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Hermeneutical Cosmotheoria & The Hermeneutical Cosmotheoria & the Experience of God in Origen of Alexandria by John William Gibson A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of St. Michael’s College and the Graduate Centre for Theological Studies of the Toronto School of Theology. In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of St. Michael's College © Copyright by John William Gibson 2017 Hermeneutical Cosmotheoria & the Experience of God in Origen of Alexandria John William Gibson Doctor of Philosophy in Theology University of St. Michael’s College 2017 Abstract The impetus of this study is grounded in the fundamental question: What is it that Origen is doing in his works? Knowledge of the Trinity and knowledge of creation are ranked first and second by Origen as “supreme functions of knowledge,” while “knowledge and understanding of oneself” is set beside this as the “height of spiritual knowledge and blessedness.”1 Any attempt to get to the heart of Origen’s thought must bear these foundational premises in mind. Knowledge stands between the Trinity and creation – a centre of consciousness in human being. A narrative of meaning is expressed from out of this centre, as Origen looks to either side and reveals himself to be a profoundly hermeneutical thinker. Stating explicitly that Scripture serves as “elementary rudiments of and very brief introductions to all knowledge,”2 Origen begins with these rudiments, and applies them to history in the experience of divinity in divine-human relations encountered in matrices of being, reason, and grace. The relation between God and the subject, operative in the threefold dynamic of being, reason, and grace, constitutes the foundational strata and conceptual nexus through which 1 Origen, CSong 2.5. 2 Origen, CJn 13.30. ii Origen’s thought is best explored. Approaching his thought in this light enables the reader to grasp the conceptual wholism, the parsing of the disparity of the world into a unified vision, which is so unique and so characteristic of Origen’s thought. The experience of being, reason, and grace points beyond to the Persons who are those qualities in essence, and who express the possibility of being, knowing, and grace. A hermeneutical circle is set in motion as one garners knowledge of the Trinity, creation, and self. Divine-human relations and all experience of the world are parsed by means of a Trinitarian hermeneutic – a cosmotheoria – through which the world is revealed to be a dynamic and cosmos of possibility in which one experiences a reification of divine will. iii For my sister, Trudy Gibson 1965 - 1999 βλέποµεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι’ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγµατι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ µέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσοµαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην iv Acknowledgements I extend particular thanks to the thesis supervisor, Dr. Jaroslav Skira of Regis College. Dr. Skira was trusting and respectful enough to keep me on a frightfully long leash, and wise and vigilant enough to quickly and decisively shorten it when he saw that disaster was imminent. I also kindly thank each of the advisors who were involved in the stages and processes of course work, comprehensive examinations, and thesis proposal and defence: Rev. Dr. T. Allan Smith of the University of St. Michael’s College and the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, Rev. Dr. Scott Lewis of Regis College, Rev. Dr. Gordon Rixon of Regis College, and Dr. Peter Martens of Saint Louis University, who served as External Examiner at the thesis defence, and Dr. James Ginther, who acted as Chair. Special thanks to Dr. Gary D. Badcock of Huron University College who was first in fostering my fascination for theology. I thank also Emil Iruthayathas, Student Services Officer at my home college of Saint Michael’s, and Dr. David Wagschal, Administrator and Assistant Registrar at the Graduate Centre for Theological Studies at the Toronto School of Theology. The patience and insight of Emil and David have been for me an unceasing source of amazement and wonder. If this thesis possesses any merit, it is due to the diligent and critical oversight of all of the fine persons listed here – all remaining questionable material is attributable only to myself. v Table of Contents Abbreviations of Works Frequently Cited.................................................................................... vii List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………….ix Chapter 1: Introduction i) General Introduction.........................................................................................................1 ii) Survey of Secondary Literature.......................................................................................4 iii) Thesis ...........................................................................................................................21 iv) Terminology a) Hermeneutic.......................................................................................................22 b) Cosmotheoria.....................................................................................................24 c) Experience .........................................................................................................25 v) Approach of Study.........................................................................................................27 a) Methodology......................................................................................................27 b) Primary Texts of Origen....................................................................................33 vi) Outline of Study ...........................................................................................................36 Part 1: Precursors Chapter 2: Conceptual & Textual Horizons in Early Alexandria 1) Early Hellenic Sketches of Λόγος..............................................................................................41 i) Heraclitus a) The Root of Being..............................................................................................43 b) Reason & the Experience of Λόγος ...................................................................45 c) Being Toward Providence .................................................................................47 ii) Plato: From the Cave to the Abyss................................................................................49 iii) Stoic Philosophy a) The Coherence of Being ....................................................................................54 b) The Vestigial Λόγος...........................................................................................56 c) Providence, Interrupted (?) ................................................................................57 vi 2) Philo of Alexandria a) From Limen to Liminality of Being...............................................................................59 b) The Experience of Reason: Λόγος as Μεθόριος ............................................................65 c) Grace, Providence & Liminality....................................................................................68 3) Clement of Alexandria a) The Incarnation Gives Rise to Symbol (I).....................................................................71 b) The Symbol of Reason ..................................................................................................75 c) The Symbol of Grace.....................................................................................................78 Part 1: Precursors: Conclusion.......................................................................................................80 Part 2: Origen of Alexandria Chapter 3: The Horizon of Being...................................................................................................84 i) Beginnings and Elements a) Symbols & Hierarchies of Being: Divergent Foundations in Alexandria .....................87 b) Ἀρχή & Στοιχεῖα ............................................................................................................92 c) Exitus-Reditus ................................................................................................................98 ii) The Hierarchy of Trinitarian Onto-Relational Contingency a) The Step of the Father..................................................................................................104 b) The Christic Step.........................................................................................................110 c) The Pneumatic Step.....................................................................................................115 iii) Κόσµος τοῦ Κόσµου a) A Κόσµοι of Meaning ..................................................................................................121 b) Song of Songs: Symbol & Expression of Κόσµοι .......................................................124 c) Conclusion: Reading the Horizon of Being.................................................................130 Chapter 4: The Horizon of Reason ..............................................................................................133 i) The Ἐπίνοιαι: Essence & Assent a) Unicity Toward Multiplicity........................................................................................134 b) An Ordered Centre.......................................................................................................137 c) Multiplicity Toward Unicity........................................................................................142 vii ii) The Genealogy
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