Obsculta

Volume 2 Issue 1 Article 6

5-1-2009

Wisdom Christology in and Elizabeth Johnson: A Supplementary Discourse

Adam Paul Koester College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University

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Recommended Citation Koester, Adam Paul. 2009. Wisdom Christology in Origen and Elizabeth Johnson: A Supplementary Discourse. Obsculta 2, (1) : 14-20. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/obsculta/vol2/iss1/6.

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Obsculta by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wisdom Christology in Origen and Adam Paul Koester Elizabeth Johnson: A Supplementary Discourse

By so implicating divine Sophia with Jesus Wisdom’s influence on the creation of the New Christ he also implied that God’s wisdom is Testament and early Christology is unmistakable. now to be read off not from nature or the To- Origen, in the third century, sees this connection rah, but from the history of Jesus culminating to the Wisdom personified in the Old Testament in the cross. Here is the transvaluation of val- and understands Christ’s ontology in a way that in- ues so connected with the ministry, death and cludes Wisdom fundamentally. As a modern scholar, resurrection of Jesus: divine Sophia is manifest Elizabeth Johnson reconstructs the process through not in glorious deeds or esoteric doctrine, but which Wisdom came to be personified and traces in the cross and the preaching of the cross.2 her shadow through the . If we see This conception is clearly illustrated in the christo- Origen’s through what we know from cur- logical hymns Paul often intertwines with his own rent Wisdom scholarship would it be is possible to letters. One in particular, which will be discussed in open many more avenues of examination within greater detail later, is found in the letter to the Colos- various areas of theology? The conjoining of Ori- sians (Col 1:15-20). Johnson says of these verses that gen’s Sophia-centered Christology and current Wis- until one reads the verses concerning the crucifixion dom scholarship found in Elizabeth Johnson enables and resurrection “there is nothing that could not be a cosmological and feminine-oriented ontology for said of Sophia; change ‘he’ to ‘she’ and the hymn’s the second person of the Trinity. reliance on wisdom texts becomes obvious.”3 Elizabeth Johnson’s work, Jesus, The Wisdom of Johnson’s conversation around Matthew, Q, and God, traces the historical and scriptural basis for the John shows the influence of Wisdom literature on personification of Wisdom in the Old Testament these texts. Johnson finds that Matthew “puts So- into its transformation into a Sophia-centered Chris- phia’s words in Jesus’ mouth so that Jesus is presented tology found throughout the Christian writings. as Sophia speaking”4 and in Q, “Jesus issues Sophia’s While there is no consensus among scholars about call and promise, assumes her role of sending proph- the complete personification of the person Sophia ets, performs her deeds, enjoys her intimate knowl- in ancient times, Johnson argues that it was based on edge of God, utters her lament. . . . He is not simply the Old Testament texts. She states, “This much is Sophia’s child or envoy, but her embodiment.”5 obvious: the figure of Wisdom is the most developed John conversely gives attributes of Wisdom to personification in the Jewish tradition, much more Jesus’ ministry, but the prologue, which, based on acutely limned than the figures of the Word, Spirit, imagery and function, one would assume to be a 1 Torah, or Shekinah.” By stating that this tradition prime example of Wisdom Christology, uses the im- is linked to the Egyptian cult of Isis and showing age of Logos instead of Sophia. Many scholars, says that Judaism did not incorporate Wisdom as a sepa- Johnson, find that these images have “striking paral- rate deity alongside Yahweh as the cult of Isis would lels” and that they are “almost interchangeable.”6 Yet have preferred, Johnson provides the framework for the question still remains of why one would use the understanding how Wisdom was immensely influen- image of Logos instead of Wisdom. Johnson sug- tial to early Christology and not a step away from gests Philo’s theology as a strong candidate for in- monotheism. fluencing the switch to the use of Logos in the pro- With Wisdom already personified as a being not logue. Johnson then states the conclusions of many separate from God but with distinct attributes not scholars that it is possible the reason for this switch directly claimed by God, she was perfectly placed to is that the image of a male Logos was more comfort- exemplify how Christ related to God as both deity and person. This distinction also represents a shift in Wisdom theology made by Paul. Johnson says, 2 Ibid., 277–78. 3 Ibid., 279. 4 Ibid., 281. 1 Elizabeth A. Johnson, “Jesus, the Wisdom of God.” ETL 61 5 Ibid., 283. (1985): 264. 6 See ibid., 285, for full list of conclusions.

14 obsculta ably applied to Christ than a female Sophia. Thus, ness of Jesus.”10 In this way Wisdom Christology of- Johnson concludes the discussion of the prologue fers a pathway to understanding Christ as a figure with a question: who can relate to both sexes equally and inclusively. The point is, however, that Christian reflection The theological premises of Origen similarly of- before John had not found it difficult to apply fer a pathway into realizing who Christ is as a being insights associated with the figure of Sophia to who holds within its personal ontology both the fig- Jesus, not only to the risen and exalted Christ ures of Logos and Sophia. Origen’s understanding but even to the historical Jesus as he was being of Christ finds Christ’s main identity confirmed in portrayed in his ministry. Could the shift to the multiple epinoiai, or aspects. These aspects are named Logos concept be associated with the broader as a mechanism that Origen uses to explain how shift in the Christian community toward more “God, therefore, is altogether one and simple. Our patriarchal ecclesial structures and the blocking Savior, however, because of the many things, since of women from ministries in which they had God ‘set’ him ‘forth as a propitiation’ and firstfruits earlier participated?7 of all creation, becomes many things, or perhaps While no conclusions on this are made by Johnson even all these things, as the whole creation which at this point, she brings the paper to a close with the can be made free needs him.”11 The foundation of fact that while Logos is used to talk about Jesus in these epinoiai “rests on Origen’s understanding of the the prologue of John it is still heavily intertwined function of Christ as the mediator between God and with Sophia’s roles from the Old Testament. creation.”12 The order and complete interworking of Finding these possibilities in Scripture, Johnson this idea is found most clearly in the second chap- arrives at four conclusions, two of which I will focus ter of Origen’s De Principiis. Origen says here, “Our on before moving into Origen’s theology. First, one first task therefore is to see what the only-begotten basic ontology of Jesus can be understood in terms Son of God is, seeing he is called by many different of Wisdom personified. This connection allows the names according to the circumstances and beliefs many attributes of Wisdom to be directly applied to of the different writers.”13 Recognizing that many Christ and give the most solid foundation for talking different images are used, Origen sets out to under- about the incarnation.8 Second, Johnson argues that stand Christ through them, the primary one being any Logos-centered Christology should automati- Wisdom. cally make the connection to a Wisdom-centered By stating that Wisdom is the primary under- understanding of Christ. She states, “When we read standing of the Son, Origen must then go on to say that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us exactly what this means when understanding God. (Jn 1,14), we can rightly think of Sophia, the creative Wisdom is the first born of creation, as Paul says and saving presence of God in the world, coming in Colossians 1:15,14 not with a physical body but definitively toward us in Christ.”9 Knowing that So- rather as a being who “makes men wise by reveal- phia has had such an enormous impact on the con- ing and imparting itself to the minds of such as are ception of Christ, it is impossible to view Christ as able to receive its influence and intelligence.”15 The fully human simply in maleness. Johnson writes, “To say then that Jesus is the image of God (Col 1,15) 10 Ibid., 294. means not that he is the image of God as male, but 11 Origen, Commentary on John: Book I, par. 119 as found in Origen: that he embodies God’s compassionate love, inclu- Commentary on the Gospel According to John, Books 1-10, trans. Rob- sive justice, and renewing power in the world. In the ert E. Heine (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1989). Following, the location as found in Origen’s work second place, use of wisdom categories calls into will be cited. question the distorted theological use of the male- 12 John Anthony McGuckin, ed., The Westminster Handbook to Ori- gen (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2004), 93. 13 Origen, First Principles: Book I, chap. II, par. 1 as found in G. W. 7 Ibid., 288. This question absolutely needs to be asked of con- Butterworth and Paul Koetschau, Origen on First Principles, Being temporary culture when reflecting on women’s role in the church Koetschau’s Text of the De Principiis Translated into English, Together today compared with men’s. While it is not necessarily going to with an Introduction and Notes (London: Society for Promoting be the case, our communities need to engage carefully in theo- Christian Knowledge, 1936). Following, the location as found in logical reflection regarding the issues raised by Wisdom Christol- Origen’s work will be cited. ogy and questions regarding women’s role in ecclesial structure. 14 Ibid. 8 Cf. ibid., 292. 15 Ibid., par. 2. See also: footnote 4, Butterworth and Koetschau, 9 Ibid., 293. 15. It is important here to take into account Origen’s theology

obsculta 15 incorporeal nature of God in all three forms is nec- Once Origen has established Wisdom as the essary for Origen’s understanding of cosmology. Son, his next task is to incorporate Logos into the While this implies that it is impossible to think of Christology. Origen’s heavy incorporation allows a Wisdom as actually female, Origen retains the use clear link between Logos and Sophia as he writes “She” when talking about her—the same as he does about the introduction to the Gospel of John. The when speaking about the Son and using “he”—thus, reasoning for this link is shown in Origen’s commen- he retains her femininity despite God’s incorporeal tary on John when he states, nature. Also, accepting Wisdom as the primary way But it is as the beginning that Christ is creator, of understanding the Son makes impossible the according to which he is wisdom. Therefore thought that the Son had a beginning. Origen states as wisdom he is called the beginning. . . . It is this belief in the Son as eternally begotten and thus wisdom which is understood, on the one hand, states of Wisdom, “Wisdom, therefore, must be be- taken in relation to the structure of the con- lieved to have been begotten beyond the limits of templation and the thoughts of all things, but any beginning that we can speak of or understand. it is the Word which is received, taken in rela- . . . Solomon . . . says that she was created as a ‘be- tion to the communication of the things which ginning of the ways’ of God, which means that she have been contemplated to spiritual beings.17 contains within herself both beginnings and causes And later, “But consider if it is possible also for and species of the whole creation.”16 Understand- us to take the statement, ‘In the beginning was the ing Wisdom as the beginning of all creation, Origen Word,’ in accordance with this meaning, so that all equates these attributes to the Son of God as the things came to be in accordance with the wisdom Son is Wisdom. and plans of the system of thoughts in the Word.”18 While it can be assumed that Origen makes this con- of the incarnation and of preexistence. Stephen Thomas, in an nection based on scriptural analysis of John—So- article in John Anthony McGuckin, ed., The Westminster Handbook 19 to Origen, describes Origen’s speculation of the preexistence of phia being the beginning and Logos being in the 20 souls to account for their physical nature. Thomas finds that beginning —it is also highly likely that it is by their Origen implies that in order to understand the fall and the “plac- respective economies and their interrelated, comple- ing in bodies” of Gen. 2, it is possible to see the souls as pre- mentary relationship to creation that Origen makes existent—not just momentarily but with an entire life of deci- the connection. This relationship between Sophia sions—where they would have made mistakes and fallen away from God at different levels. When a soul is placed in a body and Logos seems to be one of “creator”/”order-er” then, it is not as punishment for these sins, but rather for the as seen in First Principles: “For wisdom opens to all possibility that the soul would be rehabilitated and returned to other beings, that is, to the whole creation, the mean- God (56). One can compare this to what it is like to put on ex- ing of the mysteries and secrets which are contained tra, warm clothing in order to go outside in cold weather. The clothing itself is not harmful, though it may be encumbering within the wisdom of God, and so she is called the to the person, but rather represents the state of the person be- Word, because she is as it were an interpreter of the ing away from a comfortable environment. This fall created a mind’s secrets.”21 tiered spiritual universe of demons, humans, and angels. These Here, Origen stops to examine his conclusions souls, all with their original purpose identical, find their place about Christ and Wisdom based on Scripture. In do- now in the separate dimensions of corporality and noncorpo- rality. There was one soul, however, that did not stray from its ing this, he makes the scriptural connection between original created intent of contemplation of God; that soul is Wisdom 7:2622 and the hymn in Colossians 1:15-20.23 the soul of Christ. In another article in the same anthology on Moving from talking about Wisdom directly to this Origen, Charles Kannengiesser states, “It was this soul, Jesus, hymn, Origen, with his own preconceptions, finds preexistently chosen by the divine Logos for his own descent to earth at the decisive moment of the universal need for salvation. that the Father and the Son are distinguishable yet According to Philippians 2:7-8, the Son of God volunteered to one being. He states, “the Father’s image is repro- deny himself in such a rescue mission. . . . Using the soul like a space suit (in the present case one should rather call it an ‘earth 17 Origen, Commentary on John: Book I, par. 111. suit’), the uncreated Logos of God encapsulated himself inside 18 Ibid., par. 113. a created spiritual nature, a unique case of intimacy in which the 19 Cf. Prov 8:22-23. creature instantly gave itself away to its creator”(76–77). This al- 20 Cf. John 1:1. lows Origen to overcome the dualism between the spiritual and 21 Origen, First Principles: Book I, chap. II, par. 3. physical world. It is also important to note that Origen does not 22 “For she is a reflection of the eternal light, / untarnished mir- speak of the human soul being eliminated by the Logos, but ror of God’s active power, / and image of his goodness.” rather integrating with it (77). 23 Specifically Col 1:15, “He is the image of the unseen God, / 16 Origen, First Principles: Book I., par. 2. the first born of all creation.”

16 obsculta duced in the Son [just as Adam begat Seth], whose Through his incorporation of Wisdom into birth from the Father is as it were an act of his will Christology, Origen is able to make these conclu- proceeding from the mind,”24 and later states on the sions about Christ. What must be understood at the unity of God, “Rather must we suppose that as an same time as this ontological significance of Wis- act of will proceeds from the mind without either dom and the Son is the soteriological significance cutting off any part of the mind or being separated Wisdom allows Christ to have in the world. Conse- or divided from it, in some similar fashion has the quentially, this possibility stems also from the con- Father begotten the Son, who is indeed his image.”25 nections made in Colossians 1:15-20. In reference to Origen continues this line of thought in understand- John 1:29,30 Origen states the following: ing the relationship between the Father and the Son He [John the Baptist] does not say he who will as he examines more closely the attributes of Wis- take it away but is not already also taking it away; dom in chapter 7. He makes the distinction between and he does not say he who took it away but why the text says Wisdom, and thus the Son, is a is not also still taking it away. / For the “taking breath of the “power” of God26 and not the “glo- away” affects each one in the world until sin be ry,” “eternal light,” “working,” and “goodness” that removed from all the world and the Savior de- Solomon also mentions of Wisdom. Origen’s con- liver to the Father a prepared kingdom which clusion here is that in being the “power” of God it permits the Father’s rule and again admits all is proven that “there always has existed that breath things of God in its whole and total self.31 of the power of God, having no beginning but God This process is done so that God may be “all in all.” himself. Nor indeed could it have fitly had any other Thus Christ’ saving significance can reach to the end beginning except from whom it takes its existence of creation. This is made possible because in Wis- and birth, that is, God.”27 For Origen, it is clear that dom all creation was made and “It is because of this the Son cannot have been thought to have never ex- creation [the creation of Wisdom] that the whole isted and the attributes exhibited thus far prove that creation has also been to subsist, since it has a share the Son is one with God and without beginning. in the divine wisdom according to which it has been Just as Origen concludes through Wisdom created, for according to the Prophet David, God that the Son is equal to the Father in power, so made ‘all things in Wisdom.’”32 Thus connections, does Wisdom allow him to conclude that the Son which will be explored shortly, are easily drawn be- necessarily represents the Father clearly. For if tween creation and salvation. Wisdom is the “untarnished mirror of God’s ac- When examining the thoughts of Elizabeth tive power” (Wis 7:26), then she works as a result Johnson on the evidence of Wisdom imagery in of the Father working, “whether in his acts of forming Scripture, one can quite easily see correla- creation, or of providence, or of judgment, or in tions between these possibilities and Origen’s theo- the ordering and superintendence of every detail logical construction of Christology. Origen’s most of the universe at his own appointed time.”28 Ori- basic attributes of Christ—equality with the Father, gen’s thoughts here lead him to conclude that it is begotten of the Father, creator and sustainer of only the Father who is good. He defends this by creation—all come as a result of reflection on the stating that, “as if these words were to be taken correlation between Wisdom’s attributes and simi- as a denial that either Christ or the Holy Spirit is larly built passages in the New Testament. The con- good; but, as we said before, the original good- struction found in Origen and the reconstruction of ness must be believed to reside in God the Father, historical situation leading to the personification of and from him both the Son and Holy Spirit un- Sophia in Johnson lead to three deeply intertwined doubtedly draw into themselves the nature of that possibilities for imagining Christology. goodness existing in the fount from which the one First, Johnson’s two conclusions mentioned is born and the other proceeds.”29 earlier are reinforced by Origen’s foundation that Sophia and Logos are two necessary pieces of the 24 Origen, First Principles: Book I, chap. II, par. 6. 25 Ibid. 30 “The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, 26 Cf. Wis 7:25. ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the 27 Origen, First Principles: Book I, chap. II, par. 9. world.’” 28 Ibid., par. 12. 31 Origen, Commentary on John: Book I, par. 234–35. 29 Ibid., par. 13. 32 Ibid., par. 244.

obsculta 17 ontology of Christ the Son. The combination of lows the possibilities found in Ruether’s, as well as Logos as “order-er” and Sophia as “creator” allows other ecotheologians’, hopes for realizing the direct in Christ what Rosemary Radford Ruether imagines relationship between spirituality, intellectuality, and for earth healing in her book, Gaia and God: An Eco- theology of the created order that has had Christ’s feminist Theology of Earth Healing. Ruether states in Gospel preached to it as well.37 Not only is creation imagining the possibilities in healing that the “two integral to our existence, but its presence suggests voices of divinity from nature”33 need to come to- that God’s relationship with it is deeper than we can gether and remain in communion. The first imaged understand. It is to the ecotheologians and ecologists as “God” is the being who we find communicating that we must look to help redefine humanity’s rela- in “thunderous masculine tones of ‘though shalt’ tionship with the rest of creation after having ex- and ‘though shalt not.’ It is the voice of power and ploited it so long. law, but speaking (at its most authentic) on behalf Finally, as Johnson finds in her conclusions and of the weak, as a mandate to protect the powerless again directly linked to the previous two conclusions, and to restrain the power of the mighty.”34 The other the possibilities for women’s roles in the church de- voice, imaged throughout the book in contrast to the mand at least a further look. If it is possible for “God” of history, “has been silenced by the mascu- Scripture as well as for some of the church’s earli- line voice, but today is finding her own voice. This is est theology to envisage Christ’s basic composition the voice of Gaia. Her voice does not translate into to include both male and female parts, intertwined laws or intellectual knowledge, but beckons us into and integral to each other, then we must find what it communion.”35 Ruether’s conclusions lead to the ex- means to be fully human as Christ revealed. Though hortation to bring the feminine voice and masculine it may have consequences on the meaning of mar- voice back together in order to bridge the gap that riage or on celibate life (not in any way saying that causes the destruction explained through the rest of celibate life is unnecessary) it certainly does seem the book. Thus, as Ruether imagines God with both that a completely male hierarchical structure within these masculine and feminine voices contributing to the Catholic Church is lacking half of the conver- theological understanding, so Origen’s Christology sation when making decisions that affect the whole shows how both Sophia and Logos are integral to body of the church. With only the male half of the Christ’s ontology and thus divine attributes.36 voices speaking for the body of the church, of which Following this conclusion, and intertwined with Christ is the head, half the basic makeup of Christ it, is the possibility for a deep connection to the as we understand Sophia/Logos is missing and thus physical, created world. Here, both Johnson’s and Christ is underrepresented. Origen’s reliance on the Colossians christological Elizabeth Johnson’s christological basis allows hymn—itself heavily dependent on the Wisdom tra- one to see the historical framework through which dition—is seen clearly. Through Wisdom, Christ is the feminine figure of Wisdom came to influence the creator and sustainer of the cosmos—seen clear- the writers of the New Testament. Origen’s writ- ly in Origen’s theology—and added to this nature by ings show recognition of these themes as he builds the Colossians hymn, Christ is also the redeemer of a Christology that is Sophia-centered but is also de- the entire cosmos that Christ created by becoming pendent on Logos to understand completely who a part of it. The integral relationship found here al- Christ is cosmologically and soteriologically. The characteristics attributed to Christ by way of Sophia allows for many interesting possibilities in the cur- 33 Rosemary Radford Ruether, Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theol- ogy of Earth Healing (New York: Harper Collins, 1992), 255. rent topics of humanity’s relationship with the cos- 34 Ibid. mos, Wisdom Christology, and women’s position 35 Ibid. in church hierarchical structures. By taking Sophia- 36 To contrast with another current which can be found in Gerald centered Christology seriously, it is possible to see Bostock’s article, Origen’s Doctrine of Creation, where he suggests that many relationships are lacking half of the indi- a return to Logos-centered Christology. While his suggested re- sults are agreeable, I believe the premise is inherently flawed in viduals needed to fully understand it and be in true that it does not go far enough to correct the problem. Logos- dialogue. Seeing Christology as dependent on Sophia centered Christology—being centered in Wisdom, as Bostock is integral to understanding the trinitarian reality, as argues—does not have the potential that a dual-natured Christ well as its individual persons, correctly. has nor does it recognize Wisdom with the importance she finds in Origen’s Christology. 37 Cf. Col 1:23.

18 obsculta Bibliography

Bostock, Gerald. “Origen’s Doctrine of Creation.” The Exposi- tory Times, 118, no. 5 (2007): 222–27. Johnson, Elizabeth A. “Jesus, the Wisdom of God.” ETL, 61 (1985): 261–94. McGuckin, John Anthony, ed. The Westminster Handbook to Origen. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2004. Origen. Commentary on John. In Origen: Commentary on the Gospel According to John, Books 1-10, translated by Robert E. Heine. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1989. Origen. First Principles. In Origen on First Principles, Being Koetschau’s Text of the De Principiis Translated into English, Together with an Introduction and Notes, edited by G. W. Butterworth and Paul Koetschau. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1936. Ruether, Rosemary Radford. Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theol- ogy of Earth Healing. New York: Harper Collins, 1992.

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