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Consecrate the World to God: Maximus the Confessor on the “Secular” and Vatican II's Theology of the Laity

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Consecrate the World to God: Maximus the Confessor on the “Secular” and Vatican II's Theology of the Laity Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 5-7-2021 Consecrate the World to God: Maximus the Confessor on the “Secular” and Vatican II’s Theology of the Laity. Anthony Marco Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Marco, A. (2021). Consecrate the World to God: Maximus the Confessor on the “Secular” and Vatican II’s Theology of the Laity. (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/ etd/1987 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. CONSECRATE THE WORLD TO GOD: MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR ON THE “SECULAR” AND VATICAN II’S THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY. A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty Graduate School Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Anthony V. Marco May 2021 Copyright by Anthony V. Marco 2021 1 CONSECRATE THE WORLD TO GOD: MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR ON THE “SECULAR” AND VATICAN II’S THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY By Anthony Marco Approved March 12, 2021 ________________________________ Radu Bordeianu, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Theology (Committee Chair) ________________________________ ________________________________ Maureen O’Brien, Ph.D. Daniel Scheid, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Theology Associate Professor of Theology (Committee Member) (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Kristine L. Blair, Ph.D. Marinus Iwuchukwu, Ph.D. Dean, McAnulty College Chair, Theology Department and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Associate Professor of Theology iii ABSTRACT CONSECRATE THE WORLD TO GOD: MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR ON THE “SECULAR” AND VATICAN II’S THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY By Anthony Marco May 2021 Dissertation supervised by Radu Bordeianu Post-Conciliar ecclesiological reflection in the United States has been largely critical of Lumen Gentium’s description of the laity. The criticism is focused around two concepts used to differentiate the lay state from clergy and religious: that the lay vocation takes place principally among the life and work of the world, having a “secular character” and that the activity of the laity, as a participation in the priesthood of Christ, is the consecration the world itself to God. According to this critique, these concepts are problematic because they juxtapose the task of the laity in the world with the task of the clergy who are the sole proprietors of the sacred. This is compounded by 20th Century theologies of grace. Acknowledging a human task of mediation (consecration of the world) would be the equivalent to arguing that the world was not already filled with the grace of God. Together these issues set up a series of unacceptable dichotic pairs: iv the separate activity of laity/clergy implies a division between secular/sacred and ultimately of God and the world. I assert that Maximus the Confessor’s theological vision is a corrective to the views expressed in post-Vatican II literature. Maximian thought resolves the aporia introduced by these dichotomies not because it refutes specific premises, but because it approaches the problem of God and the world from a different standpoint altogether. I argue that within Maximus’ theological worldview, the goodness of creation is entrusted to humanity for consecration. The offering of creation to God arises from creation’s own goodness, based within the maximian concept of the logoi. It is this priestly act that unites humanity with creation and constitutes their shared deifying communion. The maximian lens also serves to deepen and enrich Lumen Gentium’s description of the laity and is a basis for further exploration of the lay vocation. v DEDICATION To my beloved wife Sara and our children Michael, Maria and Gianna; with whom I am blessed to consecrate the life we share to God. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENT I consider it a blessing to be able to name the great cloud of witnesses who have made this project possible. First, I would like to thank my dissertation director Fr. Radu Bordeianu. His constant encouragement, advice, and pastoral care made my time at Duquesne an experience of grace. I would like to thank my readers, Dr. Maureen O’Brien and Dr. Daniel Scheid. Your feedback on the argument and encouragement to further pursue this topic is the greatest compliment I could have asked for. To the members of my cohort, Eileen Nawara, Gwendolen Jackson, Eric Lafferty, Edward Muge, and Jeeson Stephan: thank you for your companionship and lasting friendship, it has been a pleasure to walk with you these past four years! I am also grateful for the blessing of lifelong friends – there are too many to name but I will attempt to thank a few. Accept these words as a share in my own eucharistic offering! To Joseph White and Fr. Chris Winkeljohn, for your enduring friendship and support. To Dr. Tom Neal and Fr. Richard Schamber for your insight and enthusiasm for this project. For Br. Adam Neri and the Brotherhood of Hope who have helped my see this journey as a work of God’s providence. To Pat Smith and the People of God Community for welcoming my Floridian family and inviting us into the life that you share. Finally, I would like to thank my beloved wife, Sara. You saw this work in me well before I did and kept calling me toward it despite my resistance. Your care for our children and constant self-sacrifice make this your accomplishment as much as it is mine. Thank you. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………..iii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………...iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………………………………...v INTRODUCTION ………………….………………....……………………………………………. 1 Argument of the Dissertation .………………..………………………………….……………... 5 Method …………..…………………..……...……………………………………………….…11 Chapter Summaries ………………………...…………………………………………………..12 CHAPTER 1 THE THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY IN VATICAN II AND ITS RECEPTION …...…………….16 I. The Laity in the Documents of Vatican II …………………………………………………...16 A. The Structure of Lumen Gentium and the Unity of the Church …………………………18 B. The Secular Character of the Laity ………………………………………………………20 C. Laity and Clergy: Distinct Groups with Shared Tasks …………………………………..23 D. Lay Priesthood and the World …………………………………………………………...24 E. Vatican II on the World ………………………………………………………………….27 F. Conclusion - Vatican II …………………………………………………………………..32 II. Post-Conciliar Theologies …………………………………………………………………..32 A. Leonard Doohan …………………………………………………………………………34 B. Thomas O’Meara ………………………………………………………………………...42 viii C. The Magisterial School Response ………………………………………………………..53 D. Pope John Paul II ………………………………………………………………………...53 E. Aurelie Hagstrom ………………………………………………………………………...57 F. Richard Gaillardetz ………………………………………………………………………60 G. Edward Hahnenberg ……………………………………………………………………..65 H. Paul Lakeland ……………………………………………………………………………73 I. Conclusion - Post-Conciliar Lay Theologies …………………………………………….82 CHAPTER 2 MAXIMIAN COSMOLOGY …………………………………………………………….86 I. Analysis of Ambiguum 7 ……………………………………………………………………..87 A. The Countersign of Origenism …………………………………………………………….88 B. Creation, Motion, Stasis …………………………………………………………………...92 C. Ex Nihilo …………………………………………………………………………………..95 D. Mysticism / Apophaticism ………………………………………………………………...99 E. Ontological Distance ……………………………………………………………………..107 F. Movement (Kinesis) ……………………………………………………………………...110 II. Logos/Logoi ………………………………………………………………………………..116 A. Logoi vs (Neo) Platonism ………………………………………………………………120 B. The Logoi and Ontology ………………………………………………………………..123 C. Tropos …………………………………………………………………………………..136 D. Eschatological Consummation of Creation……………………………………………. 140 ix CHAPTER 3 MAXIMUS ON DEIFICATION………………………………………………………... 145 A. Theandric Activity as the Goal of the Incarnation / Resurrection……………...………… 145 B. The Process of Deification as a Change in Tropos……………………………...………... 157 C. Deification and Human Freedom………………………………………………...……….. 163 D. Deification and the Body………………………………………………………...……….. 173 E. Humanity as Microcosm………………………………………………………...………... 176 F. Consecration of Creation as the Vocation of Humanity………………………...………... 179 G. Mediator Role Expressed Liturgically…………………………………………...……….. 181 H. Eucharistic Reciprocity…………………………………………………………...………. 185 I. Becoming, Micro-Eschatology, and Micro-Dialogue……………………………...……… 191 CHAPTER 4 MAXIMUS & THE THEOLOGY OF THE LAITY………………………………………. 195 I. Maximus and the Developmental School of Post-Vatican II Lay Theology………………. 199 A. Dionysian Mediation……………………………………………………………………. 201 B. Ecclesial Distinction and Structure……………………………………………………... 208 C. The Secular and the Sacred……………………………………………………………... 209 II. Vatican II’s Description of the Lay Vocation and Maximus……………………………… 215 A. The World Constitutes a Eucharistic Gift………………………………………………. 228 B. “Secular Character” As Descriptive of Micro-Dialogue………………………………... 230 C. Humanity’s Gift Expressed in Freedom………………………………………………… 232 D. World Consecration as Participative Communion……………………………………… 235 E. Conclusion: Consecrators of the World to God…………………………………………. 237 x CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………… 246 A. Omitted Topics Related to this Study…………………………………………………….. 251 B. Further Developing Maximian Lay Theology…………………………………………… 253 C.
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