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Durham E-Theses Economia and Eschatology: The Mystagogical Signicance of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy's Prothesis Rite in the Commentaries of Saints Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon Thessalonike Muksuris, Stylianos How to cite: Muksuris, Stylianos (2008) Economia and Eschatology: The Mystagogical Signicance of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy's Prothesis Rite in the Commentaries of Saints Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon Thessalonike, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1960/ 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 Economia and Eschatology: The Mystagogical Significance of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy's Prothesis Rite in the Commentaries of Sts. Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon of Thessalonike by Stylianos Muksuris Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2008 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was submitted. No quotation from it, or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged. 29 SEP2009 r 7 Economia and Eschatology: The Mystagogical Significance of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy's Prothesis Rite in the Commentaries of Sts. Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon of Thessalonike by Stylianos Muksuris Within the penetrating liturgical treatises of St. Symeon of Thessalonike, one specific phrase captures quite succinctly the very essence of the mystagogy of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Addressing his clergy regarding the mystical significance of the preparatory rite known as the prothesis, the Archbishop of Thessalonike seems to extend his exegesis to define the entire eucharistic experience. lie observes: "Through this sacred sacrifice, both holy angels and men together have been united to Christ, and in Him have they been sanctified and they unite us to Him" (On the Sacred Liturgy 94; PG 155.281B). The implication here of a more immediate and intimate reality - the union of heavenly and earthly beings to Christ and to one another, here and now - forms the very cornerstone of Byzantine liturgical mystagogy. Symeon'sassertion raises the issueof the timelessnature of Christ's self-offering at Golgotha, a historical event with implications that surpassmeasureable time. Hence, a direct link is drawn between sacrifice and eschatology, which St. Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon, delving into the earlier Eastern patristic annals vis-ä-vis mystagogy, advance in their treatment of the eucharistic liturgy in general and the prothesis rite in particular. It is the intent of this thesis to identify and affirm the prevailing economic (sacrificial) and eschatological character of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy's prothesis rite, through a comprehensive examination of the later Byzantine mystagogical commentaries of St. Nicholas Cabasilas and St. Symeon of Thessalonike. One crucial aim of this study will be to prove, through the performance of the rite, the necessary interdependence between Christ's sacrificial passion, achieved within historical time and the visible world, and the eschatological reality, to be experienced in its fullness at the consummation of time. A final concern is to substantiate the claim that the prothesis rite, with its extensive and vivid imagery, is a reflection of the entire eucharistic liturgy, both in form and theological significance. Economia and Eschatology: The Mystagogical Significance of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy's Prothesis Rite in the Commentaries of Sts. Nicholas Cabasilas and Symeon of Thessalonike by Stylianos Muksuris Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Durham University Department of Theology and Religion 2008 i Table of Contents Introduction 4 Part I: The Text of the Prothesis Rite and Its Byzantine Commentators Chapter One: The Modern Text of the Prothesis Rite with English Translation 18 ChapterTwo: The Life and Liturgical Works of St. Nicholas Cabasilas and St. Symeonof Thessalonike:A Critical Survey 33 Part II: The Historical Development of the Prothesis Rite Chapter Three: A Historical Overview of the Preparation of the Eucharistic Gifts 48 Part III: A Basis for Liturgical Mystagogy: Sacrificial Theology and Eschatology ChapterFour: A Theologyof Economia- Sacrificein EasternLiturgy 72 Chapter Five: Eschatology and Its Relation to Eastern Liturgy 106 Part IV: Liturgical Mystagogy within the Prothesis Rite Chapter Six: The Mystical Prothesis I: Bloodless Immolation of the Lamb 142 Chapter Seven: The Mystical Prothesis II: Two Kingdoms of Saints United 175 Chapter Eight: The Mystical Prothesis III: The Final Preparationin the Veiling and Prayer 213 Chapter Nine: The Prothesis Rite as Image of the Anaphora 251 Conclusion 274 Appendix 290 Bibliography 302 2 ® Copyright 2008 by Stylianos Muksuris The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without their prior written consent, and Information derived from It should be acknowledged. INTRODUCTION Within the penetrating liturgical treatises of St. Symeon of Thessalonike, one particular phrase captures quite succinctly the very essence of the mystagogy of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Addressing his clergy regarding the mystical significance of the preparatory rite known as the prothesis, the Archbishop of Thessalonike seems to extend his exegesis to define the entire eucharistic experience. He observes: "Through this sacred sacrifice, both holy angels and men together have been united to Christ, and in Him have they been sanctified and they unite us to Him. "' The implication here of a more immediate beings Christ to and intimate reality - the union of heavenly and earthly to and Byzantine liturgical one another, here and now - forms the very cornerstone of mystagogy. Litureical Mystazogy -A Theological Basis In the Eastern celebration of the Eucharist, both the material and spiritual worlds, eternity and history, intersect during the Church's mystical worship and embrace the realm of the other. Surpassing all rational thought, liturgical mystagogy intends to raise the spiritual consciousness of the worshipper, from a trivial vision of the ritual acts conducted in the church to a deeper comprehension of the meaning behind those acts. More importantly, however, mystagogy does not simply claim to be an exercise in symbol identification; it attempts to convey the invisible divine presence through the visible human act. The classic Augustinian definition of uvarrjptov is most applicable 1 Symeon of Thessalonike, Ilepi vS OeiasMvaraywyias =On the Sacred Liturgy 94; PG 155.281B. The Greek text follows: "Tý ©voiq Tavin tt iep4, nävTe; öµoü äyye%oi Te uai ävOpwnot iytot ijvuiOrlaav Tw Xptasw, uai 6v aviw ijytdaO aav xat tiov, w ßµäS Evovatv. " All translations of Symeon throughout this thesis, unless otherwise specified, are mine. 4 here: A mystery is when "one thing is seen, another understood" (aliud videtur, aliud intelligitur) 2 The Byzantine notion of mysticism involves "an immediate experience or intuitive knowledge of the divine that surpasses rational, logical perceptions and knowledge as well as `normal' religious consciousness."3 The role of mystagogy4 centers into upon leading and guiding the neophyte or Christian worshipper more deeply this understanding and experience of the divine. initiated into In order for mystagogy to succeed and before man can truly be the in divine mystery, he must first establish contact with that particular source or setting Origen's line which God has chosen to reveal Himself. Following the Alexandrian of in thinking, the central mystery of Christ the Logos is at once veiled and unveiled the flesh (the Incarnation `two articles of clothing' associated with His person; namely, His 5 "Christ event) and the Holy Scriptures. Regarding the Incarnation, A. Verheul writes: both hides himself is thus the great, the pre-eminent sign: his material bodily nature and reveals his invisible divine Person. For the first time in him the material-bodily condition has become the bearer of a divine reality, of a divine power, yea, of the divine Person himself. "6 As mysteries that derive from the central mystery of Christ, nature and the 2 Augustine of Hippo, Homily 272.16; PL 38.1247. The full text reads: "Ista fratres dicuntur sacramenta, quia in eis aliud videtur, aliud intelligitur. " Ambrose of Milan offers an identical statement in defining allegory as used in the exegesis of Scripture: "Allegoria est cum aliud geritur et aliud figuratur" (Ambrose, De Abraham 1.4.28; PL 14.432). See also A. Verheul, Introduction to the Liturgy: Towards a Theology of Worship (London, 1968), p. 104. 3 The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Vol. 2. Ed. Alexander P. Kazhdan (New York, 1991), p. 1431. ° As the term implies, pvaraywyIa