Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Spring 2015 Deus in se et Deus pro nobis: The rT ansfiguration in the Theology of Gregory Palamas and Its Importance for Catholic Theology Cory Hayes Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Hayes, C. (2015). Deus in se et Deus pro nobis: The rT ansfiguration in the Theology of Gregory Palamas and Its Importance for Catholic Theology (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/640 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEUS IN SE ET DEUS PRO NOBIS: THE TRANSFIGURATION IN THE THEOLOGY OF GREGORY PALAMAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR CATHOLIC THEOLOGY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Cory J. Hayes May 2015 Copyright by Cory J. Hayes 2015 DEUS IN SE ET DEUS PRO NOBIS: THE TRANSFIGURATION IN THE THEOLOGY OF GREGORY PALAMAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR CATHOLIC THEOLOGY By Cory J. Hayes Approved March 31, 2015 _______________________________ ______________________________ Dr. Bogdan Bucur Dr. Radu Bordeianu Associate Professor of Theology Associate Professor of Theology (Committee Chair) (Committee Member) _______________________________ Dr. Christiaan Kappes Professor of Liturgy and Patristics Saints Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary (Committee Member) ________________________________ ______________________________ Dr. James Swindal Dr. Maureen O’Brien Dean, McAnulty Graduate School of Chair, Department of Theology Liberal Arts Professor of Theology Professor of Philosophy iii ABSTRACT DEUS IN SE ET DEUS PRO NOBIS: THE TRANSFIGURATION IN THE THEOLOGY OF GREGORY PALAMAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR CATHOLIC THEOLOGY By Cory J. Hayes May 2015 Dissertation supervised by Dr. Bogdan Bucur In this dissertation, I claim that Gregory Palamas’ teaching on the uncreated light of the transfigured Christ is best understood when interpreted through the category of theophany, namely, the appearance or vision of God. For Palamas, the Transfiguration is the theophany which manifests the full implications of the hypostatic union. As a revelation of the uncreated divinity of Christ (the vision of God), the Transfiguration anticipates, makes present, and partially effects the eschatological deification that takes place fully in the face to face vision of God. Palamas’ teaching on the Transfiguration as theophany synthesizes insights from the Eastern patristic tradition regarding theology of revelation, deification, and eschatology. Palamas’ theology of the Transfiguration and theophany presupposes a theophanic and therefore Christocentric economy of salvation which sees the Son of God as the theophanic mediator between God and man beginning with creation, through the theophanies of the Old Testament, and culminating in his iv Incarnation and the face to face vision of God in the fully glorified Christ in the eschaton. Palamas’ theology of revelation (essence and energies), deification, and eschatology cannot be properly understood without taking into account their theophanic foundation. Furthermore, I claim that Palamas’ synthesis of the Eastern patristic tradition concerning the Transfiguration and theophany can aid Roman Catholic theology in recovering a series of insights concerning the Transfiguration as the vision of God in this life contained in its shared patristic heritage with the Christian East. Central to this claim is that Thomas Aquinas’ teaching on the Transfiguration and theophany is inadequate for the task of such a retrieval (his view of theophany does not permit it) and that Palamas’ synthesis can show Roman Catholic theology the way back to its theophanic Eastern patristic heritage. v DEDICATION To my wife Jennifer; the completion of this project is just as much her achievement as it is mine. To my children; Samantha, Abigail, Bennett, Aidan, Magdalene, Augustine, and Caeli, who finally get their father back. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1: PALAMAS’ EXEGESIS OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN HOMILIES 34 & 35 ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL .......................................................................... 5 1.1 A Few Notes Concerning Patristic Exegesis ..................................................................... 5 1.2 Context and Provenance of Homilies 34 & 35 .................................................................. 7 1.3 The Transfiguration as Promised θεοφάνεια ..................................................................... 9 1.4 The Promise/Manifestation Structure of the Transfiguration in the Fathers ................... 12 SECTION 2: “HIS FATHER’S GLORY” (REVELATORY THEOPHANY) ......................... 14 2.1 The Light of the Trinitarian Godhead .............................................................................. 14 2.2 “His face shone like the sun” The Light of the Son ........................................................ 17 2.3 “A bright cloud overshadowed them” The Light of the Holy Spirit ............................... 19 2.4 “And a voice from the cloud said” The Light of the Father ............................................ 21 2.5 The Uncreated Light of Christ ......................................................................................... 25 SECTION 3: THE PURIFYING POWER TO BEHOLD HIS OWN KINGDOM (ESCHATOLOGICAL AND DEIFYING THEOPHANY) ...................................................... 29 3.1 The Kingdom Present in the King ................................................................................... 29 3.2 The Deification of Human Faculties of Perception ......................................................... 34 3.3 The Transfiguration and Salvation History ..................................................................... 37 3.4 The Light is God’s Glory, Not His Substance ................................................................. 41 3.5 Conculsions from Chapter 1 ............................................................................................ 46 CHAPTER 2: THE TRANSFIGURATION AS REVELATORY THEOPHANY IN BIBLICAL SALVATION HISTORY .............................................................................................................. 49 SECTION 1: THE TRANSFIGURATION AS REVELATION OF THE HIDDEN GODHEAD ................................................................................................................................................... 51 1.1 A Revelation of the Divinity of Christ ............................................................................ 51 1.2 ἡ θεότης Seen and Unseen in Patristic Sermons and Commentaries on the Transfiguration ...................................................................................................................... 54 1.3 The Taboric Light as Created Symbol in Barlaam .......................................................... 59 1.4 The Uncreated Light of Theophany ................................................................................. 62 1.5 Symbols and Theophany ................................................................................................. 65 vii 1.6 Natural and Non-natural Symbols ................................................................................... 70 1.7 Taboric Light as Natural Symbol .................................................................................... 74 1.8 Manifestation by Natural Symbol always Leaves a Remainder ...................................... 77 1.9 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 78 SECTION 2: THE THEOPHANY OF THE INCARNATE CHRIST ...................................... 79 2.1 Palamas’ Chalcedonian Christology ................................................................................ 80 2.2 The Background of the “Theandric Hypostasis” of Christ .............................................. 83 2.3 Theandricity as Basis of the Theophany of Incarnation .................................................. 87 2.4 The Transfiguration as Vision of God through the Theandric Christ .............................. 89 2.5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 91 SECTION 3: THE TRANSFIGURATION AS THE CENTER OF THE THEOPHANIC ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................... 92 3.1 Theophany in the Old Testament....................................................................................