Notion of "Symbol" in Christianity last part
In this last part, we will bring out some sort of conclusion in the light of our examination:
Symbolism is a must in a Christian worship, because in it, thanks to freedom of persons which give the symbol its meaning, created and uncreated, God and created world are able to coincide. The theological justification for use of symols can be found in Christ himself, because He is the one Who bridged the ontological gulf between two realities. Therefore, bread and wine and everything that is on the Holy Eucharist represents a symbol. In the light of this understanding of the symbol, debate about transsubstantiation is objectless, because symbol doesn't require its nature, it's essence to be changed. Bread and wine remain bread and wine by nature, but in the free community of Church, it becomes Body and Blood of Christ, in the light of understanding Liturgy as a icon, symbol of Kingdom of God. This difference is a product of different ontology of the thinkers (statical or dynamical), but we should talk about that another time.
Christian symbol is at the same time completely identificated with the truth and completely unrelated to it. By it's essence, symbol remains completely outside of the truth. However, by its free hypostatization in person(s), it becomes completely identificated with the truth. For example, a statue of Christ remains to be rock, clay or whatever material it is made of by it's essence. But, because it is hypostatiated by Christ himself in the Church, it represents Christ, as if He Himself is present. Only in Church depicted as a community of Body of Christ, who is ontologicaly identified with Christ, we can develop this kind of understanding of symbol.
Christian symbol differ from magic because it is not dealing with the nature itself, it is actually a symbol, which meats it's actualization only if a person freely accepts it. Baptism means nothing to someone who doesn't believe in it. This may seem a bit too loosely build up system, but that it is only because we lost in our minds the importance of our relation with God. In this relation our freedom is essential in accepting everything, even the gift of our eternal life. God doesn't just walk over our freedom will like it is not important. On the contrary, our freedom makes all the difference, it is the image of God in us. On this line of understanding we can find the answer to the problem of theodicy, which we shall discuss in another text.
To put it concisely: lex credendi means nothing without lex orandi. Only the rediscovery of iconic ontology can save the christianity from both the paganism and magic on one side, and rationalism on the other. That way Christian symbol will avoid falling either into the the Scylla of magic or Charybdis of rationalism.
