37. praed. sanct. 15.30; Teske, The Predestination of the Saints (I/26), 174. (continued)
Ecclesial Reception of the Divine Life 199 sumption, accomplished in order to have and perform the role of Wisdom naturally. (Such was the case only with the Mediator himself, who has been made one with the very Wisdom that assumed him without the interposition of any mediator.) Rather, we are made sons [and daughters] by participation in Wisdom, with faith in the Mediator preparing and paving the way for it.38
Grillmeier sees in the phrase ad habendam naturaliter et agendam personam sapientiae the beginning of Augustine's coming to understand natura as that which is properly held in common with another, and persona as the individuating factor between those of whom the same nature can be predicated. In this passage, nature is the divine wisdom predicated equally of each divine person, while the person referred to is the Son who alone directly (sine interpositione) unites heavenly wisdom with earthly flesh. Subsequently, whereas the very being of the Son is wisdom (naturaliter), those he calls become wise by participation (participatione).
Another way in which Augustine distinguishes between the perfect unity of humanity and divinity in Jesus Christ and the unity Christians receive is here evident in the term "by means of a unique assumption" (singularitate susceptionis). It appears as if Augustine gave this term a special import only with reference to the incarnation. For in scanning his writings, one never encounters a form of susceptio used to describe Christ's taking the church to himself; conversely, it is never found to describe the church (or any of the church's members) as taking on Christ. To Augustine's mind, susceptio
38. Aloys Grillmeier, Christ in Christian Tradition, translated by J. S. Bowden (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1965), 322, quoting ex. Gal. 27: ". . . sed per fidem induendo Christum omnes fiunt filii non natura, sicut unicus filius, qui etiam sapientia dei est, neque praepotentia et singularitate susceptionis ad habendam naturaliter et agendam personam sapientiae sicut ipse mediator unum cum ipsa suscipiente sapientia sine interpositione alicuius mediatoris effectus, sed filii fiunt participatione sapientiae id praeparante atque praestante mediatoris fide."; CSEL 84.92; cf. Eric Plumer, Augustine's Commentary on Galatians (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), 172–73.