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Principles of Christian Prayer from the Third Century: a Brief Look at Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian with Some Comments on Their Meaning for Today

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Principles of Christian Prayer from the Third Century: a Brief Look at Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian with Some Comments on Their Meaning for Today D. Richard Stuck wisch Principles of Christian Prayer from the Third Century: A Brief Look at Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian With Some Comments on Their Meaning for Today Treatises on the Our Father — whether in the form of catéchèses, sermons, lectures, or written commentaries — are not uncommon in the history of the Church, especially after the fourth century. Early examples are found among the works of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Maximus the Confessor, et al.1 Similar treatises on the Our Father are part of Martin Luther's Reformation legacy, as well.2 In this essay, however, we turn our attention to three of the earliest discussions of the Our Father, all dating from the first half of the third century: Tertullian's De Oratione {circa A.D. 200), Origen's Περί Ευχής (circa A.D. 233), and Cyprian's De Dominica Oratione (ehm A.D. 250).3 Each of these three treatises provides an exegetical com­ mentary on the Our Father, discussing petition-by-petition the theological meaning of our Lord's words as a model for Christian D. Richard Stuckwisch, a member of the Lutheran Missouri Synod, is a doc­ toral student in liturgical studies at the University of Notre Dame. 1 Cf. Geoffrey Lampe, " Our Father' in the Fathers," in Christian Spiritual­ ity: Essays in Honour of Gordon Rupp, ed. Peter Brooks (London: SCM Press Ltd 1975) 11-31; also, Willy Rordorf, "The Lord's Prayer in the Light of its Liturgical Use in the Early Church," Studia Liturgica 4 (1980/81) 1-19. 2 Cf., e.g., Douglas D. Fusselman, " Tray Like This': The Significance of the Lord's Prayer in Luther's Catechisms," Concordia Journal 18 (April 1992) 132-52. Though Fusselman's focus is Luther and Lutheranism, the entire first half of his article consists of a survey of the Our Father in early Christian literature and liturgies. 3 Unless otherwise noted, the following translations have been employed for the purposes of the present study: Cyprian of Carthage, The Lord's Prayer, tr. Roy J. Deferrari (New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc. 1958); Origen, On Prayer, tr. Rowan A. Greer, in Origen: Exhortation to Martyrdom . (etc.) (New York: Paulist Press 1979); Tertullian, On the Prayer, tr. Ernest Evans (London: S.P.C.K. 1953). D. Richard Stuckwisch 2 prayer. In addition, to a greater or lesser extent, these treatises also describe (either directly or indirectly) some of the aspects of prayer in general, as it was practiced by Christians of that time (at least among those familiar to our three authors). It is the purpose of this essay to consider these general characteristics of Christian prayer. As such, in our comparison of these third-century treatises, we will not be exploring the theological interpretations of the Our Father, per se, though these are surely also of great interest and importance in their own right. Instead, we will glean and interpret what we can about prayer, under a series of three categories: 1) the basic contents of Christian prayer, 2) the times and places of Christian prayer, and 3) the disposition and posture of Christian prayer.4 In doing so, we will endeavor to highlight points of es­ sential agreement between the three treatises, as well as points of divergence. Hopefully, in this way, some insights will be gained about the way of prayer among Christians in the early-third cen­ tury. Finally, on the basis of these insights, we will conclude with some comments on the principles and practices of Christian prayer in our own day and age. THE CONTENTS OF CHRISTIAN PRAYER The Our Father as a Model of Christian Prayer. As already indicated, we are not here concerned with the interpretations of the Our Father that Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen provide. However, it does need to be said from the start, that all three treat the Our Father as the model for Christian prayer. As Origen describes it: "The prayer written by the Lord as a model" (On Prayer XVIII.1). Tertullian, likewise, writes that Jesus "has marked out for the new disciples of the new covenant a new plan of prayer" (On the Prayer 1). And Cyprian — who regards the Our Father as the prayer, par excellence — writes, "He who, among His other salutary admoni­ tions and divine precepts by which He counsels His people unto salvation, Himself also gave the form of praying, Himself advised and instructed us what to pray for" (The Lord's Prayer 2); and again, "Such is the prayer that God has taught, who by His in­ struction has abbreviated our every prayer in a saving word" (The 4 Compare Paul F. Bradshaw, Daily Prayer in the Early Church (New York: Oxford University Press 1982); also. Two Ways of Praying (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press 1995). Principles of Prayer Lord's Prayer 28). Tertullian makes explicit the relationship of the Our Father to other Christian prayers: "As there are things to be asked for according to each man's circumstances, we have the right, after rehearsing the prescribed and regular prayer as a foun­ dation, to make from other sources a superstructure of petitions for additional desires: yet with mindfulness of the precepts, lest we be as far from the ears of God as we are from the precepts" (On the Prayer 10). The "precepts" here refer to the biblical war­ rants for many of the aspects of prayer that are discussed in this essay. On the basis of these comments, without going into detail, we may at least assume that the contents of prayer would emulate in some way the petitions of the Pater Noster. In a reciprocal fashion, however, a comprehensive theology of prayer has clearly in­ fluenced the interpretation of those same petitions. Especially in the case of the fourth petition, for example, the conviction that prayer "must ask for heavenly and great things" mitigates the opinion "that we are told to pray for corporeal bread" (Origen, On Prayer XXVII.1).5 Willy Rordorf is likely correct in setting this interpretation of the fourth petition in the context of a liturgical — that is to say, Eucharistie — use of the Our Father.6 However, it should also be noted, that Origen refers specifically to those who do hold the corporeal view of this petition (cf. On Prayer XXVII. 1). No doubt, the content of their prayers in general would also differ from that of Origen and his circle. The Various Kinds of Prayer. Origen alone among our three authors carefully distinguishes between various kinds of prayer. In the first place, he draws a contrast between the common Old Testa­ ment meaning of "prayer" (ενχη) and "our customary usage" of the same word. Although he does find examples of both in the Scriptures, he notes "that the word prayer is often used in a way different from the customary usage," namely, as a "vow" or "promise to do what the prayer announces if [the one praying] obtains his requests from God." By the "customary usage" of ενχη, Origen seems to have in mind a simple petition or request, 5 Cf. also Tertullian, On the Prayer 6.1-3; also Cyprian, The Lord's Prayer 19-20. 6 Cf. Rordorf: 6-9. D. Richard Stuckwisch 4 which he identifies more often with "the other word for prayer," τιροσενχη (On Prayer III.1-IV.2). Origen also distinguishes more precisely between four different kinds of "prayer," on the basis of 1 Timothy 2:1 ("First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanks­ giving be made for all men."). Briefly stated, "thanL·giving7 is a statement of gratitude made with prayers for receiving good things from God"; ''intercession is a petition for certain things ad­ dressed to God"; "supplication is a prayer offered with entreaty to get something a person lacks"; and finally, "prayer is something nobler offered by a person with praise and for greater objects" (On Prayer XIV.2). Of these four kinds of "prayer," thanksgiving and intercession may be addressed generally, not only to the saints, but to all other people; supplication may be addressed only to particularly worthy saints, such as Peter and Paul, or to those we have wronged, when we seek forgiveness from them; but "prayer in its most exact sense" should be offered to no one other than the Father, "not even to Christ Himself, but only to the God and Father of us all, to whom even our Savior Himself prayed." Though such prayer is not addressed to Christ, "it is especially true that no prayer should be addressed to the Father without Him," since He is our great High Priest (On Prayer XIV.6-XV.2). Consider, too, Origen's Dialogue with Heraclides (1.1-6.5), which also requires that the oblation should be offered "to the Father through the Son," not twice but once "to God through God," so to speak. The Component Parts of Prayer. In spite of the "customary usage," prayer is not primarily "petition" for Origen, but contem­ plation of God and doxological praise of the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, whatever petitions are made, must be "for the things that are chiefly and truly great and heavenly," leaving it to God to supply "what we need because of our mortal body before we ask Him" (On Prayer XVII.2). In the final paragraphs of his treatise, Origen provides an out­ line for Christian prayer: 1) It ought to begin with "something having the force of praise," offered to "God through Christ, who 7 We note that for Origen, εξομολογούμαι ("I give thanks") is a synonym of ευχαριστώ ("I thank") (cf.
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