Origen of Alexandria And St. Maximus the Confessor

d I>
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re ,he Good Ilself

~1"mi"urRo.f aUI
lhis king inl~ in hi.

(If IIe;ng

", jJ1

~""""'.

F<>r lhe Second. heing double. Cf<'lIln hi. 0....." form and fie C()';Ilk'l$ 4' " t il.

Ori..~'1J. lilcw ise. un<J,..-n;t;Inds the

r.", god. the FathcT.

('1I\ity, ''a simple il1l<,Ik.' l1w l exisl..n:e,""

ll'i

we ha..... ,

seer!

ao;

a ..... holly COflI<.mpla1iYe"

above. The secood god. then.

Origcn expres ses lhis idea in Ihe f"lIo" ing pos.«agcs, pre!><."fV<'lJ in Latin and Greek. "ith "'31) ing

dt.'J?A....'S of accumcy;u

Our SaYioIlr is ... !he image of ue

li~l

of \he in."i
" hcol COIt'Ii<.k.'ml in relat ion h' lhe FlI1her him...lf, and the image. "hen """"idem:! in

A """'. .. ge preser.'ed by 51. .Jerome. ,U included in lhe Rufinus ' If''"dINalion:

.. N"""",i"" r.,.,....... 1 ~.~-1 2" 11', IJ;I~ ... in 111< l/idJlr /,/",,,,,;,,.. r , 3MI. s.., 41.., l hl ~ ..•• 1"'1'<'" " l, ,,~ ,>< ond hin;'y, l',.uom< of Pl." ..." Inl1""",,,, on l'.-ly (lIri"i..,i') ." in G. \I ~ . "'L 1M Pltil",,,~"'t ;n Clt,i,,;,,nil" (RO) .r I....;',,'. or l'!Iiloonrhl '.I -e<"lurc Sorioo 2' . 1 9I1'I~ 1'1' 1>-7. • L>r pr'lO(, 1.1.6.• II', Ib..,,,,,,,,",,. " 'I hi, "'(;..><1 1,..lr i.",~ I<> b.: ""nt"'cd " "h 'ho •• ><><1 · n. y...... l lo in. " " prl ' inu 'h .,• • u..1 fiN ....,n,iooN by 1'1.1<> 1/1.". ~1'It> ~ ,\, I'"rrhlry " .11 bIIcr ..plain lin /'.,,," _ l'r.juI> dcmi"'l'ic "'(;'.><1 1,,,,,lr ;. not "'1""1 '0 ,ho< ( ;';"><1 " Ik y,- t Ik inlJ." "", n "prior h' !>oin. " l/>m<>MJiil~ ... l.P. G.._ ... ,~'n>pl"',,nic rltllo",,"'-," Inl.....htc'''''· R""""I<,llndiONJO~"" 1I",",,0llllXJ.l~ p. 201. " ~ !lul'''''','!'!h. On /-1'-" r"" dpl... 1'1'. 19-20: ''''' r"I~"" in~ ,11= quo,,.,;.,,,, ",,,, (rum hi,

tn""I. ,i,... .. J)r pri"", 1.2.1>.

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God the flllhor i:'I lighl inoornprehensible. In <;OITlparisoo with the fBlhcr, Clvisl is I very .."all

brightneu, though to u< by n-on of our weakness he ......,s 10 be I great one."

1h:qJhilus lh:d facilitated his wndemnalion lit the eo....cil of Ale>;andria in 400 AD .:

Ptrhaps Drigen deliberately lIVOided the term mimbh so as not to he charged with

exoessi\o'e PIatonizing.

Nevertheless. his dependence upon

pil£JlIl

philowphy was

escape the implication !hal the Son - whom Origen clear1y ~fer.; 10 as Demi~ - is

coo.'Iidered by Origen an imitator of the f ather in the acl of ll'elllion."

was

lIIl

established PIalooic doI:lrine that a copy is

jess

further, s rce it

real than its ooginal

moxlel'"

"Theophill,5' interpretation ofOrigen's SIale!lJer'tS is not entin:1y ~

"St. krornr, £p. oJ A.i'N.. 2.

.. lIu'......-...th WO'
" The<>phi lus. lp, S, "", (.len...... £p. 92). .. Cpo PIalo, Ti" IT.. Thi. pasoogo ",.. ,'" ..... reo or numerous cosmoq ios tidn 10 ' hl c of N..... n;u. - . indood, Ori~,,". .. Seo, for 0"",,*. 1'\aIn. R~f'It"'ic 1(l~591k. I p"'Slge ch.. "'.. c........"'" of this doctrine """"'1 1'1..""i... ,

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50

nil:

Ihill! - ' I:N principle of the: divine triad is !he

Ik~}

SJljril . " ho "proo,ed,

liuln tho: Son llIld is releted to /l im as Ihe Son is related to the Falhcr...5
c.\ plaining the stilUS of the II00y Spirit, in a pussage pcsevcd in the mginal Gn.'ek.:

Thoe God and Fathe... who holm the universe U>geIher, is ....perior 10 ev"')' being thal

being I=; than the Father. is superior to rational creatures ak_

Falher); the Iloty Spirit i. Slili lcoss.

m

(for he is second to the

dwelh wi"'in the ..inls abne. So \hat in this way

the Son is mo,,' than lI.. t t>r thc: I/oly Spirit, .-.d in tum the flOW"" of the Hol y Spirit

This P"''''''!'-'' "xI""=""I quite ck....ny Oli go,,,", ouhordinalioni.....

o f his day offeml no ready

"",,,e.'.

y et.... J. Dilk",

p<~nls

In his l'1aklrlic-deri ved schema. Origen

"ll'I pre.ernN with a third principle " hich "as pr«isdy not Sou~ but Spirit , and Soul

and Spirit

"= lharply

di~i"l\ui
back \0 SI. I'aul. 1".. hUKi""

in the tnldilion &om .. hich Orig"" s,nng. going

~~m<J

cookl no! be re:sp
,. lrip.~i';" . 1M f )"."lri_ <>f' /w !'"ol i. ,Iw 7""'''I':~''if Noli."wOO Ori,.,• • p. 94 .. h ",,,,,,,,, ,, I" _ ....,, ~ " . lkllt<,,,,,,n h. 0" p,;""ipk•. 1'1'. JJ..}-I." " p. ) 3, nal< 6, ' 1>io (';Ol~~ io "",inN in .Ilt I.•,io ' <1.. i'"' or Ru fl ""., Orill'' ' V.n • Icn,'hia ~. p1"""k", of ' he ....u. of ,he II <>~ )' Spiri' in Co,",,,, C~I, ~", 8,I',

'"in,

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51

Mthe cost of incurring the Platoni$1 ltp"OOCh of splitting up reality like I had butchtr, nol

'" lhe jo;n~"

And he adaped in as rigorouo;ly philosophical a manner as possible. Indeed, while it was quite oommon among Platonists 10 refer 10 the third emanasion from the One or First God as Soul. nooe ",fernd 10 this mlity as Spirit.

Origen wes left with the further problem

that the Gnostics had already used the term spirit (ptleunra) to refer 10 the ontological SIlll.U$

of the "e lect," or those who are saved by nallR.' J He

solved this problem with a

formu1lllon believed (righiI)', in my opinion) by Dillon 10 have echoed down the centmes, finding expnssion in Pmclus, aOO other later NeoplalonislS.'"

Yet the Spn. for Origen. is

not

merely a problem !hal needs 10 be solved in the

COllleXl of his Christian-Platonic schema; the Spirit aIro maintains a moral dimen'iion, II.

~ 10 the

ll'i

exercise of fr=Iom. whith is the most JI'"OCiou'i gift of God 10 lI is

l'lllionality. the lioly Spirit

~

with free

el\isler(s

by virtue of Grace frharis), which

is the dynamic elI~ion ct Ood's Providence (pronoia).

God the FIIlhcr best...... on.1I the gift of uistmce; and • panici"",ion in Orist. in virtue of hi' being the WOfd or

wormy

of

pr1Ii~

fea.'IOrI,

makes them rational. Fmm this it

fol~

thai they....,

or blame, because they are capable alike of virtue and wickedness.

" J. DiI1<Jn. ·'IJ'I'i,en'. Ooctrinc of the Trinit, ODd Son>< IAtor Ncopl.....ic l1>oorics,~ in D J . O·M c.... ed ., "'~_j, e M/";"n TIr<>.K~' (Albony: SUNY ""'" 1'132 ~ " 22. " A. Dillon . 1"" ~nj~ {NmpI"t""/I_ 0"<1 ('1tT/,,;an "",.,hI. p. l(I~ .. IbO:l.• pp. 19-23. 1);1""" bowne<. don no! bel ie "., III. III.. formul. ion ori~in.ed .. itlI ()ri~en_

..",,",

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sa

The fllIionalily graucd by Christ serves to make !lis creanees free. and It.:n:fon: morally

responsibk-

f~ It...~r

"ill ~ly ~

of multiple

"ith God. in the grand


the gcncrnIion llIId

T/I(

Ilul it is t/wuugh the Spiril th
actKn; ill life,

~

of existence described by Origen in

Iv a discuWoo of ...hid! "'" ",ill soon t..... But first " C

primmj ~1 subs~

m~

tenns

explon:

of souls in Origcn's scbcma,

t"'II;" of.';""'.'

Pre~xi.•

calls 'OKik' Ll
MA lth".~ Ori gen speaks of the Iogika as bt.'ing created, they

l'<eJe

cn:-dtro in time. Crealion "ill1 n:'iJW to them means thai they had a beginning. but

,.'mporal '~lC .. 051

Fun'...,..

nol

r'<Jl

a

Origcn explai.... that the number of lho.-se rational beings is

o f G<'
expresses ,his idea:

IlUrnM of irM lIiF"l

bcin~~

a' he could control, f or we muS! maintain that ""en the

" 1.1" 1";',. ". 1.3.1. or. [lui""" ,...... p. , 8 ... 1M !";....·. H .J. 2.\1.1 . " l rif'<>lil;' . I' 9-1

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" power of God is

lin~e.

hill limitaliom.

For if the divine I"""a"

and we mUSl

not,

under the W<:re

I>Ildemand itsrlf, since the infinite is by ilS j .....

a'l

p"'sa:..""

of pra" ing him. lose sigh! of

infinite:, of necessity it could

nalu~

II(](

even

incomprehensible. lie made l~r"",

many ... he: could gnI-'P and k~ in hand and subject 10 his providence. In ,he:

same way he prepared j ust '" much malte<

This

~l

lIS

he cou ld reduce to order."

in my view, expresses Origen' s SIl'lll'8 sense of tunan-divine co-coersnorc

God and rn.n..uly ee linked ill II

~ip

in which God ldlieves Ilis divine sd f·

explore lain the characler of this II'lIIlSCmJence in Origen's philooophy; for now, I

.imply \\ish 10 poinl to h.. sense of Iunart- diviM im ma:y, lDl the risk il ..,p1..... lOr God as creator. as well as for ·world-his.oneal" iIlInanity. '· As for his assenion!hal God is responsible for crealing maner, this is 001 an original Orislian idea (as migl1! easily be

asso.rned in 1igt1 of erea/io ex nihila dogma). I:U is traceable in the PIalooic tradilion oo back 10 Eudorus of Alelwdria and !he ChalJoeon Oracle.I.6l

This

m~

conmnillllUSlll'SS of God and His creacioo is explained by

Origen in the IOIIo1mg rn;rner:

In .. . Wisdom ... wOO cva"

e~;slcd with

the father, the Cmttion was alw~ present in

form and outline. and there was never • lime wllm the prc-figuralion of lho:Ie things which hereafter ",no: to be d id II(]( exist in Wisdom . " F,.me<M 24 (Koet>
""Ii.

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II is prohal>ly in this "ay 11Ial. w far as our weal.J1e'<5 a lk,,,s. "e shall rtIlliMlin a

<:0<:1"",,,1 "ilh

him nor "" 1"': "'..... hand lhal he lurn.:d 10 lhe "nd Of~n.:"l ion 10 00 good

"ht.-n ... ILoId done no'hing good h:f
l!lou """'" all thing•.' is a lrue one.

,,'isdom ha'Il

And certainly if ' a ll Ihings have been made in

a pre-figuratK>n and pn.-formalion, eose Ihings " hieh afl"...."",h

ha~c

received

sub.ll..n ia l e~islencc.'"

Here, lIS elsewhere. OrigL'Il is dL"""> indcblcd to Philo Jud."ICllS. whose COOCL'P! of the l<>g'"

St.'M5

lIS the

~ ...Id

Ii,.. Origen's fonnulalioR; in the

[k

PrirK"ipii.• . Like I'l1ilo.

n im as me miOO or IhooglM of God. nisling in God from all d ...... fty.

Scu-ond. lhe

lhe malenal uni, ........ capable " fbeing conceived apIIfl from God as an tnCl\>C1n,"'1 of II>e

" ill,,,, " flli. idea\.• '

.., I'" 1";"'-. 1 ,4,4-~ .... ll"'kN""h. p, U . r... " ....... i...~;ng r.le 0.. ,..., I"' >blo:m of ,..., """'01;,.. of ....lIer io MKlJi<: Plal,..i< Ih,...glll. ' « H..o. T1>o:."a<'IeII. "'l1Ic Urn,.,;,.. or Ma'l<' in "l on;" i< ( h,.. ,;<;.." io J,Il. T......... M. M*,,;l.. ed.• (;"".<1;01.., aM I",,,,, PI<J"",;, ,,,, 1""_ •. f ·;t<...... " tOJ fo u ( iI 't....' SOciClJ of t\;I>IK:al 1 ;I
.. TripoI~io . p. 6; PII;k,. fH "Pi!""';"",•..ti 4,19

n:

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ss

These

~~

to the logoi

acconIing to Origen. are the pre- exislenl souls, the logita. COI'reSpOllding

spermmitoi of Philo and the Sloics.

Yet unlike the Stoics. Origen did rot hold a medlanislic ,,_

of the logik".

While the Stoics believed !hal the existence of all souls, lIS logvi or tInlghts of 7£\1S. is pre-determincd, regardless of their assent {suntala/hes;s),'" Origen held that the li't:e

decision (or

11Q()

of the soul shapes lIS edserce, opening

~

an historical space in which

the penon (llS self-a:nstitulive reality) becomes possible.

While God intended for this

self-actuaI ir.llion of the soul to take pliu in

with 1Iim. the souls,
COOlm~ion

bore:Iom or weeriress, fell away from God and punued an easier path.61 Yet Origen is

optirnislic

eva!

rrJhe

in the face of

caor;e of

011'"

fall, setting him apart fium the Gnostics he opposed.

the withdnlwal [of sou ls away fi'om God] will lie in III is, thal the

movements uf their minds

~

II(](

rightly and worthily d ireo:;te:d, For the C reator granted

good lI>aI WIl$ in them might become their own. since II was presen
Now UI wilhdraw from the good is nodIing else !han to be imn lCfsed in C'\I;I; for II is .. The no,ioft or •....n' " ,,~nt<J/Qlh ..i. ) is li t"" «tile. of Sonic coonM>Iogital "'h ies. ...«XW Ii"" 1M lir. I<",M hy 1M dei'Y. hi '''''' to , .. ill "'" ohIn!" lire; will simrIY be m~ ~1 1hr lime. Ori~.... howner, ~i<wed lhe "jll i~ or or di.i""l, ~c:d frudom An a "",,1' 10 c:~l .. on ran a...ay from God, io Orig",,·. r_ ulation it ..... Ihr POO;liu asp«:l or generaling a hilltnl;,m TIa<> _KItt and 'M Cla..kal Tr-aJ" i
,...",0<1

"'c:rci'"

,.<»,.

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certain thai 10 t.. (>II<'

e~i1

m.:ans 10 t.. lacking in good. llencl: i1 is lhat in ",hate~ er degree

d.di ....... f.oml"" good. one

arfl"l'~

~

illm ., equal
the Creator of all things ol>IaiflCd certain seeds and Causes of

~...-ie1y

and

divers ity, ill ord..-r thal. lICOOfdillg 10 the dj~enily of mi...... thal ;., of Illlional beinr ...

he mighl rn:lIle a .... ',..ld lhat was . ,..iou. aoo diverse."

In Ihis n:mari<.ahlc pas."3gl', Origm is

affirm~

the ro-opernlive relationsh ip that subsists

lI im, God resp"nds instead h)' creating a ""rid that is as

div~

l 1<:re Origen's admirnblc hl.nnani.m is must evident. threat 10 God. nol because hllnlUlily is greater than

must

di~ine "'11)',

as tile souls lilt fell

Human freedom poses a

God. but mlher because: God, in a

imrwted ahsoIUIe fnxdo:rn to humanity, placing Himself

aI

ri,k, God ;"

L..,.,.,.tially a =t"r - I/w Crealur - ,,110. in Ilis aL1 of cn:ation. <JPC.'fI<.'Il the possibility of

being .lo.:prived of lIis cre;llion - and terce lI is esseoce - in a

m<We

!hal is at once the

ullimale act of love and of divine 1'O" l'f, as realized run;n:lciy in the Il1CaIl1al ion of Christ tl'o: I.ogos. As J. Macquanie e'f'lains. employing lIe~..m

":rrnin"lr~':

.. 1M pr;lOI:. l'U. II . llull"",,""h. .. 'I« ...., 11< prilOl:, 2.l .2.; 11< '''-a,i,,~ l .

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What constitutes Being as God, as holy Being 1h.aI lli~es itsel f and demands oor allegiance. is prteiscly 1h.aI it does not 1131her itself logdher .... ~ immutable: Being but thai ~ goes out into the openness of . world of being!, " wOOd of dlange and muhiplicity and poo., ibility.

We lalk of 'risk' because in this

pl'OCtSS

Being could become split,

fragmented. and tom within itselC"

Sucll is prteisely !he risk of ee Incarnation, as well. As Maximus !he Confessor taugllt.

and as we shall later discuss. !he Incamation would

~

occurred ",hcthcf or not

1unaJily kit no M1 (the MXl5e: of God's crearion being the mlltUal transferen:e of nalurl:S).. '

i lowever, for Origet\ the ' success' of the tncamalion is dependent upon

Ilumanity's

accepCllnce

of

its

"Ood· ITIlI.Mood."

whicll

r=jts

In

lW1

' incorporeal'

exislence.70 Origl:ll left open the l'JU'iSibility of a second filii (and, ilJdl:,ed, of inrtunJer.lb1e:

fillft 1aI1s - Ilis doctrine o f absolute freedom required it);ll whereas, for Maximus, the ~ of !he hlrnan ego by the divine presence precludes llI1)' lirlIer fal ls. n

.. J. Macqo' l ie, P, j""¥H" Df CIt';6tian TMDIoIO" oooond edition (Now Y""': Charla S<:riI>n
Sons

1977 ~

p. 200. .. L. 'ThunbcrJ, Mmr afJd 1M Ca, ,,,,,,." 1M I'i6imr ofS'. Ma.oi",." M C""!t" M, p. 80, '" ~ v.I"'''''' 3.6.1, H, 10. 1 w Orisrpm:al, be do..... nnt ....... thM it i. OOIIl'klel) ..i, houI hod) inc<Jll'O"'O.lil) "';'h .. g. rd 10 ,tic trealed beings <1<""' . _....,. af. n.... eIIIetc. 1ond in. ;'ih!e .... W'C
cr.

lOr bim .. 00

ral"""...

ing '" . he ",,_ a f hi> glorne 0I i n ....... ~ . ... . l.le ......1..i", .rod in ...... 1""·... dqru .. r pafc:ed :!0(1). I"""""". on,.., Iller in Ihi. ....... goes on to explain how God', ""I"""le 10>'., reciproed _ I, will p<e>r.... onother f.1I ('.10.1'; alsD krome, Ep. 124, Il~ 12 Cl&t>fW" Dn 1i_ I,dlf' l .n ; Thunbe
..... ,.,..il>lc

IAlcifer, _

1.1,,"

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58

Tho: only ra;""fI,,1 creall~ "00 esceed the fall and remained ",ith God is the "soul of Cl'risC.;lj i.e~ Itl

l his ir
f'l"VCaI the divine myslc'I'y in unkjue " 3)'S. i"",r... as the lT1C3ning of this myskoy is

deposited within them. as lhcandric poIL"1lliality. 10 be drawn oul and revealed IhrolJgh w. op crsrion with God."

As Origen .:.\ plains, the :
of any of the souls thal fd l ,," ay f,un GOO. fUI" 0"isl' 5 50\11 for com mun ion "illl God

a<;

from all otheTs _ and " 11.11

~

the same poICnl ial

1M of all other souls. What dislif\toMcd the soul of c..1ri
Him

m.n

falling

""'ay _ " as

fiI."C choo,:.:. '0 remain inlll1\.'I1lC\l in the divinity. I Icrc is Origo.." cxplai'!inll

Ilis surn:me act of

~l" ,~,,~'":

It cannot be douhled thalthe ""lure of 10,,;..", ) sool "as the ... mc as thai or " II souls; OlhernL<.e it ooukl ool be ca lled a soul if it were not truly ooe. 1M s i"", the ahilily 10

cOOosc good or "",it is "ithin the immedialc """,h of a ll this """I " hid! "'d ongs 10 O m"

accordance with lhoe immcm ity of its love; .t...

~ It

bl:ing !hal by fonnl'l<e<$ (Of 1"''f'O'''.'.

im""",,;!)' of an« tion and an ;nextinguishahle warm1h of """" all suscflJ'tibility 10 change or a llerlll ion '''IS desl l'O)cd. and whal formerly depcn
in1llJl:flC<'

"r long cu.,,,m changed inl.... nallJll'.

Th... "'e mllSl bel""'e lhal ~ did

n''''

in Ovis!: a human and l31iooal sou l. and yel no! ..1J'lX"lC thai it had -.y .....cepl ihilily l<\

or possibility of

,,,,n

" / -" prilK. 2AS.; lrip:~it;'; . P. % . " / -" pr;..... 2.9.2"" " / '" prill<:. 2,6.5. tr. 11" " ",,,,.><110. Thi, f>a"""t'e "'u:e.r. rio,. "' ..... , II "",I• .., ..,cd. rhci, in'en", k"", ..r Go..! ,.il1 pn:,,,,,,,,, li>< \\ c hr. n , bo ", (lI
".n ...

R,_

~,

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59

So what beame of all the oCher souls

\Om. in varying degJI:es. fen away fium God?

We

have already seen that God fashioned this WOfId in acconiance with the multiplicity amorrg souls. with a v;",w

l(I

leading them Iw:k 10 Himself. But whal is the stale of Ihcsc

souls, and how win God deal with them? We shall now expIott these questions..

The Slote of Fallen !)""ls, Multiple Ages and !lIe1empsycho.~is. and lhe Restorat /fm of.'11/.

We IIavl! seen that Origen termed the

is now lime

to

'pr\'-""i <;lenl souls' /ogiia. or "ralional bei ng'!.

M

11

point 0Ul his distinction ~ a plRty Illl ional being twus) and a soel

(p.
"cold" (psukheslh
ll'i

they ITIOWd away lioo1 the Mdivioe wwmtlt..u.

Thus depalting

from God. they came 10 be domed in bodies, III fiTSl of "a fine dhereal and invisible

eU1creal and invisible body to a body of a coarser and more solid stale. The purity and

subtlenes'l of the body with which a soul is enveloped depends upon the moral deve\opmelll and pmectioo of the soul to which it is joined. Origm stales that there are

varying oegrees ofsuteJeness even among the celestial and spiritual bodies. ~1 When a 50111 acl1ieves I'I:tl-ns 10 a Slate of

salvatioo" according

to Origen it ceases being a soul, and

pure "mind" or underslanding.71 Howeva-, due 10 the fall, now "no

rnlional spirit alii ever exist without a body."'"

,. Dr priM:. 21.3. " Tril, ..Id;"." 106: ..,..1"";...., 1.4. I. 2. 1.4. 2.10,2. ,. R~. r. Crombie. in his InItIbIion or Dr pri -..nd<...-ift.... "'......... Il u" """"'h ......1... . ,

(ANF 4_2lI8~ ~ lbI! lMIl of Ru fim.. .. '"m; n4 .~ (]i,... Uri' ...·• , .... o roal ,OIion Ai

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61

As A. Tripolitis explains.

of wOOd1y existence.

~jke

ti"e wu1d ......J of the

phi\osopll!m. Origen's Logos takes a pescoet inlerest in each soul. He guides and helps each ooe irdividually to retlm to its

SOU'Ce,

in ~ with each soul 's need of lIim

and its ability 10 ra:cive Him: " l

However. acoording to

Ori~

this guidance of souls by \he Logos will take place

over the: courx o f several ages or aeons. for "souls develop at different levels and speeds.

believes thai it may lake

~

achieved.',1J

11

is

II

~

than ore oron before [the restoration of all] is

this point dw Origen's COflIro\IeISiaI theory of lmnsmigr1Jlion of

sooIs mIL'll be di5cUS5Cd.

D.Jring the

COlne

of a diSCU55ioo of the meaning of "outer

da!t.1le$'''' in the New Testament, Origen makes. the following rommm. not iocluded boj RuflnB in his ~ of De Principiis:

earthly body, Ihrough wh ich at .... end of this world each man IhaI mllSl pass into IlIIOlher world will m:eive !he !leg;Mings or. fresh birth."

II is imponam 10 stale, 8'1 soon as

adhered

possible. lhaI we J'lOII$C'S$ no evidence Ihat Origen ever

scrictly 10 the melempryd ,osis theories of Pythagoras. P\al:o, and their

" Trip>libo . p. 10J. " Trip~;" . p. 11. , 0riF0I. ~ 0-_ 27.15, Dr 1"";"';' 2.3. I·'. .. Motlbew Se ll. " QuotN by Jerome. [ p , ad ~ .il~" 1. • fIe< .. hid> .... odrWI on
f Py lh_ "" I18Mm;VlIlion ",..,..Itt>.i• . _ ~ I...,; 1.:16 (F....- 21 Il ? 1ldI........ ~ 01", 1.4-5, 1'tJrphyr)'. I'j,o """",""M 19; Diodorus Siool.... Bil>li<>llwat lIi.,_ i", 10.6. !.) . For ""'to on ,he ...... t"l'i<. lie<' Law. 10.903<1 r.. ond Rep"bJi. IO.617d If. «the f_ MMyth or Eri. 0_ 8 0I1>er

pao",,,.

Copyrighted ma'-lrial

62

il

I~

corn.'l1 10 do so. lhal

muhipk ages.. we must o;ou),

into animal l>:ld ies."

0ri~'Cll

~

al

m.l1 he

the ~ 1C
llC\Ief

eccepec the trnrNl1igmlion of human

l ie is very cjc... on this poilll in the Cummt'nl ury (m Allll/l.eM'

(.... I1l.'I1 00l11l11t.'I1ling on Mantle'\\- 15:25-26). .... ht-n: he ....rites:

from the bodies of .....'11 imo the bodies of dogs. according 10 their

....;,:I.ed.... .,;

bl~

~at) ing

d<.'gI'tt of

_ . ,,110 do 001 find Ihis al all in the divine Scripture. say thal the more

ralional <;:t>n<Jil i(ln chanl.'~ inla d>c """" imoIiona~ undergoing til .. aIT«lion in

~oence ofgrClll slochfutJ1C5s and l\egligc~."

One carl"I help .. ~i~ in this

Origen is hen:

~ak ing

~

a

10Ile ""')'

dilT"""" flun Ihol o f the De 1.../,,"';/,,1.••

like a rcsponsil>lc ll"o:ol<¥ian of the Cburch, 001 as a Chri Siian

is also the view he hekJ when ...ribnrg d.., 0.- Principii.•, Ii.. the "ntion of the 5111.1l·S

l he res!oralion of all

bl.~'\!)1 (<JpvkUlU. ' u.' ;3) is

rd igiou- phikY;ophy. and ,he louch." <>ne .. As di",,,, ...-d

bJ.'

the musl: important concept in his

which he j~ all olher lheOOes.

.t".. < in I "h, plc.- I. in "'1""'...."

'n ,I>< ~Ol"'} ll>a g''''' ... 0 ."';.....

lIis

.."'... ",d,

Oril""" had n:od. in .. hieh ("runi", .."U«l .~.in" !he mipatioo " r hum.. .,..... inl<> .nimal• . "Co..", . .lit. 11.17. Ir.J. ........"'lAN f 10.""7~ .. AllI,,,"~~ il i, I,,", '~., 1"<1" in C,...... .1ft . H.l .l·2) pudi IIHUot,,,,,.·/to.i. in no .."",n..in 1<.'mI.. llIi. in Ik' "' "" di""'.... ~ i. om_

.. " r .... do>dtine "' h

,,",;''11,

Ii...

o. 'I'i"".

Copyrighted matenal

6J

~iYefSlll

coocept of

philosophical

resloration is based on equally stroog Saipbr.ll and Hel lenistic

~

First, !3king his \cad from Stoic

eternal recuereree, Origen offen the following

phi~ .

~

with its doctrine of

bmtElim (\\tIich is still

grourdcd in Scripture):

[T]hc end is alw~ like the beginning; lI!I lhetefore there is one end of allth;n", ..., W1! muo;t un
rest
iflOdIoess, Ihrough their subjedion

to Olrist rod their unily with

the HoI)' Spirit. 10 one end, which i:s lile the beginning. "

lhis fmnulatioo is not original. as it GIll be traced back "the begirring and end

lin'

to

Heraclitu>, who Staled that

commoo..... Bill what is IIOlabIe is Origen's grun.!ing

0(

his

fonnulalion in Scripl\R. oon;idering that his view was rejected by the Chistian tradition on 'biblical' gnxn;b.

Ilis main pooof-text is I Cuinthiano;; IS:2S-28. especially vase 28,

which speaks of the rime "when al l Ihi'l;l shall be SIAlued unto him the Soo also himself be

SlJb:iect

IJlIIO him thai

pa

I~~

then shall

all lh~ lI"der him, thai God m
_i".w_""mod.

1.6.2. tr. R u _. In a f"""",~ '" h;, IUMlotion o f !hi! _SO, Il..n """orth qool co • pusqc from Jerome IlI'hK:ll he tom .. ovidenoo of Rulin...• of Ori[lOll ' . '"I-ci.. ...tc:ment, Win IIl " ~ ' 1 """"idcr it mon: likolyllJot Ru lin," omilLed. nlh< r-..,e: from J.."..,., qUOl'" by Bul lenW>rlll. ""'ictloccm. 10 1M to

.. 0..

pt'iltC.

.. I coolin"Mion of 1M pasYge lran.hOled by Ruro" u", -on"" Of:oi" • be! ;"" ;,,g .,j..,. from lbe erod and ... erod from the beginning. and 011 "';,,1' ellanfed that """ ..."" i. ""'" • "'OIl _ in _ her W1lrid beoome . d_on, .... i~. daemon, if be Ii, ""1l1;Be"tly, may be bound ... allroooer body, .hot is, ",ay be<:ornc . "'... ~ ff;p_ oJ ,h i",.. 3). Thi. pao&alI.C ill pw:zli.... ,i""" OriB"n 1IeenI.1o be ~i"! of '"d_~ ;n ,be pagan " ....., .. of the hi!her I nd!...... _ .. f. ll... ...,.,1.. ",-, ...... h....... C....."'" 10 hi w. y of ...ferrin, 10 !hem ). .. F"'IfIl"'lI B cOl (Dieb · Kronli. u , J. Bomeo, £0,1, Ora! Philo.""", fNew YOfk: l'I:n$uin 19I 1 ~ p. I I ~ ; 1"""'" , ed by ""'Ph,.., ;" hi< '-"""',,_ _ If_rkMw.. ( 14.1OOJ1-3.II1 ........, the l iNek ...1Ido: .n_ ga, arlM t a i IN"" ,pi bl<101O IN';pJru,u.. C~for """innin. and end .... uni,ed in lhe ~..,

,,,,.lioton

.....irl...,

of.

cird,,~ -

"'y """.lat""' ~

Copyrighted malanal

1"" <;" )

s, in

ligtt of Oogen's developed system in De l'rilk'ipi L., as ot«lined ill lhis

Later in his lrealise, he e1aboralcs ,-,"Ihis th,mle as 101101.,..:

If therefore thal subjed ;"" by which the

Son ;. sa id 10 be suhjected 10 the Falhe< [I ('or

15:28] is tal .., I" be g,,"d and salulary,

~

i, a

su~

and logical ron.;equcnc," lhal lh\"


UnokTSlOlld to

II

Cor 15:l5-27]

he salutary and """ful; so lha l, j us.l as ... hen tl", Son is ",id

10 be ... bjeo;led 10 lhe Fathe< lhe perf...1 = 1......lion of I"" \"fl1i", creation i. BnoouncN. ..,

"hen his mem;'" "'" said 10 he suhj\"cted 10 III\" Son of God .... are 10 ullOlentand Ihi, 10

disc ipline and period, of lime; lhat

~

the ",hole world ", ill nol heoome suhject 10 God by

!he pres...'" of """'" lIe,,,,. , ity lhal COOlpe" il into subject "-'"' I',-,r by the ~ of force, buI

of edlJClllion, and also hy suc h merited and appropriale tltrealenings as "'" jtlSll)' laid owr

i.,h'an~. and lheir 'l'iritual heallh,"

. , r,,.. I ">RI¢mP""'Q !I•• "I",k,.l del<.... "r O. i, on' , do"",;.... of "1"..",,,.Ia'i.,_ "1 "-;""" " r AI.unoJ.i. _ "poA"'".rlari<: fl>""IIi~': ( "'I",,, )0"",,11 t>/ Clt"" i"" .. "'''' ,,,,,,,,,,. td.netIm<.~ ~"',,-n ,"'urn I, ., IJI' ,.moe. B .1-11. ". lkrtl""" ''of\h.

~ !"oIe> 00 .he ~ .k""",,"1 of I n.. "I,,~' a"d /'hilo roFo.'·' ,.,~. $, 00.

N,"'''

E. M(_~,

N,~i<",.·

in I (J-.ary 2OOJ I:

Copyrlghled ma"lrIal

65

Readi ng this passage. one is struck by Origen's htmri<;m (or "personalism" in

Berdyaev's sense of the term ), evident in his profoln:l lIlderstan:ling of God's activities, His co-coeaive relaticnlhip with humanity, the irullectlllll nat...: of the salvi6e fl"x:ess (through "the best methods of education'), and the preservalion of Iluman tiftdom But the most crucial aspect ofOrigen's lunanisli<: O1ristionily is his view 11m 00 one will he

lost fOln'l.'l" 10 sin and dealh. blI all will be restored.

His distinction belY..:en salvalioo

a nd restoration ("the salvation of those subjected and the resloral ion o f those 1M have

been kNj is subtle ~

~omd;

for it points 10 a l'l'COgllilion of the absoll1e valle of al l

persons a.t such, regardless of their OI1lological stalus.9)

Indeed, es Orig"", e>;plai n:l

dSC'Where - commenling on Jeremiah 27:25-27 - there are 'heither 'vessee of wrath' nor

' vessels of mercy' l in llI1 absolute sense] to vessels of usefulness, perhaps, or fur odIer mysterious function known only 10 God....•

This rntion is in accord with a basic

doctrine of De Principiis - that the essence of humanity is intellect seen above. our

pesere slate. according

reli~ngof lhe

po&Sibilily of, understanding.

to

SQme

~o ....);

for ItS we have

Orig.en, is precisely a departure from. and

•• Th i. dioti nc:liOll - be l"'ftn l hoM .."" ""hi.....e ...IVOl ion . .... ,""'" who . . ,,"' orod - io .. a'IIIOI . fT"", . lI =alures ~.II" 110m< fd l farther Ib.. oIh.... 'Tho """" ..110 fell th< r _ ore Ihooe he "" II. ~ Iosl. • i.e.. U,e "",,il and hi. demon.. Thooo who r. n tho 10_ ore til< I ngeh . nd 11>0 ""...onl, bod;'" who quiet ly reverted bod to God; 1bc... Ori,.n ..y.. ...., .....bjedeG l<>

God......., ,o~ than the took of illumiuhn, 1bc rollen """I.. .. d of oidin, 1:-1Iri" in 1bc to"" of educot"", onnu b iI" 1"1"". 1.1>.2, 1.1. 4, 2.9,6, 4 .2 . 7 ~ 1 _. C I'UWeI I fnI """i.,. M _ Simootlt i 1962' .... the idea of a ""i. ersality of 1bc f. 1I (excepting the "",I ofChri" I" . "'ronlrod ietioo.~ bo,ed upon lhe ' .f)' "",...,n I ""'• • Iled lwilh the inexpli<:ol>1e indu,ioo of ..,_, : Crou~l p_ 211 ~ " ~ful lo"k 01 Ih.... P"''''Jn shoW!l Ihlll Ori,on ;. quit. oint "" hi. poinllhlll all .o~l. ""... fallm . ,",Iy """'" hove "'turned more quietly Ihon "' ond .... ""'" engqed in . iding the """. inin, """I, in 1bci. quest f", "PI'""'nlly, in hi. , 1 to ""der1tond Origa! by ruding '1Ii. ""'" as -hole.~ CIOOld h.. proroundly mi, undentood III I t ..... ~ of Ihi••i.,.le .. ork, t'" impononl and inn ",;.1 (" pri"", .. K t.t"","". ··Ori, ... of "bondri. and opotato" o, ;" Some NOln on lbe t~.I"""""'t of . Noble Notioo~; ..........qundlibet._...,,;l'C"..,Ilml: Ori""" I~ ok......;o'" 27.3: _ . 1... n.. pr i"". 3.1 21 t.

1'e5l""""""

Copyrighted malarial

This ..... ;on of a

iJJlimacy bc1ween God and humani!)'. based 011

~rnmliaJ

ill1etk...11~1I UIkl.'r.ilaI1Uing. is al>ill lhe e1hica l bNs of Origen' s con':qJl o f sa lvatioo or restoration which is, in !he last analysis.

lUld man.

11m: is II

morl:

profICfly COl"i
from fA! Principii.• in " hich the intellcaual nal...., of the

~'"

di,lI"o:-hl.'1311 relationship is nlOSl cll:arly cxrn:sscd- based 00 Ire biblical du<.1 rine tM! human beings were created in GOlf s ill"'b'C (Genesis 1:2(,.2 7):

[Tlhe

man.. ofll", di,'i"" im;oge in man may be: c k:arly discc:rood. no!

body. which

~'OCS

in lhe fonn ofl,;'

to COl1Uplion. but in ,,,. prudence of his mind, in hi. riglll""""""", hi.

vift'le!i: which exist in God C'SSmlially, and may aist in man as " =uk of his own efTorts

and his (milali..n of God .. . We "ilh God; WJd . ince God hi.

no!ice ...

St.... ~f.......

~""""

!hal ....... have a kind ofbklll
al1'hinp and

nol "

. ingle in'cllCClual 'nnh

<:an C!iaIJ'"

it i. p:rssibk: lha. a rmiooal mind also, by IOdvancing fJom a k"",,1cdg<: of

small to a knowledge of great~., 'hings and from things vi. ible: to lhings invisible. may ana' n

to

WI incmssillgly perfCCl ~ing ."

Thi. 'i.....n.=ifll?ly perfe<.1

undcr..1anding~

he consido.'red the minds of perstlllS

ItS

;. illlo=ro.Jed, by Ori b't.T\ in a dynamic sense. for

never ceasing 10 learn of divino: myscees, Such is

his imab'C of salvalion. ,,11<.'0 the soul "ill in 'intef k:ctual p<"'-er~ approach the divine

source "face 10 face,'....

This hl.fllll* divinc ;r1limlll:Y is. for 0rigI.'n. the klgica1

" f:>' I""'C. ~.a. l(l. lr. flu""....",,h. .. f:>' I"i"". 2.11.7. If. 1I..1I~"'uoth. k<>...... in t'p. pJ A.'il"'" 7. ,n lhi. pa.<;",,~. fI"'.p hnl,;n ~ lh..., ~ W "" " "c h.o.. ~ ... .,d.., rat lhal ..".." no Ion@:"I n••h and bOO;... and ro,.;hll

"'r....

Copyrighted matenal

67

(inlel1octwl, noelie) result of the fall of h.manity and the ~ paoticipolion of God h hi.'ilOI)' (undeI'slood as a pnxIlICl of the 1311). Origen is., like G.W.F. Hegel ~ aflcl" him. a true philosopher of histoly. As A. Tripolitis has rcmarl<ed. of Origen;

a true philosqlhy of hi5tOfy. Origcn's

His thought

rqnset1ts

<:ncom ~

both the f_

~ icws

of Iwman histoly

o f biblical hi.rory and the hi....,. of Greek lhough L Origm

c laims lIlllI in ~ gmernlion, GOlf s wisdom has ~ into 1ho """" of lhe pious in order IhsIlhey might help their romeml"""'ies 10 <XJll\'ffI 10 lhc ways of God.,

His

VIeW

thai

~Ialion ~

primarily Il-rnugh history ill the

!lO
ootioo of the salviflC stale, wIlidl coestss III 6rsl of a leaming of '1he

As a P1aron ic philosopher, Origm was

~1lle

dimension inlo ..tIiIl Ia:I, up ooIil his time. been

llI1

of his dynamic reasor6

for all

for introducing the hisklrical

ahistorical metaphysical ronslrud

based 00 eremaI emanalion from a stalK: lirsl r-inciple.

His il"llnXlUClion of a 1M '\\.

llClive GOO who cares for humanity was not only a profomd CUltribo.J.ioo to ~ng

Ouistian thougtt. but

W lIS

a CllIlIIyst. in my opinion. for the IUIT1 IOWard throrgy and

ritLllll thai we lind in IaIo:r N«lpIalonism. JlIfl~ Y lanbiidJus and Proch.l5 .~

the Gnoslic:s and Middle PIalonisls IerIded to ernphasille the d islance

"'" c_ _

"""I. , 1>11, m ind and undc:r
sh.1I _

COIl>< 10 perf"",;""

''''''''ol ond "I'in'",,1 being. °r_

to

~ the

Earlier, highest

on
r..,.'M(If. 8 <11.""""""." "3.II. ~ ~

'" Trir>oIilis. p. 111; Origcn. C_ .... C. I>. ", 4.7. .. ~pt'Wc, l .l I.!U.l1.7. b'.~ , .. Fo<""lid """..... ponry aocoun" of Ib<... ph ilooophe ", 0« G. Sh.",. 1Itt~,/f)' ~1tJ 1M St>~I: 1Itt /'I~~I""I.", of "- blt"h• • (lhI i _ , Pork: Pen...,....... i. StMe Un;"'OBily ""'"" 1995), -.t L Sionw>n ( 1 W6~

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

ex god and humanity; \he;;c lerer thinkers reacted by so:cking "llYS 10 creme a

S<.'IN:

of

' lis ""'" ;mp"nalll coolrillulioo 10 C11rislian thought !>.:sides "1'"A;al"" "'';5. is the

(,.,...;.•" through iii"''')' and pao.'do."lIIic eoag.<:lncnt with God they end in a see of et<.'1M1

I will end this chapleT wlh

~

quolcs from Origen, de!;crilJing the

e;chalologkal stale of souls:

lhe earth, ...hkh llle di~jne scrifllure calk ' pandise', This will he a place of instruction

arod. !lO 10 speak. a I«lurt' room or 'OC1Iool for ISOOI$, in which they may he taught about all thal they had ...-en on eanh and may also m:eM s<>rn<:

S<'ftlC

indication. o f whal i. '"

folk"" in thol fUlure.' "

TIlt: fuMe. of cocrse. is an e1cmJlly unfolding imcllcctual space, for God. es Ongen llIail~ai rs,

eternally begets Wimn (Logos). the begillll;ng of "hich is alclllporal and

bt.1'ood hurtWl comrn.+"'OSion.IQI Siree the earthly aealion is desti ned to I1ffiS a" ay. the

souls do nlll n:main involvtrl in ils .. udy forewr.

Wi'll." , the ""inl. ha ve rea.;l>cd the hnlvcllly places, the n tho:y win see clearly the nalu re of

,.. I'" p'in<:. 1.1 1.6. If. 1I... I.' God ;,

'c..,,>nh,

.1>" ", ,,,hn.._I~· ;n"'I• ..., in ..... of ....' ion.

S« 1:>< "..iN:_ J",..l.

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

69

m"Y be the tnrth .bout them. They ...ill .lw which lie

hj m~lf

~ive ~

other mlVlR'I for God'$ ""orb.

sha ll reveal to them. f or nuw he will show to them, as to

!10m,

the

Qu.es of things and the perfedion of his aeation, teaching lhcm why one 5Iar is placed

interval Of space. '~

f inal ly, the SlJJl approaches God "face 10 face," and there it "'anains perfection,"

firsl that perfectioo by wIlich it rises 10 this coodilim lpuximily to God]. 1ft! se<,>;>ndly that by which it remai... therein, while it .... for the food on whictl it feed!; the rmt*ms

of the meaning of thin gs and the nallft of ....ir

_

~

CIWlIe:O.

lif~

For .. in this bodi ly

or

0I.ln

font of .1l bodily into lhaI",hich _ now are. the i"", case being supplied in c....

e. 1y yean ITIft'ely by • sufficiency or food, wt.erea. . fler the

rnched it. limit _ "'" food

nol in order 10 grow

but as a lrl(3Vl

pt'IX'e$$

of groWlll has

or ~;ng

life within

and su itable food in a ..........e which can neilher..mit ofwan. nor ofsuperl1uily. But in all respects lIIis food m.... be undoenlood to be the

con~lalioll and

underst.-.ding of

God, and it:< .........."" to be !bose thaI.-e Ilpplopliate lftI suitable to th is nature ", hich

has been made and crea ted. ' OJ

according to !he uniqueIlLS'; of each !lOl.lI; the diYel'5ity thai

1'4'\

the re<;Ult of the full is. in

the end. serctifled through an hislorical process of Iunlm-divine

~

thai. results

I.' Pt J1rllt<'. 2.1 1.1, tr. Iluttcnoonh.

" J Ptprinc. 2.11.1. tr. 1\uI~.

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70

in an intell«tual f"dJ'PI'II1

proticierq'.

proceeding

hct\\.f:<.'n

God and His c:realion. moving ever f"""anI in crealive

This dynamic oo:ion of t..n....divine rcliIion will be Sl
\\ ilh an \':ICmtolo.>gical staticity thal evenruaIly stilled the

personalism inlrodlll.'Cd into l1mtian thought by

Ori~

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

Chapter 3: The Influence ofOrigen 's Philosophy

afld g Ilro,,,,,hd I" ' M f n , _ ~ (Jr"f'>')'

Origen's immedialc

inn~

is

!JlO!';t

of"" "'iltd.

or Nyou, ('a.. dw,I~1 Ora,;"",I

marl<.ed in the TrinitariM debates

llI'15l~

after his

taler bo:o.xxne the '-'is for the creeds of Nicaca and 0Iaked0n. 'MIlIt eon=ns me in d1;s

chapter is live

phi~k:aI

lOOught of the

!JlO!';t

spirit of Origen, n1 the

I'lIIW'D:'f

ill wIriclJ it pemded the

gifted lDl influcnial theologians of the pos-Ncere era. the

Cappadocian Fathers: GregoIy Nazian:zm,

",hidl did not confine itsel f

to ~n«tions

G~

of Nyssa. and Basil the Oreal. This

00 !lCriptlR, but

~ to

fill ill the

~

left

open by the Bible, a book that. as the Capp&<.Ior;ians l\:lIdily adm itted, though God-

intdloctual Christians at that time.

They lII"Id=Iuod .... Bible a. the n>oonl of a gradual

r (;""~Il<)'

( 'A'll/ofOK)'

of'.

of Ny.... Oralio ~'«MIi~ _ _ )(I.ll-37. 11". c.e . Richordooo, in E. R. lIardy, ed., lal,. Fa' . " tPIJi1al
Copynghled matenal

72

and C(lnlinuing ~Iollioo of God to hl-.nan;ly. based on the CllfIOCity of human t".'1ngs to

uno.l'r1'land and n:sponoJ 10 divine rcve!
philosophy.

Like Origen Ihey learred as mud! as they

flll'l.'bears. adapIing Classical Gfl'ek and

Chri",ian faith pro lil~'ll

Yl.'1 it wes

(i1't\,'Ol)'

I ldleni~ic

"'l:fI:

leaming 10

k~

at the

able Iium their pagall ;WI elucid<~ion

of treir

of NyS\il, YOI.II1gCf mllhef of lkr.il. "flo IllOSl

from his inlc......ive Slud)' of on......'I1.

While GI't\,'Ill)' of Nys.<;;a did

ro. ~

1'l'Cei-e a

IOOnaI m ilUSil)' eo.locat iol\. in the man...... of his broth::r and Gregory Na>iawJ:n. his

n.1ln

wort~

scholarly a/lilit ies led him to sorpess bolh in the dt.l'Ih and profundily of his

of l'IoIillUS and POfJ'hyry. and in this sense can be said to have carried OIl the ",ork

principles infonning his Ouistian philosophy, adapling. "",ising. and III times n;jeding

legacy of Origen as it eppeers in the wort. of the Cappadocians, I would like to klOk brietly at the imn1t:diate ~ of Ori~'l1 in the Calcchclical School o f AJexalldria.

' '''''r<;oo

<:on"",,,,"""

, S,- IlMil i. pl'" on in ,hi. ",~ard. for he ..... . ..her .........: in mallcn o f l"""~'gic al "I'<""lalion ,""" .hI; "". ( i",gor i... 11< n<>n< 1"' O< of I"".,ldi n~ an 0<11'0<10, ...., .""in.. . he " . ,,""""""', ,h",.. 1><""', . ~ II , " '" C.... pcnh.....n. l ite f 'RlItt... <>f IItt a d Cb"",b (1." ,,,10.0,, Adonl ..J l 'hri:o II....... 1% .l L p. \1.1 , , " . lI _ k .,,11 )' ( ; rq> ><)' of N),...•• (""'....Itt,;'"" , Oral;"" i. "II>< ".lIp .rib n, oft"'" f,,,,nh "",'ul)' whi l 0 ri,tCipij.~ (A. 1I_ k. lIi.t<>ry <>f l~ •• .-.1. I . or. Willi...... N~(loodun 1 ~Y3 L ", JJ4 .

or

""".rkd.

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

73

Origen's immediate successor as headmaster o f the Calechelical SdIooI was 1'heogno.f'.... . who held !hal position from 250-280 A.D. He taught lhat the Sm is created

and derives His substance iJusia) from the Father, describing the substance of the Son as 811

"effI uence~

lMT1

(apon-oia) of the Father.

This is, of course, an elaboralioo on Origen's

SlilOIdinalonisl ChrisIoIogy, as sci forth in his De P,incipiu (discussed above.

Chapter 2). Pierius (fl. 280-300 A.D.) described the Father and the Son as two separnte "rUures ~

Iphu.eis) or

"sub5larlces~

(_fim), again in an elabo!atioJll

011

Origen's use of

the tam hypmlasis (h uposlm i.J) to describe the tIwe distinct persons of the Trinity. Gregory Thaumalurgu.. (d . ca. 270), whose Creed sounds quue an orthodox llr1e for its

time, IIC\tido.:1es/; affirmed, on occesoo, the Origenisl formula regarding the Son as "a

creature U" a thing

ca.

25~270

made~

"'li5ma, poiema). FInally. there is Dionys;'/S

ofAlexandria (D.

A.D.) who spoke of the Trinity as comprised of three hypostates

(huprulaseisJ, and alfmned tie etemaI subsislence o f ee Son. Vel he did 1101 employ the tam hvmoousiatl in reference to the Trinity, arguing

thal the tenn appuus IIO'o'tom: in

In tIlese rOll" thinkers we see Origen's inll uence at wOO< in the =hn of

scripture .

Trinitaria'l speculation, which was. III the lime, a common pn:oocupalioo for Olristian

theoIogilm. Cllfl)'ing with it the po5Sibilily of nmerous pilfalls irto Ileotsy.

It is

debates about the Trinity thai the concept of the peNon ;nd the

I1WTIf'I'

precisely

th~

of the per
Cappador: ian FarheTs - 10 whom we

IlQW

1'he

tum - made greal conllibutions to this

elucidalim.

Copyrighted matenal

" G R'J:Ol'l Nazianu n.

godhead.

Yel Wllike his pa:garl

his J'k,,"1K: vision of It.:

prececessoe,

Or~ (f':J1II<·,~k.,

Gn1.'Ol)' is ll\\'are of Ihe rim illllions of lhe

4.1:1 . ].1 .7), Grq,'OI)'

i.~

m och 'n:."", guank,d and

3.3- I0). Moti" ", descrimt his grand visim as (oIkMs;

Oil•." I have ..ok...... up ou t " r the bod)' 10 my self.-.l have ""M'w illlo

m~lr.

going "'~

from all 011...,. thing'S; I have S«l1 a t>cau", w-onderfulty gJTal and fell a'l.
of all I

helon~

to the beucr part; I have actually

li ~

the best lire ...,.j ~

,,>

identity with Ihc divine: and ...1 ('nn in il I have coee 10 lhal supreme actuali!)'. s<'Uing

myse lf above a ll elsc in 1M realm of fmellcd.'

Gregory atlerTJ pled k, achieve a 'm)"'licar visil., like that described by l'\uti" ... . but ended up with a quite dilf.'fCllI resulL as he descri bes in his Ck Ilw"I(J~!iu ('"SeronoJ

TheoIogicaJ Oraicri):

I ... eIllered ."'3) from maller "nd materia' things. and ". rar as I could I withdrew ",ithin mpd f. And 1",," " h.," t klOled up. J scarce"w ll>e bao;k pam of God; although I was $hcllcn:>d by d", roc k. the Word dial ,..'" made ne.h for us . And when 1 looked a lin le • r k~ in",. f ""n.t<J 4.8.4.1 _7. Ir. A.l1. " "",,....,ll!- h~ 11'. ;" I,,",,, 1 (\,,"lorid~c' ll..... anl t Jn" .... ~~ ........ 1~1I4 ~ p. 397.

n ... kol

U""""

Copynghled ma"lrIal

7S

closcr. I saw. not

~

fll'Sl and unmingled nature lou Ii" prmilll~ Au!aUraton plrusinl.

known to itself _ to the Trinity, I mean; not thai which ~

w~hin

the first

~il.

and is

hidden by the chcmbim; but only that nature, which at last even ~ to us.'

What Gregory saw _ "!hal nalJ.n •• • which tben the

~bility

God-man

Jesuo;

becoming man.

al

last even """",he:s 10

01rist,

wrose

lk.( Ihe
nalure dcscendcd 10 humanity, taking on f\esh and

for Gregory. is a future stale, In

manneI"

~hing to

be aI/ained by

etemaIly existi'\J hyper-realily to

through grand In:I privileged nights of though!.

is l.nIer5ood by Gregory in a pen;p:di~

is noching Ies5

of tunan.divine ro-operative union, Ihe63is. realized alrmdy in the

lutvniry llfId rot. like 1'\OOru<' vision of the One,

.. "".'~"j

lI'lK -

Ralher. this fuluislic vision

in acrordaoce with Origen's es<;halological

te, of a future stlIe of irllellectual becoming in which all the present

questions of I1tJnwl existence will be lIffiWm.'d, llfId the infinite mysteries of God revealed, in proportion to the abilities oha:h soul to receve such mtclations.·

'Nhile Gregory Narimlzm

ClIf1

certainly be considerM an apop/IaJic tIlcoIogm,

his caution in describing the Godhead is due more to his disapproval of the overly speculanve doctrines of the Arian

refute, than

10

~.

for example, which he wz M pains to

a real conviction that lheoreIicaI knowledge of God is off-limits 10 the

Iunan ;nlellecl (pUjely purified and Ulflditioned).' 011

Like Origen. Gn:gooy spo;ulated

the nallft of the Trinity and the sOOsistcnce and relation of the three Persons

, Gr'eBorY N"';..= . ''The Se<:ood lbcolotk al Ono'ioo - On C>Og!tt (. 12-'.10£

' See. I'or e ....,ple Advff, w,

h"".. ialt<>' 3.1 If, ond

n.- Ih .moRia

1.1 If.

1.... "'''l1ia~

... e.G-

1 _, in the caoe of

the lloly Spirit. Gn!1<"Y is willin,co odmi' thlIIl no do. ledge i. anainabl< by prnml """,. .ity. This will be ili""""...d in ok\ai\ bel"",.

Copynghled ma"lrIal

comprlS'ng it. aold in this he alk"'ed himself k, draw on ~on phik"""f'hy, pan icul'lf!y l'loti..... and Porphy ry.

In lhe f" lk,wing ~ Gn."gll l)' all~'fl1~ a bold c"l'lanmion

[MJonarc hy i. Ih.l .. hi<;h wc lold in honor, II is, ho..", er. a nlOfWCh)' lhal i. noI limited 10 one per;on. for it i. """,il>le for ...ity if III "arianc<: with it"e1f 10 come inlo a ",nJili<.,

of pluralic)': but one IMI .. made of an equality of nature. and a UIlion of minJ. and an

identity of """ ion, and • COO\offg<:nce of its c"'""-'Ilt, lO unily _ a thing .. hictt is iml"""ihk- In 'hi' c"",lC
V.l~. is most il~~'I'e;Iing in this

pa>.-.;age is the NcopIalonic language of e............ioni... n

empk')'oo in the servICe of describing the tdat ion of the PeN"olS of the Trinity.

fII'OCCSS of mone, /V'JoJ" .•. and

"I>i.•lml'll"

(w idely adop:ed

As J.

by an the Cappadocian

fathcr.;). applied to the relation<J>ip k 1Voeel\ the three momc:nls ", iilt the noetic triad • The cam "',,"", lhi<J .... u-ro l>y corh/til'" "nlh,,~"', 1"'" "h<>m God ', >riril hoo:I
.....

)'• • 1"" corkoli",c tn h• • c t>e Jed ,,, the ",,,,,,,I nf I"" phj '';''i"" n. ..... (d 20) ....U. ~ .. 110 oc<:m ' ,,, ho,. hoo:I ao inl",.." in I>olpio, Ch,.; iom ..,.;,... . m i<>nol. lICirntifl< cont~ ... of Ih.,,, r.i,h. i.c,. ,HI<;n .. hich the i,..-am.. ~... of the rd: I 'WJ ~ ..... Kelly, p. I I' If. l -'tIer, d)OIImk: nlUf\lO'dl;...;.m ",""c .... ) ... ,.. ...HIaI;"" o f Sahdl n.. l cf. 1':<1 1)', p, 11q In • ,)" jil." lOtol, 29. 2,1>- 13, If. c o. 11R....... H . ~ ..al'-. - rbe Ihinl' ........'Ilk al Or"' . ... _ On ,t>c ~"'. ~ in L R. 1'<0"<1) . cd.. ( 'h"" " ,J,W ' ,if ,he r"'e' f ·"./wr,.. p. 16 1. Thi. d

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77

The Son, as n.......

bri~

the indermite. 'dyadic' , procession o f Poon:y 10 a hah by

We mllSl keep in mind, ......"""". as Dillon himself realires. !hal Gregory elsewhere clc:al:ly

~

without the

(following Origen) !hal th= ..".,.,..". was a ti me when Ithe Father) Was

word"" I

So we must

no!

inler'Jlrel lhis f"'S'"lgl' as implying a tallporal

'corning-inlo- fatherllood' of the Fathel". through an inlJa- Trinilarian

Father was a1wlI)'S Father, just as the Son

WlIS

~

for the

always the Son. as Gregoxy insi51s. Yet

even in Porphyry I do not sense any notion of a lemporal acquisition of 'fatherlJood' by the Fil'!t Principle.

Porphyry. in hisepitome of the EmwatkJ, \\oTites the foI~

or the universal and perfect hyposlalic subslan«s [hoi';" Aui Ielt i"" IIII/'OJI,,,,, ';II). nooe

turns toward ilS product. All perfect hyposlali<: subslances

rttum k>

the principle< thai

gmcrnlcd them. The very body of the world, by the mere fact of its perfcd ion, i. C(IOwertOO 10 the inklligent Soul ... t he Soul of the world is converted to Intelligence

1"" usJ. and this to the f irst. All being!, !hem0ft'. aspire. to the F;~ each in the measure orit! ability. fi'om the vay ~ in the ranks of the universe up."

Porphyry is indeed here describing the process of mone, prorxMn. <'p istrophi, yet

nowhere does he mentioo any change in the rntological

SIlIIUi

of the Firs! Prh:iple, Le ,

' 0 J. Dillon, ~l<>@..... , lor R...I", oj MiIodlOrand R.,,;.Js: Phones """" 19U), p. 46 .

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

ts

' I>:coming

1~

Fetter,' nor ooes he

su~

a coming to rest in Trinity; r-dlher, ... hal

\\l'

htlw h..~ is a gm.k-d hierarchy , ",jlh the fil'5l I'rillCipk eternally subsiSi ing as soerce of a ll.

\Vh .'ft' G~'''l)' N,v i,uVl.'I1 difft.TS 1TIIl'l fInn 1\"1'h)'1)' is not. as 1>;1100 ~ in

his r'l"je<.1 iun of lIl inl<'fl1 ionality on tile porl of the First Priociple or Fmho.or. 1J i.e., his n.j edi"n o f the PliIOlli\: noli\lI) of an ~O\~iI\t bowl....• bul mlh.., . in his insistence

tIl3l "h ther is nlll a flame eill-o::r of l\Il eseece or of relation in \\hk:h the Fathl.'f

n.....ion. n

Slarld.~

~

action •• . Ike it is the nalne of the

to the Son. and the Son 10 !he

falt.er.~

i.e.• an ctcmal

AlXOflling 10 POlph)l)'. the First Principle is So
irnJWlS kl all hyl"'l'
G~~.

the

h~

Pri r-.:ipk is

Father MaU'iC of the d emal relation abid ing betw een /l im and the Son. The dilfereoce resides.,

of ~.

in \he d istinction 1...1ween m,Hi"n and ,...luli"... hip . So ho w, then. are

mote ck>:sely Gregory's idea of the

l1"WlIU

in which both the Son and the Holy Spirit

relate to tile FaTtler and to each ocher. Alt.1<:king an ide." prescnk.-d in the CI",!J",:un (Jmd es, and """"","Ily adopled by

his

presenI

opponenl" GI'l:b'Ol)' oc'l1io:s lhat tho: Son is a producl of tho: Father's ",ill

" [)ilion. in Ii, V""-, , nd Co ...n ~ ~rj 0;1i<>. l o; ok .,..",.]. 1"-"""'1"" k>ol ...i' or

'0 ".•

prr;,,,.

,h~

" .",.s d......., VOl il ;" """" tikely ' '"'' O... '><}'. "IIa .... ,liod .. A'be.... is referrin. ,,, the 0<, 1 n.",... ",. ils O.56 ). 'The: .........nvt~ '" . i. Cfl h, G,,' p "}' is. in an, ca.. ... Je,<. "OIl.... ."" he"., K f1eco "'" con'",," o f ,he M

ri. ",....

" /" fillO il lrol- 2'1) ' b.Il....2. If, e n II.... ...... H e S..........

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79

lIIgUing lIa the act of willing scparnles the

pcr.lOIl

...00 wills lium the pmWct of his

•• 1& "'1.,,",.." lll:lMty.

...no wills is distinct 1Tom the.ct of .... il1ing ... On the one.ide ....e

I think !hal the penon have the

fTIOVer,

willed is

no(

God

~

and on the other tt.aI which is, ""

the ch ild of

bcy
al llh ~

wil~

ttl

>peak, the motion. Thus the thing

fur it doc:s no! a1w"Y'l ,-,It memrom. But the things of

for with him perhaps the will 10 bcgd is gcnmtion. and there is

no intermediate aclion. (Ir. Browne, Swallow)

In the Cha/daetm Oracle.•, the will of the FllIh:r is tnJerstood as the feminine principle, hypostati1led as Md:hef. who along with the Father l.'OI"OCeives the Ideas comprising all mlIily.

1A)nd they lhll5

invent,~

writes Gregof)',

Soo), the wil~ in place of the FaIher....'

very close to the ootion thai

G~

-a

new SlXt of mother for him ]the

The IOllowing passag!.' fium the Oroc/es comes

is opposing.

11 is likely that his opponents

~

influenced b)' Ihis or a similar OO5lT'Klg(Il)'.

lIis Will the mukHOI1I'ICId Ideas. the single scorce from which all is dcri\
of the Father."

In other words. it is ttrougJ1 the lWIion of the Falher an:I His Wil11hl1 all

are coocelved and broug/ll

to &\lition.

~ ~

Indeed. ebe.. I... , in the Oracles the: ti:minn:

,. iN fil'" ( 0rtIL 29) 6.21 If. " ~ fili<> (0niL 29) 6.6.7, It. Bro.mo, Swallow. c:ltdl ddkd. f nop>onl 17.1-1 IoSn Pl~). my u..... 'iun.

" 0.""",,,

Copyrighted matenal

80

principle is described lIS lho: mOlhcrly .-nb 1M: is the

SlUl:C

anJ IltJItlft of all exisling

{hings (Frngmerw 30. dt,.." PIOCl:$~ Such ideas were wta :ceplal>le 10 G"l:O')' Nll7jarl1l:f\ f,.. whom the Son, Chri s!. is G ~'OI)" s

......JeNood as the an:he1} pe of all deifll.'d hlmani ly.

eschlllolot;)' is <Jrienlcd

Iowan! 111<'0.';3, Lc., \he faith in the un1<1l1 (1';11101. dissolUlion) of God and Iunarity. As he explaiJlS:

Goo will h: all in all in Ill<: time <>r l'I._

io" [up..,4rla,U<Jsi.<] ; Ikl! in tho: S('nse thaI Ihe

Fal hn alone ",ill h:. and Ihe Soo "" .. holly

reooI~

n o him. lik a lOn.il inlo • 8......1

J'>,re. rrom ..-" ich it "'as . ell . way for a lillie -race. and Ihe" put back . . .: " ut ili.. ent;'"

Godhead ... ",hen we shall l>e 00 longer divided (ll'I we "'" oow by "K....el1lents and p""', iomj. and cootain;"ll nothing al all of

God.

GoJ [/wi... /11<-....,<1'<'1.• ]. ready 10 ~i~ (into oor

111 Ihe

o;osm
of the

( JrlJl..'II!."


very lill ie. l>ut shall be .... i"'ly like

heao1., .... ,,·"',Ie God ,..,.j bin, 31,_. "

Rea<;()ll. or Log"",

c<WTle"

afu..T Mind and Will, and is

lhcrefore IlOl C<>-C<.J""I with the liN and hiJl.hc';t principle. described lIS the prodUC1 ion {If Ihe FiN l'rinciple and ils

.d f·~'fll....dl"" COIl.'\Ul't.

Father's Ro:ffi<Jfl (lq;oo;l is an atCfll r-lfiIl

~

In Gregory 's O1riSlian oosrnoIogy. Ihe

", ilh lIim fium the very ' hegim ing'

and is 1I1l:1"efote equal in divine

Slal~

(uri~).

understood in

The Son, lht.'n,

canlll~

be

"n."SOlvoo" lnlO the F:nhcr, for lheir mlJw l oo-eqwlity makes sucl1 a mJuclion of the olle 10 lhe OIht.,- ;m~blc.

This r-JinlS 1m'an1 Gregofy'S idea of lhe salvinc stale o f

ht.""..1ily in l/>;: ed /M Oil - lhe c{>-;nherence of two distinct

nalle!i,

milOO in substanc.:e

Copynghled matenal

" but

Il(l(

act. \he

one infinite, the other {mite (yet subsisting eIemaIly with God).

AbsolUie

Being, es Grego!)' mairuim, is the pos:sessioo of God only; yet ee Iunan being, tI'mugh

within

lO The AIIwmian formula which stKes !hal God became man in order thai man

~

in which the higher, divine nlItI.n holds ascmdancy

maintailling the

~

0'\ICl'

the lower. while

mtln in il ~.

(Thto Son 's nallR]. the hurnanilJl, beI:arrM: God. because it was ... ited 10 God. and

became one (penon) because the higher naIUre fJm'B.iled ••• in order that I too might be made God

110

far .. he is made man.

Ill'

was born - but he had bc<en begonen: he .....

born o f. woman - bul """ w.. ' virgin. The lirK is human; the second, divine . In his hurmn ""'ure he had 00 bill«. bulako in his divirlc natu.... 00 mather."

That Christ's divine naIUre has no moIhcr is an important point for Gregory,

the sake of a col1nmt Trinitarian doctrine bul also for supporting his eschalological stale. If \here is an

a

hi~

lIS

e~

source. Le., MoIher, \hen we only

~

noI

only

~ion

r..

of Oil"

of nall-.:5 with a being woo is IbiYed liurn

~

in the natlft of the conceived being.

not

lherefon: Ihe6sl 1 is only pwtiaI. llIId we become demi-gods irNead of sharing

fully in Godhl:OO, which is precisely ""hal.

G~ 's

faith demrnded he maintain in his

phi105oJjJy•

.. n. jilio (Ora 30)

IU l-1 5, 19.1..15, Mol E.R. Il..t" ed.• Chris' <>!"KY 0/,1.< Lm., Fad",,,,, p.

1'10, ~"'~ 5'1. " Alhano.iu., f~ iIf<'o"'dlk>~ ... , hi ~.J.l 02. " D< /ilia \ 0.... 29) 19.1>-10. .... Swolk>w.

nm...ne.

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

aa

What. \hen. of

l~

those who speak of thi ng'! a~

l loly Spirit, in which. as Grego!)' states, tl1il}' finds di ~iro:.

Gn."gOI)' l:Oll<;KlI:r.i the carli<.T Grec\.:

a'Sl? or

ph ik~

"",h

I'lalo .nl Aristotle. to have arri,", ncaresl 10 the ooncepl;on of the Spirit held by

ChriSl~

merIlKlfling the I'l;M onic WOOd-Soul and the AriSiolcliM

(1lmrUlhetl no un )

speciflCal ly.: J

Yet Gn:gcry himself admits

to

~

mind"

his inability 10 say

III1) lhing definitive abolc the Spiri~ si'k;e tll.:re is nulhing 00 ca1h with \\-hich 10 ~pare the triune CoOdh..'ad,14 GI'Cb"ll)' is. howe'\'Cl'. ahle 10 make some rebultals ag.ainsl cerlain

doctri nes

~ing

the Spirit that are clearly wrong.

For t!"""' pIe.

add rcs.~ ng

the

probk:m of ",I1<:th•.". the Spirit is hI.'gOlIC'tl or U~'OIlL'R, Gn.'l:U'Y makes the follcw. ing

~ oo

must make a fUMher ...t>-d ivisioo. lie .. so either by the Father or by the 500. And if

by ."" Father. the«: are two Son\. and they a", hrolh
mal..e them twins if ) ou like. or the OIIC older and tM od..". young<'!', since you are .., fooo of ,he bod i!)' C<.lIlCtf'Iiom. But jf by the Son. lhen _ 'II a OIIC will sa)'.

~

V<'l}'

Iltl a

glim...... of a gr..oo",... God. than wh ich Il<~h ing rook! be mort' aMurd."

His mentim Io;:re of a r"rm,,~~ion

~

....ed carl;',r by lhe

claims (and _

~

(Jo:f' is not pok,mical ",ockery. it is a::t....lly a

philosopher NlIITll:rlius. as attest ed in Prudus. ...ho

hilvc 110 reason 10 doubt hi m) that Ntm<.'llius referred 10 llle

di~ine

eanes

" I), 'Pi'i'M "'...·w 5.5-3; "'" . 1", Plalo. T"'''HM' J..j ~ If. (.", Ill< W.>I'kl ·~",I ~ -.l i\ri.. ,~I. , I), p~",,'o~ "~i.. ,,Ii.... 7361>,21·281'''' I"" mind rh.. ent..,. the f..", from "itho" II, " I" ' pln,. "'''''M .11.1-1 IT. " Ik .pi'/'• •" ",.." 7.2-&. lr. ,1«", ,",, S".lk....

Copyrighted ma'-lrial

8J

of his primordial triad as "C'Jf3l'dfalher, Son. Tk Cha/daeon ()rod..... contain doctrines likely

tmt these

two very similar soun;e;

Arian (or Eunomian) 0\1l01lClItS.

GI1II1dson ~

~

~

(Frngment 21.5-7, des Places).

derived from NtmenilB, 50 il is

being U'led in some fushion by

~'s

This is evidence of Origen' s influence at work

lItlOIlg

Gregory'sopponerts, for we know that Origcn SlUdiod Numcni lB, if not the Orad eJ. l6

Gregory' s opJnlition to the lll1ion of bioIogkaI relatior
the Son, ~

te, the theological of the Trinity.

nca:s.~

of maintaining the

ah;olutc equality

of the tITee

Unforturnlely, the De , piriju .•anela does not CQnlain the

philosophical elabomtion on the mrure and subsistence of the Spirit thai ooe is \cd 10 expect from Gregory's comment in De fl/io (Oral. 29) 2.6-13. divine mity

that firds

~

in trinity.

~

he m<:otions the

GI3IIled, Gregory doi.:s affinn thai "eadl of these

Person5 possesses unity, not jess with thai which is lI1iled to it 1han with itself, by reason o f the identity of essence and JlO""I",.;I 7 bul this in 00 way help!; 10 explain the

Neoplatonic ramifJC3lions of his earlier formulation.

his rnc:lring is his

IOI~ ~

of an

The only small clue we have as to anaklg

to aid in IIwsaanding the

Trinity, which <m:gory immedialely rejects as inaXquale.

I picture 10 my""lf a lIOlJ",e [aph/halmon]• • ha~

done ""fore. to

0« if

sprin~

IP<'RJ" I•• river [polo",,,,,]• ... od",...

the first might be ana\ogous to lhe fal1>er. the se<:oOO 10 the

'" o r oounc, .. the _ baie x .d Orig""' , in" ......,. "" A,;..KIn is ob>ious, for 0riFf' posited • , ubordin.. i""iOl ""' ~ "r lbe Trinity in hi. lJ< P,iM:¥Xu, as ... h..e " COl, ",hich ",as oo!oI>l
.pin,..""w.-'" 16.14-1 &, It, I'\nnme, S.............

Copyrighted matenal

Son. and tIJ<, third to t"'--r l<>m

~"ay f">m

tIJ<, Holy Ghost. f or in tMsc

I~

is no distinction in time. nor are

thei, ronncdion wnh each other. though they senn 10 be paned by

th"", penonali, ies [tri"in idi,,,e.'I]. n ut I was afnid in tile tiN p~ that I should present a flow in lhe Godhead, incapable of
numerica l unity "oo kl he introduced. For the

1OIM'Ce

and the 'Pring and lhc river are

IIlJlTIerically ,....,. lhough in dilr....,.,. f,,""s."

l lt.~

"e

h1M: a

iIlUWali"" of ... ity (the single

~ le
duality (the ~ng). to

fioo

~

of the ri"",,"), eXleooing into

rest in trinity (the ri ver, wh ich roth depends on the

the spring. and is the lim! result o f the f<-.rmer·s activity).

~Iy

5OIJl"Ce

and

sp:aking. "'e

can scy that the soece is only weh alkol" it has producc:d a spring. r,.. if it had "ut produced a spring uen o f ... "'~ is it a ri,.".. the tl~ll

'spri,~.

the Fmher

is ""

"''' rg.

(mel~Jrica ll y

s("OJI"CC?

f:quaJ ly of the ~ng - in the ebserce of a

In ti,.. "e"",. [>i llun's s!at<:n'l<'n! is " "m." ""

It>

the e ..ce n!

thi.: source of a spring) only fully becores a hthcr

(ll"I{:e

l lis act is compklc and the Spirit (ti l(' ri"",,") has i..wed f\lrth from the Soo (the spring). Hrw.ev«. til(' anal ogy.

"''''-'f1

taken Ihis far, fa ils to ilCCuralc1y n'J'fL'S<.'fI1

Gn~II)" s

thought on ee manor, which is why he ullimatd y n;'JI.:ts it. The mO'l that

~an

be \did. lhen. is that

G~'OI)'

NazianJrn MIS struggling 10

f,,""ula1e a COl'o:t.'JlIion of tile Trinity along NoopL'UOnic lines.. and IOund himself (XlIJling lip

,lion; fo, NI,'(lfllah1nic m,:tal'hysics al...ays p lSilcd the higbesl pirociple as imp
at rest, a loof from its produr., ion. G n1\O!)' needed a roncq>lion of God that ...as equall y

lofty. >'~,

... hich

admil1cd of mOl ion, o f becoming. and. indet:d, o f an ....' ive

COfICmI

for

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ss

dynamic. filled with the ever-moving pre;enoc of God. Gregory, "t:ao1 hefull

'dayspring from

1TI
~W!ml gJe3Ier

destiny." writes

lunility than thai: he sOOuId he n.:.mingled with God. lWld

higll' thai: even 1M 00Iy thing thai: shouJd be Inn be shoukI be called

<Xl

the Son of the Higtiesl . ..r"

It was Grtg<wy's COllect" thai the Trinity noC tl\(1udc: the

pefection of creeed, historical. and esclwoIogicaI hlmllllily.

G~ory of

Nysu.

As we have seen, Gregory Nazian>'O:ll, in his reliance UJIOfI Nroplalooic triadic formulations,

w""

unable to give an aoo:plable acooml of the Uoly Spirit and its rdalion

to the oeer two Persons o f the Godhead, and 10 crealion. Gregory o f Nyssa

with the same problem

ll§

\'1M

dealing

Nazi3\1l'O\, i.e., the exrrere Arianism of Emomilll. who "'lIS

In fact, 50

sophisticated was the logical rigor of EunomiU$ thai viltllally irrvert a

him.

new logic I-..::d

This new logic _

scparaled fi'om Inmanit)' by

G~

of Nyssa was forced to

00 a strictly Uri:stian ..rod-view in order 10 refute

based 00 the pranisc: thai God' s I1lItIn is alempo.:-.al and

a 'spacing' or

'disctrtinuity' (diculbflu ). md thai God is

,. Dtfili<> l~ )Ol l~l, 1r.1\n:noo..... s . .. So mud! Of> th. Tl>eool<>m """,plaj desf'oiri",ly of E""""'i...• 't«lIlM>Iogk al tMoIo.'flf (1ItNn" ica"''' fi>b . """.. ~,.,..Jtdj... &3.-'lO.l4-20); cf.. . Kolb'. fArly C~l'is l/Q" I.loct,j ~•• p. 249,

Copyrighted malanal

86

onl)' knowable empirlcal ly tlToug.h lhe evidl:ru of his energies or llctivilics (e' '''1),' '';<1I)

f'(~ioo

l he

of EulOlllius "as quhe solid. al lcasl according 10 the standards of

argllm,ll of the Secood Sophistic.

l ie argued tll3l siro::e there can only be II si ngle fi l';(

prin.;ipk: called C><>J, then The Son of God is not property uodcr.
~K-d I:>ei~

MIll'" than the Falhi..T.Jl

JDi.

a primordial

diff~'fI.'llt

This idea of Eunnmills b'OCS hack. of cocrse. 10 Origcn and

of first pr1ro::iple.., a

and the odlef indefi nite.

alld lho:n:l, l!'C must be said to possess a

~

and 11 D)ad, of opposi ng

m1tn'l,

one limiled

In Middle P1alOOisrn the idea prevailed thai: the D..milJll;e

ronlemplalcd the Mind of God. uoo..-r.;tood as the unity of

Ideal Numbrn or

-mmh.:malicals.~ and translated These Ideal Numbers imo the gcomc1riclIl exlellSion by " hio;h malll.T was given foon."

In this ~ the l>cm i~ is of II kM-I:T on.ie'r !han the

highe5t God. the One or the Good. ilIld is separmed from Him omologically. Following Origcn, Eunom ius oonsido."I1I til: Son as The OcmilJl'gC. or the helper of the Fad,,-... in cl\.minn, ) 1:1 not

onlok~lI y

""'lual to

IIi s ~.

As

("0"

the lIoly Spirit. it is simply

CtlllSioc'fl'" as the fiN alld most glorious of the Falhcr's crealiOlli. worthy of bei ng

inchd:d in Ihe fixlhcoo.J4 G"¥'-lI)' NazianJl:r\ COOIpk.1ioo

Of

l"i

we h,we seen, wanlc:d I..,

~

!he Trini!)' as a sort of

realir.llio.\ll of lI1c .... l'll1al prOOuctive moI:ioo of lhe Godhead. in the

I1llDler

" So; J. 1'~h l.Ml. C~'i'U~nil," 0 11. l in ' 0" I~lth...... ",rJ rIoo"llh'. 1'1'. 27·.U 11

r"'"...·•

""'IDi)..lh",.1.-"'/,'' ''''('Jr."" "", IJoe" ',, MiM I. rI""",i

1', H'J. Pl'. 1. 17. l'J. Ole.; oko 1::. M,~"" (2UO'h 1'1.1<"'''''" j'd . f"""". II, , ,, .......... ~ .. ~ /"" '" F",)<:I<" ,",I" oj l'hil_'1>h)'. .. "clll .I:",!.. Cltri>li on fJ.":" in••• p. 2~. " So; " So;

MMidl l<

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87

o r Porphyry.

Problems

an;lSC.

however, when his altempled explanations couJd nol be

IkveIopnerA of Iunan inlelled. The

..,iq...., o;:untributioo or Grego!)' of Nywo resides in

his postulate that "the word 'Godhead' signifies an

operarioo

t·....w

ia] and not a nallR

(phusilj:'" As Gregory explains:

We do

nol

Ieam lhal lbe Falher does something on his own. in which Ihc Son does not IX>"

operalc. Or again, lhallbe Son acts on his own withoullbe Spirit. Rather don

e~ery

differing conoepIions of il have illi origin in Ihc f ather. p<:><:ft'd through the Son. and """'" its ~pldioq by the Holy Spirit."

lIere we haw

~

lak ing the Porphyrian idea of a prot:IS'l involving mane, proodm ,

epistrophe, and awlYing it 10

~

inlJlt. Trinitariln onI%gy thai: is, by definilim, beyl.Di

the full COOlplti ellsioo of human illleliect. Grego!)' has m problem with positing motion w.hin the GOOhead, so ~ as this motion is nol intcrpo:ted as involving mlbbility in

God's relation 10 His creatures. Yet he is careful to insist that '1n]o delay exists or is 10 be c:oncci\llld in the movemenl of the divine will from the Falher through the Son and to

the l loly Spirit: ·11 Trinity~

Bolh the ..,ity of

IIllIUre

and the difTcrenriation of Persons in the

preserved in ~'s following lOOnulal:ioo:

.. Ad ~ I>iQM~.. q~OJa M... l.

';M, _•.hi J, " 011>.16-17, II. c.c. Rio:hordoon.

1.(7.21 ..41.2, II. RkMnbon.

" Ad A bJa~i.", 3. 1.21,lY-l I, Ir. RicluRk<>n.

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Althoogh "" ...-koo.. ledge ''''' naru", [of tho Trinity) i. lIIIdiff.......m""nI. we do 001 deny II dis!inclioo wil li I'eSJ"'CI to ClI"",liIy. That is .he only "3y b)' which"", diSlingu ish """

the COO"" .•• TIocl'\' isthat whictl d<.'J'Cf'ds on lhe firs! cause and that which is defi....cd rnlfll

f,,"ll the falher. IOu.. ,"" l"rI<.'dioti"n or the &11\ while it guards his J"l.'l"OlliIliv" of l>eilljl. m1y. begoocn. doe! 001 c~c1 l1
halle here II mther s<,phisticated phibophical conceplion. akin 10 the latCf

We

r"nn ul,~ioo

It.: ""ll.-e ml..

of I'tod us. i,e. II s..'hom1a involving a triplV1ite co-inherence of nature.

"r!he

Tri" i1y docs not ",.,,11 in ,he production of f"rt""" 1W1r""....

bo.~

only of

"''''Irt' - !he cn.'a1 ion. the cosmos, held t.~...1her by the t'nery.>ei" " fGod .

' o1iSUJn1 inuity' ll..1Wl"Cl1 God and /li. cn:aliln

the _

TItis is rKlI a purely r...galiltC coru'f't. in

thal it sqJlII1Jles C,,-.l tium humanity: mlller. it serves

~

II mearrs of prcs<:rving.

lhc<.lI"CIically, !he easceroerce of God "hile ~ng l lis a.:tivities ("""'1,,'<'1<1;) in

" .ld ,{1>I"~i~,,, J. I , S'.2~'t>. IO. lr, Rio;/I;It,j",n. ,.. f'r<>
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89

From !he side of God, there is no gap (Jim/imal. All crea:ion is immediately

~t

to

hi'n - in a ll its n t....ion of 'll8Ol: MId lime. All lime and a11 1lplloC<e has come to W .'" oro:;e'

and are IO(I:dl>er in !heir entirety alway, pnenllO God - or 'in God' .""

his work suggests:

It is the mart. of Dei ty ro pervade lI'Verything and ro e~tend 10 ~ pw1 of ee nlllure of

exi:5ting thin gs. Nothing. indooed, could wnl;nue- in

e~iotence

did if not have itt being in

!he con:inlJllROl' of cxisting things compels US to believe d\aI iI ~ al1 lhat is."

Yet I feel it is

~

to interpfet this

passage by

~fening

to !he Platonic idnt of

panicipation (melll. xil), rather than to the Stoic: notion of a Iut\an.dMne (sumpnoia).
'~brealhing'

We mIN, h<;>wever. be clear as 10 what the idea of participation means for

souls haw their origin in IXlIl-bcing. having been called i..o eeserce by God. In this he

is follo\.\ing AllulasiU'i.u

Our participation in the GOOhead is our yeaning and desire

for proximity to God, and is !lOO1dhing dynami(, based on

(U'

absol~

6tt:dx1l of wil~

.. P... ~ .. Iol.. C ~ C".., k MoM, 1M 1'IwoJotf)' afSi. G~KO'Yaf !'lY'''' (1'1... Yon: " - " "

n.

' ''''''''" 1 9U;~ pp. '». " G~,,,, "f Ny.... Oro,;" CDIK W ,ka _ , _ 12.<4').5(, Ir. Ridlordoon. •, S« M.. ~ Co.., k Ma~, p. 7 It: .. F. CopIeslon, A of Plriltaoplr" vol . 2, MN KMWlI P!ril<noplr,. r-t I (Nmo- Yotk: '.... IkW 1%2). p. c~ too el.....ly .0 Il. neni. IIIoupI. .. O. ;""".....,, _ w r/>l 4.1 ((

Ili.-,

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"'" 01' an ~'1cmal '''''"klgical ,;talUS.

Em""",m:d by God' ,

b~ing.

l'ar1 ici ~ion

in the Godhead is ...,m<:thing. gramcd 10

man held. lofty p"'iliofJ. lie w a<; al'P',inlcd tll ru le Ovcr

Ihe eart h and . 11 ,he erea tures on it. Hi. form was beautiful, for he Wi>< tmn~'
image of the an.:het:) pal heaUiy. By nalurc he"M tree from passion. for he WM a eopy of IIi", who i. .. itho..., pass;'lII. lie ..", full of eandt.... rn'Cling in lhe direct

~isiofJ

of

G..1"

Reading lhi. passage, it is hard 10 ecccpt Mar Gnogorios' conclusion !hal GfCll:"'Y is 001 a Ore need . imply nul

l'\aton ist· ·

tt.:

"sU1 si'nile~ of Plato' . R,'puNk VI (5Olla IT.).

aed !he f,1f1lOU'\ "aIk.'gO!)' of lhc C3\1:- in R<'I'IINi<: VI I. in order to Tccugnizo: lho: pun:

as

~i nJagC

of

c,oo-

means,

flO(

thal the hUlIlan being pos.o,e;ses God' s nature or

bei~

but

r:llhcr that the human bd ng retkoclS the glory of the GOOhead in a tcmpmll, tinite

falhion.

Yet not (lIlty oocs humanil)' JIlII'licipale in tho: Godhead. but lhe Godhead

" Orolio ~"udt~,j,-.J ""'~"" • .104-1 11. II, RitIMic .. It
1'1.",

• , pl.i "" lho 1,"~'l<:Cnd,...1 .·i.io ~ " f ' hal 1 hf, r l. '"" i

'''tn ,h,,,,,h hf,i,,~ ... ;''' 4<

~, ...... ~= .

and lho .. 01. of tho ...,..1 that ..".."d. to . ""h a ' i.i, .

of ( ;r<:'\IO,,- ",.idn i" hi. ",,,, , ieli,,,, ,h. , ". on: . i,. I.. ,h i. 1......,.""""1 ~'M>1 . /".... il> na, ,,,,, ,,' ....11<.-.: (o.... iu ., Oil' \ in""ip i. I"""i",l,h" . in

",Ir.

( ~od)

or ow

of( ~>
Copyrighted matenal

" !lad 10 be mingled with hlanan naItR. In this way its desire Ife.' di~ine goodness) would <,:orrnpond to !I
Tle Platonism of this

~

is a11l'lO'
of Mar Gregorios. [ wilt simply poi... my n:ader 10 l'IaIo' s Timut'us (45b-d). where the

"the p
l his CllIICqJlion is, in my view (aid

pace Mar Gregorios),

closer 10 Gregol)" s intended meaning than the maleriaIisric JUMptwia of Stoicism; for _ koow tla P\i>jo's '"plR fire" is simply

II

poetic plese for the divine illlellect

This

terminology was taken up by Origen. who corrsid=d 1he ' fire of hell' to mean,

Participation then, for Gregory, means an existence in accordance with lUI energy

or irw;olination implanted in us by God. ie., 1he inclination lOr perfectim.

~

eternity - fOr deity itsdf.

IWlhalevt'r is derived from the uncreated nature [God) has its ... bsistence out of

If it acts according to its nature. !hi. continual d>ange is for 1he bem:r, BUf if it i.

diYftted from the SIJ'lIighl paIh, there succeeds • movement in !he opposite d;m:tion

Ii.c~

back lOWard noo-bcingl.'"

.. ON,;o CQt«M l icd

_1/_

'.#-4Y.

tr.

RKt>.doon.

" T" DJ . byt in J.M.C"""",,, od, p. 124R. so o.a"o ...,,«/rf't icd ",OK_ I , 161_1t.a. If. Ridlanloon.

Copyrighted matenal

" On t1...~ grounds. GII:£OI)' conceives
pri mordial ~ (nor>-bci ng~ bo.J to its informing. animllir"G priociple - God.

When.. 0""'" long p<Tiods of li_.

[~ill ~

been

~ and

those oow tying in sin

ha\'e l>cen r<."Slon:d 10 lheir origi",,] $Illt" [u,ihuloll uf'<'ju/u"....isl. all <TI9ion will join in

un;too thanksgiving. b<.J!h lh<.-..c .. h,,'e puriflQllion has inwlved pun ishment lIIId those

Like Yet

Ori~'I\ GIl,.'l:"'Y evro iro:ludcs G~

the devi l among \In;c firol ly albining salvalion.

dues nul oescrite (he salviflc stnte as involving a repose in God. a>

M,,:umlfS will Iat~.,. do (in a qUite radical "'''y. as we shall 5Ce ).

Rather. for (jn.~Ul)'.

salvalioo inltOlves a COlllirM.1OUS "'beooming" or IOOtOO toward God. never rea:hing fultilh"",..

This c'OOl;nlluus nllJlion is the n:suh of the socrs rettiving the divine.

lran,formative pow er.

reS! (.,'mi' l. because sudl a one has soared lip inlo the ir>
Grego."Y is here oocc 3l!Jlin intluen.:ed by Orib'Cfl, for ",tun the salvif.. state is oee of conslanl delving inlo the mysk-riei of the GOOhead, as we have

Sl.'eIl.

Grego ry's

" O",,'io rd'ff""';': " "lal("" 16.. 7J-77. 1r. Richank<",_ " II. U. "'" 1I.hh."". I',~",.a
"""'/lh,.

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93

COIlCeplion is perhap; more

'm~ical'

This is lft'Ci!lely the meaning of

'm~ic'

!han Origtn's, for !he greal AIexardrian's

t>rulfi.l:03), as inYo/ving a mu. ,irion or ' hidden

discussed leter. For this reason. Gregofy of Nyssa is riglrtly

f,;ta....,j

lIS a 'mystic,' a

lnm

thai: does l10l apply. in its strictest sense, toOrigen. l~

One final lqlic of importance must be llddn:ssed. in relation 10 Origen and Gregory (for the

~

Cappadocian was also the one

Alexandrian prNecessor) - te , the oonc:epI of fR:e win .

chaptn, Origen face of the

wao;

mosI

deqlIy influerud by tis

A s dlSCUlMd in the previous

a champion of the concept of absolute freedom of will

divine ~.

Gregory is an equally fervmt l(lhoIder of this view.

rigon:o..os marner of Origen. lIJ'OO human freedom in rd8lion to God

soul's motion

0lJ.

of noo-being into existence.

stale" of the soul. be is

not. lIS

When

~

in tile

eatain

His denial of die

(~ ~

of an "original

is Origcn. speaking of an llCtUaI proximity of souls 10 the

Godhead. huI IlIIher to II>: -......cc of evil or sin in lhe ...... 1. "The ~

r.'aI

satiated. desire for God is. for

G~,

e\'Cr_ incmo!Jng.

!hough

l10l the gradual relum 10 a podagogical

relalicmhip with God. bul the ever-ina=ing ' Iheandric' nal\R of the soU flo borrow a · ' lhid.•p.U .. This if not uI . 1.., t>«oo.. of hi. (JIl I.." l!Ieo<etin l) -.:Imi.. i"" \be I"""ihi l~y or fuN ... r.lb of .....1s. .. bid\. 10 the pucnc ....i'.. oj k:.. ~ di"""",,1I ony _ iOll or. ' my.. ;",,1 ferwr' in Ori~ ·. phi"""....,.

nr

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

a system " here the soul is said to

~

been called out of Ix"," being and prevenl<:d.

otoIivion. and Ihcn.'by luldt."nining God's CfE".I1ive aet. "

Origen's lhooly of pe- ecserce of souls provides a foo..nlatiort for the 11OIion of

"ilh Origen's imNcro;e 011 humanity's al>!;olute fn:cdoln of "ill.

II is

In.lC

thai o.'ftain

scholars have crttkized Origcn for falling into coouadicfion based on his doctrine of <1f_,t
!O;l

ll..l" say. a unailing of humm fn:w..." for the

of uni~l restoral ion of SOIIIs..'"

pllIJllJ!;t

This critcism of \he Ale>:.aoJrim is easily dismi'iWd

"hen '"' not 0111)/ m:al1lrot the soul has d-.e ability 10 £.111 ever ag;U1I into sin (a snrt of

e.\ isl~'Ilt

stale

~

be taken .1" 3)' liurn il. in Ihe sense Iha1 n is possible - no mailer

how far the soul SlTllys lrom that sl.11e _ to re-altain it. Here, fltell"m lllO'''s no Ixx""ls, and " hen Orig<:ll

53) 'S

that tl-.e end is al" a)'S like \he begilVling. he is 1X1I sp...'1ling of

" ,><- ;"""''''''~ •..,rbi I> If.

r l". M..,.. : ..· SICCOII>
lI"",. y."

1'. . .

l).,.•

on,,,,, "' """

Copynghled matenal

95

etemal recwrerce in the SIoic sense, but rather of an ecemal possibility for

creative.

hislaical ecseoce, in which no age or
Gregory. on the ocheI" hand. is tmable 10 posit 8 unique, sovereign ousia of the !lOI.l1, for his PIatook-derived notion of panicipalion requires him 10 locale the substance

of the soul in ils depo.:ndau on God; when the soul, aa:ording 10

~

(fol lowing

the persmal activity of the soul in history being responded to by God in a pcdagogicaI ITIlnla",

~

in Gregory we serse an inuption of the deity into hLmal1 history, for the purpose

denied to the soul. which is forced 10 move eternal ly in the direction of Go:!.

n:gan.lle;s of personal de<:ision. Grqp'y. in his rdi.153I to adopl Origen', doctrine of prel5~

existent souls, failed to provide a philosophical support for his mrncrous

being as a p :lSSibiity, for as Hdlenistil: lhi'*ers they _ of II soul !hal willingly ctooses oblivion over the

~11ir¥

~

of

10 admit the mlli lism

of the good

Yel

Origen is

more consistent than Grqpry, for he docs not describe the soul's genesis as a calling OUI

trom I1Of'I.being, but rather as pee-exserce with God.

llI1

lIlemporal reality belonging 10 the sooI by nalle.

i.e~

its

Gregory, on the 0Iher hand. adopls the Athana..ian t1OIion of

souls being crealed out of non-being. which places a limil on the Ilbilily of Ihe !lOUis to ad

fn::ely and as their own SO'IIneigno; - for all is permtned 10 them. excepe a

~version

10

.. S« A,hana. iuo. Dt i""O"'M .."

hi (If, .. Sc<, for """,pIe, o,."ti<> c.r 'UMl iat _ lin" 29,

Copyrighted matenal

lheir original SUIte. i.c.• noo-h•.'.;rtg.

Gf'et,'Ol)" s l
OUI of hi, hish rq;ard for IIwt, !he Sovm:ign of !he uniwrsc lell SOInclhing under 001 0"'" OOIltrol and oh ..hich each ofu, i, .1!<: ""Ie masl.,... I """",,!he wilt a facuhy ....hich is

nee fru", hc.lIIdagund i,~. arld is grounded in the fm:dom

The ·i n...' lklll1 of the minu F t'ltll",riu Ji"""kD] II1
of lhe mind."

G ~oory speaks of

docs IlOI cxtend

10 a voliTion of II sool in opposition 10 God. For G regOf)'. the soollhat opposes God is t(lI'Xfully cjeensed by ne ' divine tire' (", hich he

i~crpn.'Is.

li~e 0ri","'1\

as ue mcmal

is a ~mil 10 freOOoln in GII.'gOl)'·s IIJOUghl. for. like Alhanasilt'i. 00 volition at odds ... hh

chaprcr. M...~imll' the Con fe'<'lOI" dev elops this ilea 10 the extreme. in his docIrine That the

tncama1.ion would ha....., o,:cum.'l! ", heIhcr or r<JI I..nanily fell a""')' from God. the uhimale inlOOlicn (Mm ) of the creaticn oc'ing divine incamarion - a r<JIion tll.'II makes

lim"", exisrcncc an:! volilion. ultimately. a tUr.:rioo of the Godllead. "ith Iun:Jn freedom

~"lk ing

a bock-scott kl thc divine Will.

I ...ill no'" proceed 10 disc uss our final CappaoJociaJ\ St Basi l the G reat. a< well as

E\~lt'i

l'u1r icto;. "'00 was n'Sf'
.. Om ' io "" ' «Mil", "'''Il~'' 3O.lJ-J7. tr, Rich.w'incd ~ .. I. •, Or",,,,"""'''M';''-'' ..,,~ .... JSJ :N- '~ I

°

",.",.,.r

f,,,

°

Copyrighted matrmal

97

irtroo:ha:ing il into mma'Slic circles. This latter ftglft will only be IreaIed of triefly. since !he pepose of this

S1Wy

is

10

examine the philosophical impIicaions of Origm's

eschatology. In! not his legacy in the monastic li3dition

Iloweva-, Ewgri15 is an

important influence on Maximll!;, aro:l for thai he is worthy of some considcnllion,

allOOu@ll

OU"

main

Wi...,,"

h= is wilh Maximl,ll;' phiklsophical inflllell<eS, esplCially

Stephanll5 of Alexandria and, of COllISe, P!;eudo. Dialysius.

Basil was \Odl-read in Hellenic liternture, especially Ikmer. Plato, Herodol:us, lllld the

rhetoriciam..

H~,

he was convinced !hal pagan liternture is to be valued ooly for the

theology. Basil was more CClIlSeIv.ll.ive !han eilher his brother Gregory of N)'rM a his friend Grego!)'

~ remain~

in

ITIO';1 thi~

!he faithful heir of

A~llS

ar>d

h-cnaeus.6J Basil's devolion 10 Nicenc orthodoxy was un...,...mng. yd he failed 10 attain

NlI2ianzm, who (as we have seen) philosophical lhroIogy. with simple

obedme

al

least ollempled to fOl111ulare a speculerive,

Rather, Basil COlJIlSeIed the inquisitive 50UI 10 remain 10

God's commandments, scdUng knowledge: of God

contenI "TIlJ(

by

carDJt 5Cl::~ (limn i" Mom. Mart. 4) blt by remaining in silm expcctaIion of ftrther •• Set G.L. ~ . ,00 j~ Pd"''';'; 11oo "g~1 (lond>n: Compen """_ .

TIo; F"'~T'

s.p.ex

("""1 PI' H2-2M; ond II. VOtl

<>{I/o<: Gr«. Ch" .-cIl (I"""""': Adem """ l llorb Il'-:k 19631 1'1'. MolOO,

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

" re-.'elation from God.... 1111S anilude of Basil does not un Ihcolog:ical

spxuL~ ioo, bul

IllCl\I1

that he gave up complelL'ly

simply that he "'lIS far more cautious and COI\SCI'YlIlive

than the OIlier two Carpedoctan Fathers. placing his inletlect always in the $l.wice of eeclesj;t;lical politics. and

This is

not,

lll;hit.","~nen~

l1I.'Vef

in the sole sevee of IU\' phiboJilic:a1 spt:aJlalion.

oo...e vcr. to dismiss hlm as of roo import;n;:e. In

my

Vl\.·W.

was his ~flll

argurt1<.'n1S

6l

Has;r! I1105t importalW against the doctrines of

A[XJiIiIms. which I shalilricfly Slmmarin:."

At the ",mILT of Ap'~lirwis' dol;lrine of the Incarnation is the assertion that

Ilum'1I1 lksh (dle b1xly) blumc

God and man) in Ouist. a doctrine

Chakednnian Orthotloxy.

I'u«J with the Gulheoo "ln a

Ih:~

",a, to beo;:ome m::h an import.1f1I

Ill' argued lhal

.,he

as a single person t "." .« ip",,)."" Apnl1inaris

w;r;

]ile and

f(r

if..'1J:

divine Word wac< suhstilllled for the

oonl11d hunn1 psych<>Iogy in Orisl....3 and thai Ill' pos.o;;esses.

reliJle any l1Ol ion that Chlbl possessed tml

si~

HO!J<'

M

nalure tnia ph""i,.)

roo(;Valed in this IIlt'lJ1)' by his desire to

COIlI~

...ills. ore htrnan and one divine; for

.. ('....p«lh.""'n. ,~ fa'~" ,",''' (;",,1. Ch" ,...It. p. 94. •, h ma)' b< "Mucd th. , fl. ,;I". ",,"sc,, . ,i,-c awro-ch to ' pcal l.,;. " lhoo~' i, d... "'.. ,~ hi, ",fe';o.. i~'cll"d"., Bffl'i' Y lh... ,,, hi, li".t ,,,..,,,,. ond cnn..,...... d urin8 ' "''Y l"nsc p<:rioo " f Ch urch hi," ...), . .. Ik~h Gn:l""''''' II ",,,'It he: n,oI<:o.1 Mc. ~ " ell)', £""Iy 0"'>1;"0 j)'x lFi M ' , pp, 1'I~JIH,

Timolhy' of llcQ ' u>. I.p oJ II"", (lw. 27Il~ Kell, . £,,'/y {'h,;""", 1" >"" '" lh< l..-m by OriS"'" d , IJr . f

".X."''' 'her,'' Ifi.",,,,.

"",ploy<>d

M

f ,J, ". ;",'urn. 6 (h:l'~ l'l'l~

Copyrighted malanal

99

were

if ttis

the case, then

OU"

salvation would nol be guaranteed. for Ovisl would he

divided in His thoughl. and theref(V'C an lIlV'eliabie source of redemprion.70 This doctrine of the "'Wily of

mn.e~

(/u>fflid.! phusiti) of the divine Logos and

the fle5h it took 011" implicitly denied, as !he CappaoodWl5 quickly realized. that the ~image

of God'" in which we were created is

OIl"

;male

l3liooality or iotelled (lagrl.J.

Rather, this doctrine S1 'W""'ed !hal OIJ deilicarion (thM i.1) il1YllMs m

now ).

fulfillment of OU" J..nan

rlllIltt

in its rrialioo to GOO, bla raIher a change of

0lI"

a

1I31ure,

The Cappadocian ~ 10

Apollinarian doctrine, heralded by Basil, COl"6isted of affirming "the definition of the

i,"¥ of God as ratiornlity,M and ..,._

ing !he Athanasian formula thai Chri5l could

nol heallhilt which l ie did root~ . As Gregory Nazianzen writes:

Afl)'Il"le who

~

in him as a

mal

wit"'-"" • human

m ind .. molly bneft of mind ond

unworthy of sa lvalion. f or thai which he has 001 lISSUIl'oIed he has not cured. but thal

which is ""ited to his deily is also saved."

As J. Pelikan remarks, OIl this of mind '

'WaS

JllISSllge,

'lbIy a coroIlaJy. therefore, jUSl. an '00 one bereA

capable of gra;ping the faith in the incamale

('Jf"Ie,

so the incarnate one could

.. r.....-.. K<:ny, 291, :m.

1 ( Udz., 204~ ..... Ck fld- ~I me.u... 9 IUd<. 2OZ~ ..d ;l _~pIt_ 9: B ; 10 (Lie«.,

243 r. ~

A'

" F........ In; 1< dm;r>cI;"" bel ...~ l~d,u.r>d M 1IO,i • . In II>< F..tem « it< urdcntood .. dc:nollnf • dt.,;... """'<'Ief or e etenlll otri';ng for tho< Godhelld ( I<> UOC { gory of Ny_ ' s ... , _ ~ ,.he lall... IlichllO, ~ it denoood a voluntai ly ~1i_ishinl of hom.. v"lition and its repIacn<:epI in formiq lam blichan ...... ul'JY~ (,....." . , lI';,, ); cl rlmblichuo.. iN IOJ-

6.01... G. Shaw. TM . ,V a"J ,..... & . 1.- TM l>'rop/D _ i... ofI"",Mk h... C1t • • eop, P. 51. " lp. 101 CI'G J?=11 1~ •. ""'.." ('/Iri..k>ttlty " "J ("hii. k ,,1 (:""*-. 1'1'. l tl-l19.

"'Y'''''';"

Copyrighted matenal

100

r10l

1>0: bereft of mild....• T" po.~ ~ mm: ck31y. if the image of God is not itself present

in Ood r10l

i.e.• if hu rnVl reason is

r10l presenI in

the divine ltlgos - tIul hun:rl rea;on ",i ll

he raio;cd up to God in salvation C-OIN.'qllelllially, thaI " hich is most ro.1blc in '" and

n<.~,n.~

'0 God

( uta' ""'-'OIl)

the (oo.ud,tioo ofChalccdou;an

"ill not be dciticd.

The Caw ado,;:iam; displayed die

Ol1hodo~y .

•••• •

life. ' lis
pn.'I;lfiJl"

~1 r. I...Jd

00l
of Maxim.... Like Ma."imllS Ill'; we shall see ) B&il

believed ecetc discipline capal>k of raising .he soul up to a

~le

Campenhausen d escribes, the "tne .-...:If is lihernted, f....isb:d with

wi~

t,,:yond the consl ri<.1ing bwTit.-rs.

tecore one

",j' ll God.....

1

1I ~1l

sta1<'lTH.'I1t

t...'COm itl;

and raio;cd !OX

~

Ood, and

('al11l....nlla,,,,..', rcmarts IU1I...T. ro. ing that 1 tl"is OOIICC(1lion

derh 'e"; from Net"1Jlalonic m\:1."ph)'sics TIlis

n may give nsefr wholly 10 God,

in " hich. es

aro:j

lhe ideas of UasWs tekwed master, Ori~ ...•

Ie-.aves me miller at a kISS. for nowhere in Origen do we read of the soul

'"one with Go:"j"' - a distiroion is a lways mailllained. as Origcn's doctri'le of

jXlS." ;bIe fulure ralls olwiln;ly attcsl\.

Also, in NcopIatonism. one is hartl- pressed 10 lind

C"I'..,....

" Ch, ;.,wn;r,' ~"" Cla"kf,1 p- 278. " Con"",nh _. 1M F~I""'" ~f 'lo< (;,..ACh......lt. p . 88 " ' hid.

Copyrighted matenal

10 1

limblidu. for eumple. as he eIahoolIes his theurgical doctrine, is capable of speaking

of ht'OOfU, or 'mity' with the divine, yet this unity is JD1er.;lood in terms of aet(ivities),

and

IlOl:

in tenns of abiding. existence, or being (see above. note 72). It is obvious 10 the

present miler thal Basil wao; II simple lTlOOllSlic mystic, who elevated God's lJ3lscmdenI TI
aOOve the human intelled thai

~ion

into deity became, for him, the

only ' logical' <Mwme of a I-on;n.divine relari
who. perhaps

S uch 1TJOmSlie misuse and

of Origm I'USI: 10 a boer pill;h in the II'lJlJghl of E~llS PooIic16

ITIOI"e

!han

llI1)'

oCher thinker of the period, contributed

10

Origen 's

posthumous coodemnalion. II is to a discussion of him tIIllIwe now tim.

Origen and Evagrius were joinely condemned al the secoed 0I:cmw:nical Council (Conslanlinople, 553 A.D.). The writing-; of Origen. specirJCally the EN Principiis, were

seen as the soun:e of Evagrius' departurto from orthodolQ'. As F. X. Murphy observes. "there can be little doul:( that while Origen 's speculations wen: jilt down as exlnIVaganI

by SlICCC'eding generations, it was the bolder OI.IlJ'ellCh of Evagrios in his attempc co encornpass the II'hoIe of reality, divine and

I'unan. within a vast

~ ~cm

thai occeslored their coodarmalion in boIh til: fOll'th and sixth oenIlIics. .'11 The quesl

o f Evagrius for a complete IICrolD of cn:ation and ho.mm ral,R led him to wlize

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

102

lrnditiUl1 thai p:rvadl.-s ~ Ollistilln ~ligion 10 this day,"'·

Evagrius received his acquaimence with Origen from the Cappadocians. and

led by one A mmoniU<. a gJd: aJrnirer of Origen. N

lX-spi1e the admonirioffl o f his

IllOSI adv,:I111rcsoIl1C thcolugical spccuL'lIioll of any O ll'isIiw1 thinkcr: ' u

5<.'

In

ucec

Evllgli us

about codil}ing the speculations of Origen (ao; set (or1h in the iJ
~)'Slem.llically

:.>ld

altem~

at a fOlYllal

By this Ballha>.ar likd y mcwll thuI. EvagrillS

sy J1l ~js.

",ao;

so much so Ihal It Uts VOIl

more ccoccrred than Origcn ",1111

cia/lnlllling a coh.:rel1l philosophical -.mid-.... iew. lWld desiTOll'l of crafting a logically

servce of tile escencer aro.l rnysti<:al <:11 " fthe monastic rommt.';'k's oftllal ~'C.

lhe thougIll of Evagrius

s<"efT1S

to have inclined quire nall-ally toward Gnosticism

(/,.." " r 11m the inflllCfll'C of the GJ10SIics

"'IIi""

, ,11';

still alive in his era), specitically in his

or t"tl ·anih.nos· of Gud '" ...an.! I lis Creallon

,. II*!.. p. 2n. ,., It. d

- one of pun: b'Ol>d1lCSli, the otl..... of

ti,,,

'" 11.. G.. il............. A"<"""I~'u (;".... af:...,,~ I~ Pn",iq... ~I rAi",>irr ', Mh.~ri", Ponl icu, ..,.j ()";~ i",,' in O"I"n"'"" 1~,,;". p. 253.

So,""-,,,,,,,,,,

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

103

strict judgmeot and ordering. ' 2 The fall of souls (a'I described by Origen) is inl~'l'pJelod by EvagritI'i as a movemenl or motioo

Before the

ITIOVUf>efII

W..es;.•) away

from God (I concqJI thm would

[of sou'" . ....ay from God). God was good. !he creator of the

incorporeal (intelligences) ... after, he became the crealor of bodies, I judge aod

.0...._ - " Origen himself does

nol

separate or disl:inguistl between God', activities before and after

the fall; always is God under.;tood by Origen as a pedagogical fon:e -

tte only diff-.;e

in JllR contemplation of the Godhead, .-flile in the former (OU" prnenI existence) we are immersed in paedeutic hislU)', working ever back towards

()IJ

primordial state.

The

naIVe and simplislic noOOn of Evagril6 - thai God somehow changN His atlilude toward

His crealion aIler the fall of souls - leads 10 a conception of God as our j lldge, IlOl as our

Father, and ends with a view d" OU" relationship 10 Him I'd as one of children 10 parent, but of citizen to guvmrnent, a submlination of the per.;on 10 a

the penon becomes merely an individU81.

syssem

of law, wherein

N. 8erdylle'V m:ognized this view as

.. Th io _ ms l<> be • ""..... subtle .."i, ion .. r tho doctri... of "'.cion.. which "'~'" t hai there ore 1_ d;'I;....1 .1Id ....... . 1 (I"'...~ h f'H>l ~l) God., on< IIIC'I'Cly j ..... md lhe olho:r pcrf«:lly l ood. h qri ... seems lO have t:<>mhil'led I"" Iwo M."ion ite God> by intapreting tho differi tli oft"" on< n ..d .. 1_ m",,", or iii. ~ I Olion ... ip ...; Ill sinful h"",..ity. Allhou@ll Gno.>Otici ger I ,ill l inlelle<wal ..,..,. in hqri...•• "'"Y• ...,.,on, ",IOIi""ly .... lJnn
Copyrighted matenal

104

J'ojji(lOOIlS lO aulll.'l11ic OTisti'Ylity. r« ~ leads lliIlurally to a relief in dcI11aI ohnnarion.

in hell. and in GOO as judg.e of actions. Iknlya<...... coerecrly

e~plai ns.

nol

of

per.iOO5 -

and

110

b.·come an incamalion of e\'i~ for the

person can ever, as

i~

of God ;.; in

lI'

all. and "hile it can te <Jbscln'd throogh sin. it can ~\'ef be effaced all~1h"r."

Maximus

Evagri us. does

\h",

nol

Conr.,,,,..... hdr to Origen and

alii himself a monk like

1:111 inlo this lln"'onhy conccplion of God. but he

point. i.e., he do.'SCIihes ""Ivation as the

presence.

Ori~,.eni""

"'J'I~

of

~

em;

on a diff<.'ll.'!11

ego I>y the

dow.:

This is LYllam"\In1 10 a deIl;,,1 of the importance of pc<sOOhood. and the

po.TSi" ...lCc of pl.'l'S<.ndity in

esdlill'~"gical

exiSl<:nCe.

f'U1111l.'f, Ma"imus' idea thal It.::

Incamal i'lll would have occurred " 'helm or m tun.ril}. fell irto sin - the P"1'JlOSC of cf'l:
arg~

- mluces our exislen<:e lO

a lilOClion of the Godh:ad. and rob!; our persoeoood of any meaning.

In spite of this

troublesome COIL'qllion of our !klll/irlC stale. Ma"i1111JS holds a very loft)' vio.·w of

arguing lhiJI our n>le In cll"alion is k) mise ",orId it'iClf - k, deiflC3lion.

bc-ing, deshuyoo bt.')<100

for the salce of

enici<~"9

in UJ:

righls

p...rso.....

If;

Ihroo.~

sci<~ni rlC

r....1oly.. fanning ~

all of ml...: - all
In hal situalkJl\, il which envif'OlYOC'I1tS are

n'P"ir

expl
~

11IItR,

n~igk"l

Ma"imll'< the Coofl'SSOl' IIMJI\" timely.

Cl\Jt.~ly

d..'VClopmcm and the ever- illCl\..'"1Sing need for

lo)'SIcm; and

of their

OVI.y-pupulalioo ;nl \\31': animals

human trilgs denied \heir dignity an.! tcsc or ethnicity - all this makes the

~ than

tTlt.-s....1gC

of

ever hefore. For this n'8SOl1, althoogh

p, SK.

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

"5

I will be quile criticaJ of Maximuo;' eschacoIogicai doctrines. I ..ill be

Sln

to point out

the valuable contrillJliom he made to the articulation of an authmtic Olri!l1ian ethic.

Before

~ing

",ith a

di~

of Maximus. however, il is necessary 10

elUmine the ronuiluion of Pscudo-Dionysiuo; the Arropag;le who.. even

Cappadocians, is

~ible

Chistian lheology . ~Dionysi....

influence on Ialer

for en.
l nfll.lellCed

!han the

phi~

within

by the pagan philosophers Il'Itlbl ichus and Produs.

elabornted a """"istica!«d ~

"'Of"

~

(ird Ldiog oox own) of ",..hich

CiV\f'IJl

and

mystical

theology. the

be over-stated. He came to

have a pmfomd influence on MlI.Umll';, so it is to a discussion of tile Areopegite and his

itwelJectual mil ieu thal we now lim

Copyrighted matenal

106

Chapter 4: The Later Christian Neoplatonists up to SI. Maximus the Conf essor

~ P""udo.lJiollp i... I""" / .'

judb~.

not as Falht.....

I k",,~. oomnK~l

-I h;~

"," io" of God is quite common in We
lho: re is anotho.... problcmatio; altitude t......ard God that is. pemaps,

in zeeem

Chrisl ~lIlily.

I"I'lOre

i.e., the idea Ihal God. in Il is esscrce, is ab';oIulcly

lhat Ihe CappadocilUlS already engaged in ..

""opll",;c or

' ncgali~c'

approoch to

a""'Jlule lra".oendcn:,:e " f the highesl God or FiN I'rinciple became a major theme in

, r ..ud<>-l lion"i.... I.m.' I 10fl' ''. Ir. C l.uitQ:;d in P",,,Jo-1J;,'.n~i ....- 1M Cn...pi.~ If...-h ( _ V.n , l'ooliol """' 1 'IlI7~ , s.;.,. fn.. e""''I'k. (OJ. I.....,.~. G"J in P<Jt.;"k Tlwl;KIrt. 1'1'. 2.l-H; al,.., w.e PI""....... A

Iii.""" <>f<"Iv;,'i<»! r"".I"Il!<'. I'f'- lI8.'I'I.

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

107

both pagan
intellectual mi lieu,

specrc

grndual disappearance of y,ith

llf1

ern ~ the

1l wes the pagan Neopkllonist Proch.. (4 10-485

ilTlfTlCf1Sle influence on Christian Plalonism. for he is a

ITIl\ior

to Christianity. of this period, parfuJarIy ill m
(he

sp:culalioo. repIa<;ed by a dominant corcem

Ir3nscerdence of God. This corocem led 10 a moniSlll !hal, in effect.

rendered eschatology a roon- issue. with highly JYOblemaIical results. as _ willgee.

Monophysltismand the DfomM orn EKhatologka l A. thropo~.

E.. .:ha/" Iagy is concaned with the culmil1lllion of the human endoea\'Or in rcIalionship

with God. Le., eschatological doctrine is conccmcd w ith the rod of human ~ ll"

the final goal of Ihi.J life, qJCfIi'l; onto another. elemoJ

concnned with the

Il'lOfTlml

li~

Soteriolngy is

of 'conversion,' when one makes a oommilmenl to God

tIwugh failh, and then c:mfinn<; one's faith tkougIl a riglttoous existence.

scceriology is U!i ICei 'oc:d with the COIIOOl'iOJ with '"the last

eJ(;5lnICe.

thing<;~

ITlClfi';

of

achicvi~

or the threshold of

otr

In short,

saIvOOon while cschaloIogy is new existence in Ovisl. lOfflidl

will qJI'Il lo us ;ll the end of history.

, f .... I brit f"""""'" of "",,,h... hk .-d...n. _ E. l.el...., 0..,11"'1 of'lw II;, ,,,,,, of Gnu k l'~il",opIty (Ne\o YOlk: Meridi.. IIoob 1 960~ PI'- 3JG.)33. """" " pomi.... ly. _ mon: 1O>CftItly, """",k L s;..,....... "Md.." ",...,.p' o'''''/(: rhil","('Ioy_ 5<:..""" (~ _ ; Vile lhIi"Cnii, Pmos 19%1.

Copyrighted ma"lrIal

108

w.e. aud

West~'lll

Si""e

Pta.;hr,.'f has adequalcly explained the general diffemn between F.astem

llOI.;ons of salvaliorl:

mosl

con~

W""em theologians though! of

$lI1~lIIion ll'

occurring 1II

t~

n>omCIl1 of

lhcy rould say thal: human wcd.s had ....' pan in it ar>d 5lili lcave an importanl

pla.;c for human effill'\s.fief con~=j"n in ""ronse [0 God's gl'llU'. taslern theologians.

life,'

In the Eeacm lradilion.

(U"

salvalion (.I<;/eri
-pocess'' of ddfK:alion as a ro.:rfooion of ",,:eplion of the divine nalcre:

the human oalurc. or as a J'"..paral;oll for ,he

This queslioo is mosl Jl"'SSing wI..", "" consider the

• W ,c. PI. doe., A lIu t<>ry ~("""mi<m 1JHoM'R", !'P. w,..<1<" <1<..1'; of okir.""tioo "" io 2 Pd... 1 ,~. "he.. 1ht Al""llc . peak, o f 0.... t>t",,,,,in, "rall,k... o r the di, i n' ,ure ~~ , jo , l nia ri""i I, ~ • • / N I'J V ~ [. io i",p"""'" , ,, ..,.Ii,.,. ho" ., ~. th Ol til< Churcll r ..1><-B h<ard in ,his f'&""Il'" .. cch<. of 1'1. ... ', TMat! ,nn 17M. .. I><.. I"" phih_ ,r/><, ,..,;. I~d I" ,,, ... J o"'''''''l." Fn>m the lime of tho l'b1 u. i< phi\ooopho..,. FlIdo of AI<....Jrio 1ft «,om<> di.i.... w•• impl) be<-<>me ~.l.e ..~ "r ........... " r'he: di.'i"" nallll"<. II " '• • the: inn""""" " r Nwpl""..i,m lwi'h ito ""' ~ .. ,hal lhe h...... n "",,1 rna) . ><:end ' 0 di, ini,y, t>ul ,'cr the: di.'init) ' 0 hum..il) ) "" Ch,hl i.n ' ,",u¥h' tIIat led 10 ,he M"""""y. it. id