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Eros in the First Century's Christian Theology

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Eros in the First Century's Christian Theology DIALOGO 2.1: 179 - 186 (2015) doi: 10.18638/dialogo.2015.2.1.19 CONFERENCES & JOURNAL the Dialogue between Science and Theology Eros in the first century’s Christian theology Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite Mircea Adrian MARICA, PhD Ovidius University, Constanta, Romania [email protected] Abstract: For among most contemporaries, the I. INTRODUCTION. The platonic model of concept of Eros seems to have nothing to do with love Christianity. Sifting through the psychoanalysis of The dialogue between science and theology, sexual fantasy, theologically it says nothing. Our was preceded by another dialogue, deeper, study gives reasons showing that for theologians more intimate and more fertile, that between since the dawn of the Christian era, Eros-love philosophy and theology. Historical evidence plays a fundamental role.. The connotations of for this dialogue is found in the writings of the this concept, however, are different from those of Greek Fathers of the early Christian era, which today, when its sensory meaning is more restricted documents explicitly or implicitly the great Greek to sexuality. Greek theologians of the first centuries philosophy. We illustrate the above mentioned after Christ, taught the concept of Plato enshrined through the teaching of the Platonic concept as a unifying enthusiasm, the attraction of inferior of Eros and the adaptation to the demands of Christian theology in the work of (Pseudo) to superior states, as “hungry and thirsty” for Dionysius the Areopagite. something continuously higher, developing, and enriching the connotation. The work of Dionysius The Platonic Eros was a tutelary spirit, a divine ((Pseudo) Areopagite, the Idea of Good, leads us step messenger of transcendence in immanence. by step up the ascent of the erotically chaste, and is Touched by the wings of love climbing step by identified with the One-God, who is the very source step, from the here and now, from below, to beyond this world, above, to the eternal world of love. Consequently, Eros-love originates from of Ideas, over which lives the Idea of Good. The God, Eros- love being not only an ascending but Intercessor of this erotic progression was the firstly a descending love, which calls for a reciprocal idea of beauty, the only one which shows itself communion. to mortals in its diverse hypostases. Under the seduction of beauty we are progressing from a Keywords: Eros, the Platonic Eros, the true Eros, beautiful body, to the beauty of a body, , from part Eros,Christian love a beautiful soul to the beauty of a soul, from the beauty of actions and laws, to the beauty of science, to arrive finally at Beauty itself, 8. Epistemology, Metaphysics and Communication eISSN: 2393-1744, cdISSN: 2392-9928 Sciences & Theology printISSN: 2457-9297 - 179 - ISBN: 978-80-554-1131-6 November, 5 - 11 www.dialogo-conf.com DIALOGO 2.1 (2015) The 2nd Virtual International Conference on CONFERENCES & JOURNAL the Dialogue between Science and Theology meaning the Idea of Beauty, which is at the no longer two but both are one: indeed, you same time Good.[1] This is the purpose of our cannot separate them while He is there: their lives, says Plato, “for if life is worth living by image is that of lovers and beloved here on man, it’s only merited by one that that reaches earth who would very much like to merge “[8]. the contemplation of beauty itself [...] without the dross of mortal flesh [...] the face of truth From this point on begins, Pseudo-Dionysius “[2]. The Initiate progresses thus from sensory the Areopagite. The One, The Good and The experiences to the aesthetic and epistemic, Beauty will become God, the emanation will in an ascending dialectic, which ends in a metamorphose in creation, and Eros, grace of metaphysical experience. We arrive here beyond Good, will become the love of God the Creator the intellect to understand, placing us in full of created beings and their loving response to revelation. Thus the Platonic rationalism “ends their creator. with a mystical edge” [3]. Love is, “missing and desire” generated by “erotic enthusiasm” [4] III. THE SUPREME GOOD OR LOVE through “the rumour of immortality” contained in it, leading to the “deification”, through Beyond the controversy over the identity of the “procreation in the name of beauty “and the Areopagite corpus [9], “The Homeric problem “striving to master forever the Good “[5]. As a of Christian literature of the first centuries” [10], consequence, in love the transcendent calls us Areopagus’ writings contain passages that, through the mediation of earthly shadows of taken separately by themselves, could pass Beauty itself. as fragments of the Platonic dialogues. For Dionysius, God is very similar to the Idea of Good, described by Plato in the Republic; like the Sun, II. MEDIATION OF PLOTINUS The One is simultaneously Good and Beautiful, The Platonic philosophy is on the verge and similarly a source of everything good and of being incorporated in Christian theology beautiful, “Because all things that exist derive by Neo-Platonist Plotinus, which is “both an from this beauty, and all the harmonies and end and a beginning - an end as regards the friendships and communions among everything, Greeks and a start regarding Christianity [6]. exist for beauty; and through beauty everything Plotinus’ uses Plato’s text just as Christian is joined together. And beauty is the beginning mystics use the “Song of Songs”[7], the Platonic of all, or the cause of all. It moves all and sustains Banquet becoming the object of an allegorical all through its love for beauty itself. And it is the interpretation. In Plotinian metaphysics all end of everything and a beloved and final and beings originated in the primordial unity, in exemplary cause (for all is done for beauty), as The One, rationally unknowable, indefinable, all are defined according to it. Therefore beauty to whom we cannot attribute characteristics, is the same as the good, because all is wanted but we can just say “it is”, all that exists owing for beauty and the good it contains. And there its existence to the fall from this unity. Each isn’t anything from what exists, that does not rung of existence is justified by the higher share the beauty and good [...]. This One and level of the Hierarchy, up to The One who is only good and beautiful is, in a uniform manner, the source of all. The movement from the top the cause of all things beautiful and good “[11] down, “emanation” or “procession”, meets As one can easily see from the above quotation, with an opposite movement, generated by the the Dionysian hermeneutic approach still exists aspiration to return to the primordial unity of in a realm of Platonic philosophy. The One, all beings. This return is a spiritual movement above all names, has “multiple benefactor expressed in a mystical love. The position of names”. Along with The Good and Beauty, Eros, the tutelary spirit, leading to Good, is illustrated above, the “unnamed deity” also now replaced by the grace that descends from bears the name of Eros-love. Unlike Plato - “the the Good, but the motive of ascension remains chief among Greeks” [12], for whom Eros was love. Grace is the attraction exerted on us by the only a mediator between this world and the one presence of Good, through love, through which beyond, understandably, to Dionysius, Eros is “the soul has the chance to meet Him”, The One- the appropriate name of God, for he does not God; when “there is nothing between them and have love as quality of His, but He is love, love 8. Epistemology, Metaphysics and Communication http://dialogo-conf.com Sciences & Theology - 180 - DIALOGO 2.1: 179 - 186 (2015) doi: 10.18638/dialogo.2015.2.1.19 CONFERENCES & JOURNAL the Dialogue between Science and Theology being His very way of existing. Each divine person she will keep you. Embrace her and honour her achieves his being in the absolute dedication of so that she embraces you (Parables 4,6-8)” [16]. self to the other divine Persons This unifying Although “some of our holy orators thought devotion of self of divine Persons is called by that the name of eros (love) is less divine than Dionysius “the Teon Eros “ [13]. agape (love)”, we shouldn’t, argues Dyonisos, “be afraid of the name of love (eros), nor should If Platonic Eros is primarily responsible for we be troubled by any dubious meaning about it. something missing, the Dionysian - love desired It seems to me that according to the Scriptures - is also an outpouring of divine goodness - of there is a common meaning between the name creative love. Out of this love God created all of love and eros, and that’s why the word eros that exists, in heavenly and earthly hierarchies. is used more for the divine [17], because of the God, whose very nature is love, offers as His gift, misplaced prejudices from such people” [18]. creation of the whole universe and man, made in His likeness “These misplaced prejudices” derive from the unilateral understanding of eros, only as the Eros is precisely this huge movement of love thirst for egocentric pleasure, as an expression that spreads, at the beginning, into a multitude of rebellious autonomy of the senses. The of beings, so that afterwards it can coalesce and priest considers it is not possible, however, to bring them to the unity of their origin. Through identify the true Eros with his idols, because: this love, the one who loves is removed from “not only we, but also the Scriptures praise himself and centres his being onto the object Eros as being in accordance with God.
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