ABSTRACT
From what has been highlighted in the previous chapters, Theodore can be characterized as basically a conservative biblical systematician who derived his theological teaching from what he found explicitly stated in the Scriptures. He was principally committed to maintaining the role of Christ’s humanity in salvation against those he feared were overemphasizing Christ’s divinity. He sought to defend what he believed to be the central roles that Christ’s humanity plays in God’s creative and redemptive plan for the cosmos. He focused upon the ways that Christ in the flesh sums up and recapitulates all created beings within his humanity. As such, his humanity clearly serves as the mediating link or bond with God. Also, because of his victory over sin
and death, Christ has become the head of a new, immortal existence and the head of his Body, the church, enabling all those united to him, as do the members of any body to their head, to share in his exact union with the Word of God and become children of God. For, just as a body shares in its soul’s power, achievements, and honors, so too do those who are one with Christ as the “Son of God.” Such an understanding of how Christ’s humanity recapitulates all creation offers profound insights into how Christ qua man can be said to stand forth as the universal mediator and the spokesperson for all creation. The question, however, regarding Theodore’s christology as such is: how exactly does he unite Christ’s humanity to the Word?
