It Happened in Hell – Chapter 4
The Christus Victor Model: Understanding Christ’s Triumph
The Christus Victor theory finds its roots in the writings and was the predominant view of the early church for the first thousand years of church history. Christus Victor or the triumphant Christ was supported by nearly every Church Father including Irenaeus, Origen of Alexandria, and Augustine of Hippo, and Athanasius. Unlike theories such as Vicarious Satisfaction theory (emphasizing God’s holiness) and Penal Substitution (Christ’s punishment for sin), Christus Victor emphasizes Christ’s role as the liberator, who conquers the forces of evil that held humanity captive. While sometimes called the “ransom theory,” Christus Victor is the “classic” view of the atonement and views Christ’s death not as a payment to Satan, but as a victory over the powers of Satan that held humanity in bondage.
While the Christus Victor atonement model has been championed and criticized, it was the main belief of the early church for a thousand years, and continues to be a significant perspective in theological discussions of the atonement.
The Christus Victor model is a powerful framework for understanding Christ’s triumph, because it views Christ’s death and resurrection as a conquest over evil, liberating all humanity from sin and death. We’ll see how the Harrowing of Hell fits into this victory and what it means for our redemption.
Understanding the Christus Victor Model
The Christus Victor model, is founded in “victory” theology, and is an early Christian view of atonement. It says Christ’s work was about defeating the devil and his powers, freeing us from sin and death’s grip. This idea was championed by early church fathers like Irenaeus and Athanasius, who saw Christ as a warrior overcoming evil.
Scriptures like Colossians 2:15 (“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”) and 1 John 3:8 (“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”) support this, showing Christ as the victor (Colossians 2:15, 1 John 3:8).
The Harrowing of Hell in Christus Victor
The Harrowing of Hell, where Christ descended into Hell after death to free captive souls, is a key part of this model. It’s not about punishment but about reclaiming what the devil held. Early fathers like Origen wrote that Christ preached to those in Hades, offering redemption, showing His victory extends even there (Origen’s “Commentary on John”).
Implications for Universal Redemption
This model suggests Christ’s victory is for all, supporting the idea that all humanity is redeemed. Scriptures like Romans 5:18 (“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life”) hint at this, though some argue individual faith is needed (Romans 5:18).
Unexpected Detail: Artistic Connection
An interesting aspect is how Byzantine art shows Christ breaking Hell’s gates, visually capturing this victory, connecting to our modern understanding and making the story vivid (Artistic depictions of the Harrowing of Hell).