"If Adam Had Not Sinned": Discussing the Reason for the Incarnation with Justus Hunter, Ph.D. (Ep. 16)

"WHY DID THE INCARNATION OCCUR?" If you were to ask many a Christian this question you'd get the answer: because of sin. To redeem us from our sin. 

But what if sin had not been committed? Would we have Jesus? Many would say with St. Augustine: "If man had not sinned, the Son of Man would not have come." 

What if, though, contrary to the just mentioned answer, there is an alternative, more persuasive account? Such that we could say, God intended the Incarnation not first as a response to sin, but first to will the glory of the Incarnate Word, as a way of becoming most intimately united to His creation, in turn glorifying this creation, and that in light of this we might say: "yes," If Adam had not sinned the Son would have become Incarnate.

Guiding us through all of this today, especially as regards the thought of John Duns Scotus, but also Thomas Aquinas and quite a few others, is Justus Hunter, Assistant Professor of Church History at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH. He is the author of a recently released book that is the focus of today's episode, that volume being  If Adam Had Not Sinned: The Reason for the Incarnation from Anselm to Scotus.

1. If Adam Had Not Sinned: The Reason for the Incarnation from Anselm to Scotus by Justus H. Hunter
2. Justus H. Hunter at United Theological Seminary
3. Justus on Twitter
4. A Primer on the Absolute Primacy of Christ by Fr. Maximilian Mary Dean, F.I.

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