ABSTRACT
A necessary move in Peter’s theological macrostructure is how he seems to keep the story of Genesis always in the back of his mind. Bishop Peter here wants his people to see that the reason the Incarnation of God is not an unreasonable or even degrading move on God’s part is because humanity is made in God’s own image in the first place. Peter realizes that God’s mingling his own nature with our humanity is an act of divine humility, and so our preacher is very careful to present this moment reverently. He piously selects how and where to describe this, employing nearly a dozen carefully chosen terms to describe Mary’s womb. From this womb a newborn King appears and Bishop Peter relishes in describing how this Messiah must share in all developmental stages of human living. Peter also draws from the more explicit language of Platonic participation.
