Byzantine Theology

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Byzantine Theology

Deiﬁcation Icons 7th & 8th Century

Wednesday, November 16, 11 7th Century

Beginning of Islam - Mohammed (†632) Constantinople became largest and wealthiest city in world. 613-19: Sassanid Persian Empire conquers Antioch, Damascus & sacks Jerusalem, taking the relic of the True cross and occupies Egypt. Heraclius works to reunite people. He and Patriarch Sergius deal with split that came from Monothelitism to strengthen the Empire. Launches Holy War to regain Cross.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 7th Century Defeats Persians and 630 restores Cross to Jerusalem. 626: The Avars and the Persians jointly besiege but fail to capture Constantinople. 629: The Byzantine-Arab Wars begin. Much of Roman Empire conquered Muslim Arabs led by Khalid ibn al-Walid. Empire become more strongly Hellenic. Greek proclaimed as official language replacing Latin. Pope is still a subject of Emperor Efforts to reunite people leads to Conflict that is subject of next Ecumenical Council - Monothelitism

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Agenda

Last Two Ecumenical Councils

Mystical Theology - Deiﬁcation or Theosis

Use of icons in worship

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Mystical Theology Deiﬁcation - Theosis

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Controversies

Monoenergism: Energy, or the active force, of Christ was single. Promoted by Emperor Heraclius attempting to bring unity with Church in Syria and Egypt - Monophysites. Precursor to Monothelitism Monothelitism: teaches Jesus Christ had two natures but only one will. This was the issue addressed in 6th Ecumenical Council defended by works of Maximos the Confessor

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Maximos the Confessor

A signiﬁcant personality in seventh century in east was Maximos the

Confessor (ca. 580-662). Referred to by some as “father of Byzantine theology”

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Maximos the Confessor

Member of aristocracy, received elaborate education, served at ﬁrst in civil service, secretary to Emperor Heraklios. Became monk near Constantinople Opposed heresies of Monoenergism and Monotheletism, - arrested in 653 by imperial authorities, brought to Constantinople for trial,tortured, and sent into exile. Flogged, tongue plucked out and right hand cut oﬀ. Died soon afterwards in exile in Caucasus.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Monothelite Controversy

Monothelitism One Person One Person

Divine Human Divine Human Nature Nature Nature Nature

Divine Human Wi Wi Wi

Why would Maximos give his life in defending this heresy?

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Monothelite Controversy

St. Maximos maintained Human nature without a human will is unreal abstraction: If Christ does not have a human will as well as a divine will, He is not truly man; If not truly man, then Christian message of salvation is void. Why? Because of nature of His Incarnation, two wills, He can reunite our human will to His divine will. What is our most diﬃcult task for salvation?

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Monothelite Controversy

Christ as savior has a human will, genuinely free, yet held in unwavering obedience to His divine will; By voluntary co-operation (SYNERGIA) of man with divinity in Christ, integrity of human nature is restored. Man is enabled to make own will obedient to will of God. What is the good news here? Our fallen will can be puriﬁed of self-centered desire restoring our natural will - slavation

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Monothelite Controversy

6th Ecumenical Council in 680, 18 years after St. Maximos’ death, Monothelitism condemned. Christ possesses "two natural wils and two natural energies, without division, alteration, separation or confusion." He became Human, uniting His divine will with His human will so we could unite our human will with His divine will. In this way we can become “partakers of divine nature”, “Children of God”, or “adopted sons”. A union - Theosis - deiﬁcation.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Monothelite Controversy

In defense, drawing on Scripture and Tradition, He clarified Orthodox concept of salvation called Theosis or deification - Becoming like Christ - A union of our will with His will. Divine Human Wi Wi Salvation involves union of two wills St Maximos says, "God made us so that we might become 'partakers of the divine nature' (2 Pet. 1:4) and sharers in His eternity, and so that we might come to be like Him (cf. 1 John 3:2) through deification by grace." p. 71, ACW vol21

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis

Incarnation central to our salvation "A sure warrant for looking forward with hope to deiﬁcation of human nature is provided by the incarnation of God, which makes man god to the same degree as God Himself became man.

For it is clear that He who became man without sin (cf. Heb. 4:15) wi divinize human nature without changing it into the divine nature, and wil raise it up for His own sake to the same degree as He lowered Himself for man's sake. This is what St. Paul teaches mysticay when he says, '…that in the ages to come He might display the overﬂowing richness of His grace' (Eph. 2:7). p. 178

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis

There is an exchange. Son of God “became what we are in order to make us what he is himself.” Irenaeus “He became human so we might become divine.” Athanasias “Let us become as Christ is, since Christ became as we are; let us become gods for his sake, since he became man for our sake.” Gregory the Theologian The word became incarnate “so that by becoming as we are, he might make us as he is.” Gregory of Nyssa What is the purpose of the Incarnation? The loving self-emptying of God (kenosis) evoking a fervent human response (theosis), the divinization of the human person mirroring the humanization of the divine Word.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis

"Deiﬁcation... is the union, in the person granted salvation, of his real authentic origin with his real authentic consummation. This union presupposes a transcending of a that by nature is essentiay limited by an origin and a consummation. Such transcendence is efected by the almighty and more than powerful energy of God... The action of this divine energy bestows a more than ineﬀable pleasure and joy on him in whom the unutterable and unfathomable union with the divine is accomplished. This, in the nature of things, cannot be perceived, conceived or expressed." p. 240

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis

"To reconcile us with the Father [justification], at His Father's wish the Son deliberately gave Himself to death on our behalf [sacrifice, ransom]so that, just as He consented to be dishonored for our sake by assuming our passions [incarnation], to an equal degree He might glorify us [save] with the beauty of His own divinity." p. 248 "And as in His providence He became man, so He deified us by grace, in this way teaching us not only to cleave to one another naturay and to love others spirituay as ourselves, but also, like God, to be more concerned for others than for ourselves…" p.263

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Biblical Foundation

Made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1) Jesus quotes Psalm 81 (82) to draw attention to the potential sonship of his hearers. (Jn 10:3-36) (v. 1)God stands in the assembly of gods; in the midst of them he wi judge gods. (v. 6-7) I said you are gods, and a of you sons of the most high. But you die like men, and fa as one of the princes. Jesus tells us, receiving word of God makes people gods, enables them to share in immortality and incorruption. Rejecting it, they refuse life and pass unto death just like a prince.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Children of God

Those who participate in Him through Baptism and the Eucharist participate in the divine life. Thus believers are called “children of God.” With the Holy Spirit we are reborn and as children of God we can grow to become like Christ and see him like He is. Beloved, now we are children of God... And everyone who has this hope in Him puriﬁes himself, just as He is pure. (1Jn 3:2-3)

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Adoption as Sons

Paul’s uses idea of adoption as sons. By “adoption” we become fellow-sons and fellow heirs with Christ and consequently can address God as “Abba, Father!” when the funess of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Gal 4:4-6)

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Baptism

In Baptism and Chrismation we are changed, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, a things have become new.” (2Cor 5:17) Baptism in not merely for forgiveness of sins. It also transforms, refashions and completes our being. Baptism mingles us with the Word of God and enables us to become the dwelling place of God, reunited with the source of life.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Baptism

Saint Irenaeus (2nd c.) connects psalm 81 with Paul’s teaching on adoption, saying we became gods through baptism. He says more, “You have to become fuly human (i.e. conquer the passions) before you can become like God, You are not able to receive God’s gi of eternal existence without ﬁrst growing to maturity.” Baptism gives us the potential of immortality but we have work to do before we can ca ourselves “Gods and sons of the most high.” Contradicts claim of many of today’s Christians who say they are saved when they declare their faith and have been baptized. Orthodox say we now have hope of salvation.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Eucharist

Through participation in the Body and Blood of Christ we are nurtured in our transformation to be one with Him. It transforms... through grace and participation... In this way they may both be and be caed gods through the gi of grace, since God as a whole ﬁs them entirely and does not let any part of them be empty of His presence. Maximos the Confessor We are “with Christ” and “in Christ.”

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Peter

Peter’s testimony (2Peter 1:3-7) as His divine power has given to us a things that pertain to life and godliness... you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving al diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self- control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. A response is required to realize our union with God and salvation. What are lessons om monks about nature of this response?

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis How are we saved? More than believing Christ died on Cross subst. himself for us in payment for our sins as many protestants simplistically believe. More that believing in the Resurrection of Christ. More that believing in the written word of the Gospel. It’s through a union of our will with God’s will, a gift given to us though the Incarnation of Christ. This never ending path begins with Baptism, regular participation in the Eucharist and ascesis for our puriﬁcation so we can cooperate freely with God’s grace. Orthodox Christianity is a path of faith and works guided always by Holy Spirit through His grace.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis

Our aim is to become perfect as Christ which implies theosis. We seek a union, uniting our will with His. Implies an integration of spiritual and physical in some manner, like Christ who was both God and man with both human and Divine will united in action. Union of two wills. How can we understand this? Our theology must of necessity go beyond reason.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Ways of Knowing

Two diﬀering modes of thought between East and West In West Scholasticism developed based on reason. Application of philosophical principles new truth can be gained. In East Apophatic based on Revelation, direct relationship with God. Principle, no human concept is suﬃcient to describe what is divine.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Ways of Knowing

Maximos - two kinds of knowledge of divine realities. “ﬁrst is relative, because it is conﬁned to the inteigence and its inteections, Does not entail any real perception, through actual experience, of what is known. In our present life we are governed by this kind of knowledge.”

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Ways of Knowing

The second... actual enjoyment of divine realities through direct vision, without the help of the inteigence and its inteections.

The inteigence is capable of giving us an intimation of what can be known through true knowledge and so of arousing in us a longing for such knowledge.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Ways of Knowing

We therefore speak of a negative way of knowing. “Knowing ignorance” “the very fact of knowing nothing is knowledge surpassing the the mind.” “a perfect mind is one which, by true faith, in supreme ignorance knows the supremely unknowable one.” This is nature of true theology. A direct encounter with God.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Ways of Knowing

How do we know God? To know God we must prepare and cleanse ourselves of all concepts which we have used to describe God. In ignorance, then we can know God. What does this mean? For the wise this is “not a lack of learning but a knowledge that it knows by silence that God is unknown.” Warning from Ecclesiasticies 3:21-22 “Seek not what is too diﬃcult for you, not investigate what is beyond your power.” However, we must reﬂect on what has been assigned to us.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Ways of Knowing

Knowledge of God is revealed to each of us according to our capacity; therefore is a measured knowledge. What if ALL were revealed to us? So immense - would be like staring at the sun to know the inner workings of the sun.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Role of Church

The Church gives us rituals and sacraments that are in imitation of a heavenly hierarchy. In liturgy we imitate the angels in heaven and worship God through all things. We concentrate on those things which God has revealed in a form we can apprehend. We are led to a greater knowledge that cannot be expressed. This is the work of the Church and her liturgical life. Basis for beauty of the Divine Liturgy.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Theosis

The Incarnation is the mystery by which the Word makes humanity his own and is able to renew all of mankind. Theosis is the mystery by which, with our cooperation, He makes divinity our own. God, our Creator, calls man, made in His image, to become a god by Grace. What then is the aim of our life? Theosis Questions

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy 8th Century

Wednesday, November 16, 11 8th Century Political

Vikings, from Scandinavia, begin raiding coasts of Europe and Mediterranean, Siege of Constantinople (717 – 718:). Bulgarians aide Byzantines and defeat Arabs, neutralizing their advance towards Europe. Bulgarian’s slaughtered 20,000 - 32,000 Arabs. Charlemagne invades what is now northwestern Germany (772 – 804) Battles Saxons for over thirty years - ﬁnally crushing their rebellion, incorporating Saxony into the Frankish Empire and Christian world. Makes Byzantines his enemy.

Wednesday, November 16, 11

Much of Eastern Christendom under control of islamic rulers.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Began (726–729) when Emperor Leo III ordered removal of image of Christ prominently placed over Chalke Gate, the ceremonial entrance to Great Palace of Constantinople, and its replacement with a cross. Provoked riot. Leo described image veneration as "a cra of idolatry." Forbade veneration of religious images in a 730 edict. Unilateral - Saw no need to consult Church. Fierce persecution of monasteries where tradition was upheld most strongly.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Iconoclast (One who destroys images) vs. Iconodoul (One who serves images) First act may have been action of Caliph in Damascus (Yezid I & II) who persecuted Christians for having images believing all pictures were idols. Leo wanted to purify the Church, centralize and control it. Acts of his enemies may have given him ideas about how to attain this.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy Iconodule Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople, deposed following ban. Replaced by Anastasios. Pope Gregory III held two synods and condemned Leo's actions (later Charlemagne tried to eliminate images as well) Action vigorous: Leo "confiscated valuable church plates, altar cloths, and reliquaries decorated with religious figures" Bishops required to destroy all images. Churches decorated with fruits, flowers, birds & geometric patterns Some said looked like grocery stores. Leo died in 740. Ban of icons confirmed and established as dogma under son Constantine V (741–775)

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Constantine attacked monasteries, had relics thrown into sea, and stopped invocation of saints. Large monasteries in Constantinople secularized, and monks ﬂed to fringes of Empire beyond eﬀective imperial control. Extended to relics and intercessory prayers to saints St John of Damascus - became primary defender protected in area under control of Caliph at monastery of Mt Saba

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Constantine's son, Leo IV (775–80) was less rigorous, and tried to mediate between factions. Towards the end of his life, Leo took severe measures against images and would have banned his wife Irene, who venerated icons in secret. Died before achieving this, and Irene took power as regent for her son, Constantine VI (780–97). With Irene's ascension as regent, the ﬁrst Iconoclastic Period came to an end. Irene immediately began to restore images to churches and reopen monasteries.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Irene initiated a new Council, met in Constantinople in 786 Disrupted by military units faithful to iconoclast legacy. Council convened again at Nicaea in 787 with 300 bishops 7th Ecumenical Council or 2nd Council of Nicaea

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

THE COUNCIL'S PROCLAMATION "We deﬁne that the holy icons, whether in color, mosaic, or some other material, should be exhibited in the holy churches of God, on the sacred vessels and liturgical vestments, on the was, furnishings, and in houses and along the roads, namely the icons of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, that of our Lady the Theotokos, those of the venerable angels and those of a saintly people.

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Whenever these representations are contemplated, they wil cause those who look at them to commemorate and love their prototype. We deﬁne also that they should be kissed and that they are an object of veneration and honor (timitiki proskynisis), but not of real worship (latreia), which is reserved for Him Who is the subject of our faith and is proper for the divine nature, ... which is in eﬀect transmitted to the prototype; he who venerates the icon, venerated in it the reality for which it stands."

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclast Controversy

Anathemas pronounced against iconoclast leaders Praised Germanus, John of Damascus, and George of Cyprus. Again aﬃrmed results of previous councils. Why was this issue so hotly defended?

Wednesday, November 16, 11 Iconoclasts

At stake - Traditional nature of Christian worship and nature of Christ. Images were essential part of Holy Tradition: Used by Christians since earliest days. Luke icon painter.