En segrande Christus victor? Auléns analys av ett försoningsmotiv i backspegeln

Abstract

Among Gustav Aulén's (1879-1977) numerous publications Christus victor (1931) is justly famous. The au-thor distinguishes three motifs in the history of Christian soteriology: Christ seen as a conqueror of the Devil and death ("the classical motif"), the Latin or legalistic motif and the subjective motif. The classical motif dominates in the ancient Church, especially among the Greek Fathers, but Aulén´s picture is very one-sided. Christ's redemptive work is viewed in a much more variated way in the ancient Church, and a certain mono-physist tendency can be seen in Aulen's christology. The three motifs can hardly be used as tools for dividing the history of Christian theology into periods. The important idea of theosis is neglected. But Christus Victor is still an important book reminding of a neglected aspect of the redemption when it was written.