of the Word · Athanasius of Alexandria
§30. The reality of the resurrection proved by facts: (1) the victory over death described above: (2) the Wonders of Grace are the work of One Living, of One who is God: (3) if the gods be (as alleged
Tap to expand
The Wisdom of God Displayed in the Way of Salvation · Jonathan Edwards
Some wonderful circumstances of the overthrow of Satan. The wisdom of God greatly and remarkably appears in so exceedingly baffling and confounding all the subtlety of the old serpent. Power never ap
Tap to expand
Three Fragments from the Homily on the Cross and Passion of Christ. · Methodius
Three Fragments from the Homily on the Cross and Passion of Christ. ———————————— I. Methodius, Bishop, to those who say: What doth it profit us that the Son of God was crucified upon earth, and mad
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
And yet it was principally by means of those sufferings that he conquered and overthrew his enemies. Christ never so effectually bruised Satan’s head, as when Satan bruised his heel. The weapon with w
Tap to expand
Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene Hymns · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn LVII. 1. Listen, my brethren, to Death, mocking the Evil One: that caused the head of our race to sin, and its mother.—2. R., To Thee be glory that by Thy humiliation, Satan is subdued: and that
Tap to expand
Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the d
Tap to expand
Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh · Ephrem the Syrian
R., Blessed be He Whom Creation has loved! 27. The frankincense worshipped Thy Birth, which had served demons.—It sorrowed then in its vapour: it exulted when it saw its Lord.—Instead of being the in
Tap to expand
The Incarnation of the Word · Athanasius of Alexandria
§24. Further objections anticipated. He did not choose His manner of death; for He was to prove Conqueror of death in all or any of its forms: (simile of a good wrestler). The death chosen to disgrace
Tap to expand
The Incarnation of the Word · Athanasius of Alexandria
§29. Here then are wonderful effects, and a sufficient cause, the Cross, to account for them, as sunrise accounts for daylight. Now if by the sign of the Cross, and by faith in Christ, death is tramp
Tap to expand
A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
It is probable, therefore, that Adam and Eve were the first fruits of Christ’s redemption; it is probable by God’s manner of treating them, by his comforting them as he did, after their awakenings and
Tap to expand
A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
The great changes and troubles that have sometimes been in the visible church of Christ, (Rev. xii. 2. ) are compared to the church’s being in travail to bring forth Christ: so these great troubles an
Tap to expand
A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 51.—Why the Devil is Said to Hold the Power and Dominion of Death. Hence the Lord Himself willed to die, “in order that,” as it is written of Him, “through death He might destroy him that had
Tap to expand
Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
11. In this sense, Peter says that God raised up Christ, “having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible he should be holden of it,” (Acts 2:24). He does not mention death simply, but s
Tap to expand
Christ Exalted · Jonathan Edwards
The subject improved and applied. 1. In this we may see how the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ appears in the work of redemption. It was because the Father had from eternity a design of exceedingly g
Tap to expand
having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Tap to expand
Ephraim Syrus: Fifteen Hymns For the Feast of the Epiphany · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn XIII. Hymn of the Baptized. (Resp.—Brethren, sing praises, to the Son of the Lord of all; Who has bound for you crowns, such as kings long for!) 1. Your garments glisten, my brethren, as snow;
Tap to expand
Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene Hymns · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn LIX. 1. Lo! Death for us on Satan, inflicts vengeance: come let us hear his shame and rejoice, for he rejoiced in our shame.—2. R., To Thee be glory from Thy flock, from Thee: are subdued both D
Tap to expand