The Chalcedonian Christology of St John Damascene : Philosophical Terminology and Theological Arguments
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Durham E-Theses The Chalcedonian Christology of St John Damascene : philosophical terminology and theological arguments Metallidis, George How to cite: Metallidis, George (2003) The Chalcedonian Christology of St John Damascene : philosophical terminology and theological arguments, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1085/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY GEORGE METALLIDIS The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consentand information derived from it should be acknowledged. The Chalcedonian Christology of St John Damascene: Philosophical Terminology and Theological Arguments PhD Thesis/FourthYear Supervisor: Prof. ANDREW LOUTH 0-I OCT2003 Durham 2003 The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene To my Mother Despoina The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene CONTENTS Page ABBREVIATIONS 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 12 INTRODUCTION 14 CHAPTER ONE TheLife of St John Damascene 1. St John Damasccne'sLife Overview 18 Origin 20 St John Damasceneas a laymanin the city of Damascus 33 St John's monasticlife and death 43 St John Damascene'seducational background 49 2. The Importance of St John Damascene'sBackground in Damascusand Palestinein Shapinghis Theological Ideas. The Religions and their Movements. John's Opera Polemica. 3 The ChalcedonianChristology of St JohnDamascene Overview 52 1. St John Damasceneand Islam 53 IL St John Damasceneand the Imperial Iconoclast policy of Constantinople 56 111.Nestorianism 57 IV. Monophysitism 62 V. Monothelitism, 68 VI. Manicheesand Manichaeism 69 3. The rest of St John's works 73 CHAPTER TWO, The Eastern Churchfrom the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedonto St John Damascene'sTime Overview 77 CHAPTER THREE Philosophical Terminology 1. Dialectica and the development of Philosophical Terminology from the Cappadocians to St John's time 97 2. Philosophical terminology and St John Damascene 118 I The Analysis of Terminology 1. The 'generic' and the 'individual' terms 122 11.Enhypostatos and its crucial role in St John's Theological Thought Ila. Overview 142 4 The ChalcedonianChristology of St JohnDamascene Ilb The Trinitarian use of 'enhypostatos'in the works of St John Damascene- the hypostasisis enhypostatos 145 Ilc. The Christological use of 'enhypostatos'in the works of St John Damascene- the nature is enhypostatos 147 Ild Enhypostatosand Enousios 173 CHAPTER FOUR The MonophysitePhilosophical identification betweenhypostasis and nature Overview 182 1. The proofs of the Monophysite identification betweenhypostasis and nature 1. Patristic Authorities 198 11.The Human Being Example 204 111.The term 'enhypostatos' 208 2. The Nestorian and Monothel.ite identification betweenhypostasis and nature Overview 214 1. Nestorianism. 214 11.Monothelitism, 218 CHAPTER FIVE St John Damascene's Theological and Philosophical arguments against the anti-Chalcedonians Overview 223 1. Against the JacobiteChristological teaching 227 1. The developmentof the Orthodox Dyophysiteteaching 5 The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene Ia. The conceptionof the Logos. The union of humanity and divinity in Christ 228 lb. The Patristic Authorities usedby St John Damascene232 II. St John Damascene'sPhilosophical and Theological arguments againstthe Jacobite Christology Ila The Formula 'nature and hypostasisare identical' 236 IIb. The number two in Christology (the relation between numberand union) 241 11c.John's Dyophysite interpretation of St Cyril's 'mia-physis' formula 245 Ild The human being example and its analogy with Christ 255 Ill. St John's real anti-Monophysite emotions 257 2. St John Damascene's Thought on the Trisagion 262 CONCLUSION 273 BIBLIOGRAPHY 281 6 The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene ABBREVIATIONS Works of St John Damascene Aceph. De natura composita contra acephalos (CPG 8051): Kotter IV, pp. 409-17. DW Dialectica (CPG 8041): Kotter 1, pp. 51-146. Dorm. MH Homiliae I-III de dormitione B. V Mariae (CPG 8061-3): Kotter V, pp. 483-500,516-40,548-55). Expos. Expositiofidel (CPG 8043): Kotter 11,pp. 7-239). Fides Defide contra Nestorianos (CPG 8044): Kotter IV, pp. 238-53. Haeres. Lider de haeresibus (CPG 8044): Kotter IV, pp. 19-67. Hypap. Sermo in hypapantenDomin! (CPG 8066): Kotter V, pp. 381- 395. Imag. I-III Contra imaginum calumniatores orationes tres (CPG 8045): Kotter III, pp. 65-200. 7 The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene Inslit. Instilutio clementarisad dogmata (CPG 8040): Kotter I, pp. 20- 6. Jacob. Contra Jacobitas (CPG 8047): Kotter IV, pp. 109-53. Manich. Dialogus contra Manichaeos (CPG 8048) Kotter IV, pp. 351-98. Nestor. AdversosNestorianos (CPG 8053): Kotter IV, pp. 263-88. Sarac. Disputatio Saracent et Christiani (CPG 8075): Kotter IV, pp. 427-38. Trisag. Epistola de hymno Trisagio (CPG 8049): Kotter IV, pp. 304-32. Volunt. De duabus in Christo voluntalibus (CPG 8052): Kotter IV, pp. 173-231). Other Patristic abbreviations Chron. Theophanes, Chronographia, C. de Boor (ed.), 2 vols., (Leipzing, 1883-5), (repr. Hildesheim, 1963), in PG 108,56- 1009. CNE Leontius of Byzantinum, Libri tres contra Eutychianos et Nestorianos,PG 86,1268-1357. De Sectis Ps-Leontiusof Byzantium, De Sectis, PG 86,1193-1268. Ep. Maximus Confessor,Epistolae, PG 91,364-657. Fragm. Leontius of Byzantium,Fragmenta, PG 86,2004-2016. Hodeg. K-H. Uthemann ed., Anastaslus Sinaita, Hae Dur, CCSG 8 (Brepols, 1981). 8 The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene Opusc. theoL etpolem. Maximus Confcssor, Opuscula Theologica et Polemica, PG 91,9-285. Other abbreviations ACO Acta Consillorum Oecumenicorum,ser. 1, E. Schwartz (and later J. Strauband R. Schieffer) 19 vols. in 4 (Berlin and Leipzig 1927- 74); ser. 2, ed. R. Riedinger, 4 vols. in 2 (Berlin, 1984-95). BMGS Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies (Oxford, 1975-83; Birmingham, 1984 P. CCSG Corpus Christianorum, Series Graeca (Tumhout-Brepols, 1977 ff.). CPG Clavis Patrum Graecorum, 5 vols., ed. M. Geerardand F. Glorie, CCSG, Turnhout: Brepols, 1974-87 (cited by item number); supplement, ed. M. Geerard and J. Noret, 1998. CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum. Orientalium, (Paris etc., 1907- 19; Louvain, 1919 ff. ). DTC Dictionnaire de Thiologie Catholique, cd. A Vacant, E. Mangenot and t. Amman (15 vols., 1903-50); Tables Gdndrales by B. Loth and A. Michel (3 vols., 1951-72). e. H. E. epqaicevrir# irai Wio 'ErxvicAoxafkia (12 vols., Athens 1962-68). GOTR The Greek Orthodox Theological Review(Brookline, 1954 ff. ). 9 The ChalcedonianChristology of St JohnDamascene GCS Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten [drei] Jahrhunderte, cd. by the Kirchenväter-Commision der Königlichen PreussichenAkademie der Wissenschaften[later, the DeutscheAkademie der Wissenschaftenzu Berlin], (Leipzig: J. C. Ilinrich [later, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag], 1897ff.) [Neue Folge, 1995ff.] Islam D. J. Sahas, John Damascene on Islam, The Heresy of the Ishmaelites(Leiden, 1972). AW Jahrbuchfar Liturgiewissenschaft(MlInster M., 1921-41). JOB Jahrbuch der OesterrelchischenByzantinistik (Wienna, Cologne and Graz, 1951 ff. ). JTS Journal of Theological Studies,(Oxford 1900 ff. ). Kotter I-V B. Kotter (ed.), Die Schriften des Johannes von Damaskos, 5 vols., PatristischeTexte und Studien 7 (Berlin-New York, 1969), 12 (1973), 17 (1975), 22 (1981), 29 (1988). L. Th.K Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 2 nd edn. by J Höfer and K. Rahner (10 vols. And index, 1957-67, +3 supplementary vols., Das zweite valikanische Konzil, 1967-8). Mansi J.D. Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima Collectio, (31 vols., Florence 1759-98). OrCh Orientalia Christiana (Rome, 1923-1934). OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica (Rome, 1935 ff. ). 0C Oriens Christianus (Leipzig, 1901 ff. ). 10 The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene PG Palrologia curcus complelus, series Graeca, ed. J.P. Migne (162 vols., Paris 1857-66). PO Palrologia Orientalls, ed. R. Graffm and F. Nau (Paris 1907 ff. ). POC Proche-Orient Chrilien (Jerusalern,1951 ff. ). REG Revuedes budes Grecques(Paris 1888 ff. ). RHE RevuedHistolre Ecclisiastique (Louvain, 1900 ff. ). SC SourcesChrdtiennes, (Paris: Le Cerf, 1942 ff. ). SP Studia Patristica. OOB OtXocro(pticý ical OcoXoytlcý Btp). to"". ------. - Ii -- -- The ChalcedonianChristology of St John Damascene ACKNOWLEDGMENT Many individuals have assistedthe production of this thesis. The help and encouragement I received are greatly appreciated and are here acknowledged.I cannot thank all personally but do wish to recognisesome at this time. Prof Demetrios Tseleggidisbegan my voyage of discovery on St John Damascene.The following people all aided in the researchand the gathering of materials: Anastasia Karagianni, George and Ria Bithos, Anna Sourneka, Evaggelia Gregoropoulou, Gregory Wellington, Antzela