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StGregorytheTheologiansOration38.11&17

StAndrewsPatristicSymposium2010

RevdDrDoruCostache

StAndrewsGreekOrthodoxTheologicalCollege

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StMaximustheConfessorstheoryofeverything:

Ascribedtothetraditionofthesaints Noapparentliteraryantecedents

Thescholarlyquestforantecedents

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ScholarlydisinterestinStGregorytheTheologianasacontributortothehistory

behindtheMaximiantheory

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Whatisatheoryofeverything? DescriptionoftheMaximiantheory Thescholarlyquestforsources StGregorytheTheologiansinput

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Atheoryofeverything:ascientificattempttoencapsulaterealityinaconsistentand

completemathematicalformula Oneconsistentandcompleteformulaisimpossible(PaulDavies)

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Difficulty41:theclassicreferencefortheMaximiantheory

StMaximusattempttomapreality Asteppingstoneforthetheory:contemplatingtheordivineprinciples

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Reality:uncreatedandcreated

Creation:intelligible/invisibleand

sensible/visible

Visible:skyandearth

Earth:paradise

andcivilisedworld

Civilisedworld:maleandfemale

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Overcominggenderdivision

Unifyingcivilisationand

paradisiacallife

Realisationoftheunityofvisible

Unificationofcreation

CreationofferedtoGoddeificationofcreation

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Thehumanfailuretounifythevariousstrandsofreality

Christasmediatorparexcellence

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AseriesofcontributionsthatledtotheMaximianconstruct

WecannotreducetheMaximiangeniustotheseantecedents(HansUrsvonBalthasar)

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LarsThunberg TheconceptofthemicrocosminpaganandChristianauthors

StGregoryofNyssascontributions(microcosm,imageofGod)

NemesiusofEmesascontributions(microcosm,theunifyingtaskofhumankind)

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JohnMeyendorff Descriptionofthetheory ReferencetotheCappadociansuseoftheconceptofthemicrocosm

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AndrewLouth EmphasisonStMaximusdependenceonStGregoryofNyssasAgainstEunomius

ThePlatonicdivisionofbeingemended:theintelligibleorinvisiblesideofrealitycontainsamoreradicalrift,

betweentheuncreatedandcreated

TheignoranceofcreationregardingitsCreator

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AdamCooper StMaximusrelianceonStGregoryofNyssaandNemesiusofEmesa

QuotesStGregorytheTheologiansOration38.11withoutreferencetotheMaximianDifficulty41

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SurvivingtheCappadocians,hedrewimmenselyonthem

TreatiseontheNatureofMan 1:asummaryoftheCappadociancosmologyand

anthropology

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Overall,oneofthemainsourcesoftheMaximianthought

UnilateralrelianceofStMaximusDifficulty41onStGregoryofNyssaimprobable

Atextshouldbeinterpretedinthecontext TheBookofDifficultiesdealswithStGregorytheTheologiansthought

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ChristologicalchaptersinthelaterBookofDifficulties2-4

Thedoctrineoftheandricityarticulatedwithouttheuseoftheterm(notbelongingtoStGregory)

UseofthetermsbelongingtoStGregorytheTheologian:Christasacompositeortwofold

person

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Thethemeofignorance AcommonCappadociantopic StGregorytheTheologianalludestoitinOration38.7

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LarsThunberg: StMaximusasadeepadmirerofStGregorytheTheologian

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QuotedbyStMaximusinDifficulty7 Atfirst,themind[intelligibleworld]andthesense[visibleworld]weredistinctfromeachother,eachremainingwithintheirspecificconfines[].[][Thus,

therewas]noknowledgeofthewholerichnessof[divine]goodness.Such[wisdom]needingtobemadeobvious,theartisanLogoswilledtomakethehumanbeingasoneanimalmadeofboth,namelytheinvisibleandvisiblenatures.So,takingthebodyfromthealready

structuredmatter,heexhaledthebreathingfromhimself[],placingonearththehumanbeingassomesecondworld,greatinitssmallness,anotherangel,acompositeworshipper.

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Thehumanbeingpresentedinacosmicsetting

Humannatureasamicrocosmicsynthesisoftherealms

ThesefeaturesarereiteratedassuchbyDifficulty41

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Thecontext Chapters9&10:makingoftheinvisibleandvisiblerealms

Chapter11:humanbeingasmicrocosm Chapter12:paradiseandfall Chapter13:divinepedagogyinhistoryandtheincarnation

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Thetheoryofeverything:secondandfifthdivisions

ReiterationofthemainideaofOration38.11 Difference:Oration38.11unitesintelligibleandsensibleinthehumannature

Difficulty41doesnotmentionthepsychosomaticstructureofthehumannature

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Agreement:thereisaconnectionbetweenhumanexistenceandthecohesionofthe

universe(theanthropiccosmological

principle)

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DoxologicalrecapitulationoftheeventsintheNativitynarratives

Context: Chapter13:theparadoxicalaspectoftheincarnation

Chapters14&15:assessmentofthekenoticorhumblestateoftheLogosincarnate

Chapter16:themeaningofthefestalseasonofChristmasandEpiphany

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Theconsequencesofthefallnotexplicitlyaddressedintheircosmologicalaspect

OurreturntoAdammightsuggesthoweverthatsuchconsequenceswerenotignoredbyStGregory

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Thefestalseasonasasacramentofunion: Glorify[Christ]withtheshepherds;hymnwithangels;dancewiththearchangels.Letthisfestival

becommontotheheavenlyandearthlypowers.ForIbelievethattheytogetherrejoiceand

celebratetoday.

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ContinuityanddevelopmentoftheChristianworldview

TheneedtoreassesstheplaceofStGregorytheTheologianamongthecontributorstothetheoryofeverything

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