Rahner’s understanding of the Incarnate Logos in the context of the theology of Thomas Aquinas

Pojam “simbola” zauzima veoma važnu ulogu u filozofskim i teološkim promišljanjima Karla Rahnera. Premda se u teologiji kao znanosti ne ističe u velikoj mjeri značenje simbola, činjenica je da se teško može razumjeti njezina poruka ako simbolizam nije barem implicitno u njezinoj upotrebi. To se na poseban način odnosi na nauku o Trojstvu i na kristologiju. Teologija o Logosu je u najeminentnijem smislu teologija simbola u pravom smislu te riječi. Logos je Očeva “riječ”, njegova savršena “slika”, odraz njegove bîti, njegova izričajnost. U tome smislu, Logos je Očev “simbol”, istobitan s njime te istovremeno različit od stvarnosti koju simbolizira. U njemu se simbolizirana Očeva egzistencija samoposjeduje “ad intra” i izriče “ad extra”. Stoga se teološka simbolička dimenzija savršeno može primijeniti i na kristologiju. Utjelovljeni Logos je apsolutni Božji simbol u svijetu u kojem je intenzivno nazočna ona stvarnost koju simbolizira. On je istodobno prisutnost i objava onoga što je Bog u sebi i izričaj onoga što Bog želi biti u svijetu, i to bezgranično i neopozivo. To je na poseban način izraženo u “teologiji utjelovljenja”. Zahvaljujući ovom povijesnom događaju, Kristovo čovještvo se ne može poimati kao “časnička odora”, ili kao maska ili puki znak kojim se Bog služi da bi tek nešto naznačio od onoga što u sebi sadrži njegova utjelovljena Riječ. Nasuprot tome, upravo u Kristovu čovještvu Logos izražava što se nikako nije moglo izraziti na tako savršen način, tj. svoju istobitnost s Ocem na razini biti i različnost s njime na razini naravi, s jedne strane, i, s druge, istobitnost s čovjekom na razini naravi i različnost od njega na razini biti. Osim toga, utjelovljeni Logos ostvaruje ono spasenje koje je Otac od vijeka želio podariti čovjeku tako što ga čini sudionikom svojega trojstvenog života.The notion of “symbol” plays an important role in Karl Rahner’s philosophical and theological thought. Although theology as a science does not considerably point up the meaning of symbol, the fact is that it is difficult to understand its message unless symbolism is at least implicitly in its use. This particularly refers to the doctrine of the Trinity and Christology. The theology of the Logos is in the most eminent sense the theology of the symbol in the true sense of the word. The Logos is the Father’s “word”, his perfect “image”, the reflection of his essence, his expression. In that sense, the Logos is the Father’s “symbol”, consubstantial with him, and at the same time different from the reality that it symbolizes. In it the Father’s symbolized existence is self-possessed “ad intra” and expressed “ad extra”. Therefore the theological symbolic dimension can be perfectly applied to Christology. The Incarnate Logos is the absolute God’s symbol in the world in which the reality that it symbolizes is intensively present. It is at the same time the presence and revelation of what God is in itself and the expression of what God wants to be in the world, and to be infinitely and irrevocably. It is in a special way expressed in the “theology of the Incarnation”. Thanks to this historical event, Christ’s humanness cannot be seen as an “officer uniform”, or as a mask, or merely a sign that God uses to mark out only a little of what his Incarnate Word contains. Contrary to this, just in Christ’s humanness Logos expresses what was impossible to express in such a perfect way, i.e. that it is the same substance as the Father at the level of essence yet different from him at the level of nature, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is the same substance as Man at the level of nature yet different from him at the level of essence. In addition, the Incarnate Logos realizes the salvation that Father has always wanted to give the man so as to make him a participant in his Trinitarian life