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Life-Giving Blessing: an Inquiry Into the Eucharistic Doctrine of Cyril Of

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Life-Giving Blessing: an Inquiry Into the Eucharistic Doctrine of Cyril Of ACTA UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS Studia Doctrinae Christianae Upsaliensia 17 Ezra Gebremedhin Life-Giving Blessing An Inquiry into the Eucharistic Doctrine of Cyril of Alexandria UPPSALA 1977 Contents Acknowledgments 8 Abbreviations 9 Introduction 11 1 Cyril Yesterday and Today 13 1.1 Introduction 13 1.2 Early Years and Education 13 1.3 Cyril's Use of Philosophy in the Service of Theology 14 1.3.1 Cyril's Anthropology 14 1 3.2 Cyril's Use of Analogies from the Realm of Philosophy in Explaining the Union of the Na tures in Christ 14 1.3 3 The Philosophical Ba ckground to Cyril's Exegesis of Scripture 15 1 3.4 The Sources of Cynl's Philosophical Tools 16 1.4 Cyril's Dependence on Church Fathers Who Preceded Him 17 1.5 A Theology Enunciated in a Context of Controversy 18 1 6 The Evolution of Cyril's Christology 21 1.6.1 Evolution of Terminology - Not of Christo logy as Such 21 1 6.2 Critique of Classifications Logos-sarx and Logos-anthropos 21 1. 7 The Essence of Cyril's Christology 22 1.7.1 Emphasis on the Unity of Christ 22 1 7 2 Emphasis on the Reality of the Incarnation 22 1.8 The Controversy over 'Theotokos' 23 1.9 Cyril's Legacy 24 1.9 1 Cyril's Influence on Individual Theologians 24 1.9 2 Cyril's Influence on the Churches of Christendom 25 1.10 Cyril and the Unity of the Church 26 1.10.1 Cyril and the Unity of the Church of Yesterday 26 1 102 Cyril as an Ecumenical Factor Today 26 1.11 Implications of Recent Nestorius Research for Cyril Research 27 1.12 Closing Remarks 27 Notes 29 2 The Word's Own Flesh 34 2. 1 Introduction 34 2.2 The Incarnation - a Unique Theophany 34 2.3 Christ . 'One out of Both' (d<; E� O:p<poiv) 36 24 Senses in Which the Term LOw<; Is Used 36 25 Basic Concerns behind Cyril's Use of the Term i?lLOC; for Christ's Body 37 2 5 1 Not 'Two Sons' 38 25 2 Christ's Body 'Unlike' Our Bodies 38 26 Concern behind Cyril's 'Hypostatic Union' 38 2.7 Cyril and the 'Communicatio Idiomatum' 39 2.8 Nestorius' Basic Christological Concerns 40 2.9 Nestorius and the 'Communicatio ldiomatum' 41 2.10 Links between Cyril's Christology and His Eucharistic Theology 41 2.11 Closing Remarks 42 Notes 43 3 The Word's Vivifying Flesh 48 3.1 Introduction 48 3.2 The Concepts of Will, Power and Energy as Expressions of Unity of Operation in the Godhead 48 3.3 Use of the Concepts of Will, Power and Energy in Cyril's Trini- tarian Theology 49 3.4 Use of the Terms 8VVQJ1.LC: and EVEP'YEI1'f. on the Christological Level 49 3.5 The Eucharist as Bearer of the Vivifying Power of the Logos 50 3.6 Doctrinal Concerns behind Cyril's Designation of the Body of Christ as Vivifying 50 3.7 Philosophical and Theological Background to Cyril's Use of the Word 'Vivifying' for the Body of Christ 52 3.7.1 Philo�ophical Background 52 3.7.2 Biblical Background 52 3 7.3 Patristic Background 53 3.8 Cyril's Preoccupation with Divine, Supernatural Life 53 3.9 Designations for the Eucharist Which Build on the Concept of Life 54 3.10 Analogies from the Physical World as Illustrations of the Vivi- fying Power of Christ's Body 54 3.11 Closing Remarks 55 Notes 56 4 Bread and Wine as Bearers of Vivifying Power and Energy 59 4. 1 In trod uction 59 4.2 Cyrl1's Interpretations of Matthew's and Luke's Narratives of the Institution of the Lord's Supper 59 4.3 Cyril's Interpretation of the Epic1esis: Spirit-or Logos-Oriented? 61 4.4 Emergence of Two Related Concepts on the Consecration 62 4.5 Dominance of Logos in the Eucharistic Theology of the Alexandrians 62 4.6 Cyril's Logos-oriented Understanding of the Consecration 63 4.7 Bread and Wine' A Picture of the Presence of the RIsen Christ and Not of the Christ to Be Raised 65 4.8 Background of Alexandrian Eucharistic Theology in Philo's Teaching on the Logos 65 4.9 Widsom's Banquet as a Prefiguration of the Eucharist 66 4. 10 Incarnation Decisive for Cyril's Understanding of the Presence of the Ascended Lord in the Eucharist 67 4.11 Is There a Repetition of the Incarnation in the Eucharist? 68 4.12 Cyril's Understanding of the Conversion of the Elements 69 4.13 Cyrl1 and Nestorius on the Implications of the Eating of the Eucharistic Bread 69 4.14 Closing Remarks 70 Notes 71 The Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist: Corporeal or Spiritual Presence? 75 5.1 Introduction 75 5.2 The Position of G. E. Steitz: Presence Not in Substance but Rather in Effect 75 5.3 E. Michaud's Interpretation of Cyril's Eucharistic Theology as 'Dynamic' 77 79 5. 4 J. Mahe. Cyril as a Proponent of Eucharistic Realism 79 5.5 A struckmann Presence in Substance and Not Only in Effect 81 5.6 Other Studies on Cyril's Eucharistic Theology 5.7 Element of Ambiguity in Cyril's Treatment of the Subject of the Presence of Christ in the Euchanst 81 5.8 Increased Use of Variations of 'Pneuma' in the Context of the Eucharistic Theology 81 5.9 Use of 'Pneuma' in the Context of the Eucharist: Reflection of an Exegetical Emphasis 82 5 10 Cynl's Theology of the Incarnation as a Key to an Understanding of the Mode of Christ's Presence in the Eucharist 83 5.11 Critique of the Views of Steitz and Michaud 84 5. 12 The Somatic Mode of Christ's Presence in the Eucharist: A Corollary of Cyrl1's Doctrine of the Incarnation 84 5.13 Closing Remarks 85 Notes 86 6 The Eucharist: Bestower of Union With the Life of the Incarnate Word 90 6.1 The Eucharist � a Participation in the life of Christ 90 6.2 Participation as IlETcXA.171/JlC; 90 6.3 Other Designations for Participation 91 6.4 The Table - a Place for Restoration 91 65 The Eucharist - Unifier of the Faithful 92 6.6 The Spirit - Unifier of the Faithful 92 6.7 The Eucharist and the Unity of the Faithful in the Trinity 93 6.8 Conditions for Reception of the Eucharist 93 69 Obligations Resulting from Participation in the Eucharist 94 6 10 Interrelationship between the Preconditions for Participation and the Blessings Received in the Eucharist 94 6.11 Need of Regular Participation 95 6.12 Journey Motif 95 6. 13 Wisdom as a Gift of the Eucharist 96 614 Closing Remarks 96 Notes 98 7 The Eucharist: Bestower of Life Incorruptible 100 7.1 Incorruptibl1ity - Most Important Gift of the Eucharist 100 7.2 Christ - Victor Over Death 101 7.3 Incorruptibility - Not a Full-fledged Reality in This Life 102 7.4 The Special Features of the Life Mediated by the Sacraments 102 7.S Relationship between Baptism and the Eucharist in Cyru's Theology 103 7 6 CloSing Remarks 105 Notes 107 Summary 109 Bibliography 1]2 Index of Names ]20 Index of Main Greek Words 1 23 Acknowledgements I am indebted to many persons and organizations for different kinds of help ex­ tended to me in the course of the preparation of this work. Unfortunately I can name only a few of them. My thanks go in the first place to my Church, the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus in Ethiopia, fo r backing my studies with its recommendations, and to the Scholarship Department of the Lutheran World Federation fo r providing the economic means fo r the carrying out of this study. I owe a very special debt of gratitude to the teachers and other personnel at 10hannelunds Teologiska Institut, Uppsala, who have fo llowed my studies with unfailing interest and support. This holds true also of the leadership of the Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsen, Stockholm. To my advisor, Docent Lars Thunberg, who has patiently encouraged me in this work and given me the benefit of his incisive comments, lowe a sincere debt of gratitude. I am deeply indebted to the brothers of Ostanback Monastery in Sala, Sweden for providing me with a quiet and inspiring milieu fo r studies over a period of more than two years. Many of the ideas in this book took shape at Ostanback. To the Rev. Lionel R. Wickham of the University of Southampton, England, who let me use several of his unpublished translations of Cyril's letters, I express my sincere thanks. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mr. 1. van Haelst, Belgium, and to Professor E. Hammerschmidt, Hamburg, for many valuable pointers to literature on the history of the Alexandrian Anaphora of Sf Mark. Any errors committed in the implementation of the help provided by these scholars is to be attributed solely to the writer. Rigmor Aren deserves a special word of thanks for carrying the main burden of typing the manuscript of this book and doing proofreading under cir­ cumstances which were far fr om ideal. I want to reserve my deepest thanks to my wife Gennet, who has shared the labours of this undertaking over a number of years as a companion, bread-winner and typist. Uppsala, November 1977 Ezra Gebremedhin Abbreviations Corpus Scriptorum Ecc1esiasticorum Latinorum CSEL . Vienna 1866fT. DHG Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Geographie Ecc1esiastique, ed.
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