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TO EXTEND the SIGHT of the SOUL: an Analysis of Sacramental Ontology in the Mystagogical Homilies of Theodore of Mopsuestia

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TO EXTEND the SIGHT of the SOUL: an Analysis of Sacramental Ontology in the Mystagogical Homilies of Theodore of Mopsuestia TO EXTEND THE SIGHT OF THE SOUL: An Analysis of Sacramental Ontology in the Mystagogical Homilies of Theodore of Mopsuestia by HANNA J. LUCAS A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Master of Arts in Biblical Studies We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard ............................................................................... Dr. Craig Allert, Ph.D.; Thesis Supervisor ................................................................................ Dr. Hans Boersma, Ph.D.; Second Reader TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY April 2015 © Hanna J. Lucas 2 Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Introductory Remarks .............................................................................................................................. 5 Historiography .......................................................................................................................................... 8 The Christology Debate ........................................................................................................................ 8 Subsequent Approaches to Theodore ............................................................................................... 10 Theodore’s Mystagogy and Sacramental Theology .......................................................................... 12 Chapter One: The Platonist Christian Synthesis and Sacramental Ontology ........................................... 14 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Appropriating Hellenism ........................................................................................................................ 15 Dualism ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Creation: Matter as Good and “Derived Being” ................................................................................ 17 The Ontological Gulf ........................................................................................................................... 19 The Sacramentality of the Material World............................................................................................ 20 Natural Theology and Analogia Entis ................................................................................................ 20 Beauty ................................................................................................................................................. 23 The Incarnation as the Archetype for Sacramental Ontology .............................................................. 24 Reason, Theoria and Epistemology ....................................................................................................... 25 Theoria ................................................................................................................................................ 27 Grace: Divine Self-Revelation ............................................................................................................ 28 Divinization, Participation and Union ................................................................................................ 29 Time and History .................................................................................................................................... 30 The Ancient Concept of Time ............................................................................................................. 30 Sacred History ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Eschatology: Already-Not-Yet ............................................................................................................ 33 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 36 Chapter Two: Sacramental Ontology within the Christology of Theodore of Mopsuestia ..................... 39 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 39 A Brief Summary of Theodore’s Life ...................................................................................................... 41 Bond of the Universe.............................................................................................................................. 43 Christ as the True Bond of the Universe ............................................................................................ 44 3 The Two Katastaseis............................................................................................................................... 46 The Two Katastaseis and Eschatology ............................................................................................... 49 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Chapter Three: The Mystagogical Catechesis of Theodore of Mopsuestia .............................................. 54 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 54 Imitation and Physicality........................................................................................................................ 56 The Invisible Liturgy ............................................................................................................................... 62 Ecclesiology: The Church is in the Business of “Image” .................................................................... 62 The Heavenly Eucharist ...................................................................................................................... 63 Theoria: The Eyes of Faith, The Sight of the Soul .............................................................................. 65 Already-Not-Yet ...................................................................................................................................... 68 Theodore’s Mystagogy and the Two Katastaseis.............................................................................. 71 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 73 Concluding Remarks ................................................................................................................................... 74 Suggestions for Further Research .............................................................................................................. 80 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 81 4 Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge and thank those who have helped, inspired and encouraged me over the process of completing this degree and this thesis. My husband Dave, who has encouraged me to push on, slowly but surely, to the completion of this endeavour; who has been interested in this topic, and been more than willing to read my drafts; who has inspired me through our precious chats about theology and church history after the kids are put to bed, I am so very thankful. To my mother, Andrea Soberg, the constant cheerleader, confidence booster, perspective giver, hosting grandchildren in her university office, I am, also, so very thankful. To my thesis advisor, Craig Allert, who has accommodated my numerously-pregnant self to undertake various directed studies in patristics, who generously shares his wealth of knowledge and wisdom in navigating the world of the Fathers. I would also like to thank Ron Dart for encouraging me, for being excited about my thesis, for frequently showing up at church with books that may improve my research, and for introducing me to Hans and very generously inviting me along to meetings with him. And I wish to thank Hans Boersma for being willing to take on the task of being my second reader and also for graciously allowing me to intrude on several friendly meetings with Ron and for listening to my, then, completely undeveloped thesis ideas. To my children, Lucy, Marco, Miriam and Elsie, for sharing your mommy with Theodore of Mopsuestia. Lastly, to all the nannies and babysitters without whom I could not have carved out the time to accomplish any academic goal: First and foremost, my wonderful siblings, Adrienne Wiebe and Ben Soberg, and my mother-in-law Mona Lucas, I am so very grateful. I also wish to thank Lisa Steenburgh, Heidi Sadler, Joanna Balin, Sam Snow, Katherine Hart, Melissa Bargen, and beloved Kezia Stewart. 5 Introduction Introductory Remarks This thesis consists of an identification of the presence of Platonist-Christian sacramental ontology within the mystagogy of Theodore of Mopsuestia. Mystagogy, a common catechetical practice of the early church, particularly
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