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APPROACHING ST MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR’S ANTHROPOLOGY OF HOLINESS

APPROACHING ST MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR’S ANTHROPOLOGY OF HOLINESS. Protopresbyter ( Dr ) Doru Costache Senior Lecturer in Patristic Studies St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College http ://www.sagotc.edu.au/about/profile / Kingsford Short Course 29 October 2013.

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APPROACHING ST MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR’S ANTHROPOLOGY OF HOLINESS

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  1. APPROACHING ST MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR’S ANTHROPOLOGY OF HOLINESS Protopresbyter (Dr) Doru Costache Senior Lecturer in Patristic Studies St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College http://www.sagotc.edu.au/about/profile/ Kingsford Short Course 29 October 2013

  2. The Book of Difficulties (Ambigua ad Johannem) • Chapter 10.31a.5 – Moses and Elijah side by side with Christ on Tabor • Chapter 41 – The ascension of saintlyhuman being (or a holy couple) to God through all the levels of reality • A common denominator: the virtuous path or the experience of holiness

  3. Difficulty 10.31a

  4. Difficulty10.31a.5 • Contemplating the mysteries of marriage and celibacy (monasticism) through the married Moses and the celibate Elijah. Both ways lead to the mystical adoption by living ‘reasonably’ (=virtuously) according to the divinely set laws: Ἤ πάλιν τά κατά τόν γάμον καί τήν ἀγαμίαν μυστήρια παρά τῷ Λόγῳ εἶναι μανθάνοντες διά Μωϋσέως, τοῦ διά τόν γάμον τῆς θείας ἐραστοῦ γενέσθαι δόξης μή κωλυθέντος, καί διά Ἠλίου, τοῦ παντελῶς γαμικῆς συναφείας καθαροῦ διαμείναντος, οἷα τοῦ Λόγου καί Θεοῦ τούς λόγῳ ταῦτα ἰθύνοντας, κατά τούς θειωδῶς περί αὐτῶν κειμένους νόμους, ἑαυτῷ μυστικῶς εἰσποιεῖσθαι κηρύττοντος.

  5. Difficulty41

  6. Difficulty 41 • The unifying task: …ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οἱονεί σύνδεσμός τις φυσικός τοῖς καθόλου διά τῶν οἰκείων μερῶν μεσιτεύων ἄκροις, καί εἰς ἕν ἄγων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τά πολλῷ κατά τήν φύσιν ἀλλήλων διεστηκότα τῷ διαστήματι, ἵνα τῆς πρός Θεόν, ὡς αἴτιον, τά πάντα συναγούσης ἑνώσεως ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας πρότερον ἀρξάμενος διαιρέσεως καθεξῆς διά τῶν μέσων εἱρμῷ καί τάξει προβαίνων εἰς τόν Θεόν λάβῃ τό πέρας τῆς διά πάντων κατά τήν ἕνωσιν γινομένης ὑψηλῆς ἀναβάσεως, ἐν ὧ οὐκ ἔστι διαίρεσις…

  7. Difficulty 41 • Completing the task • (1) The virtuous wiping out of all divisive stains from nature by way of a gentle approach …τό θῆλυ καί τό ἄρσεν ἰδιότητα τῇ περί τήν θείαν ἀρετήν ἀπαθεστάτῃ σχέσει πάντη τῆς φύσεως ἐκτιναξάμενος, ὥστε δειχθῆναί τε καίγενέσθαι κατά τήν θείαν πρόθεσιν ἄνθρωπον μόνον… • (2) Bridging spiritual life and the civilised world by a saintly behaviour …διά τῆς οἰκείας ἁγιοπρεποῦς ἀγωγῆς… • (3) Ascending through creation by adopting an ‘angelic’ (=monastic lifestyle) …διά τήν πρός ἀγγέλους τῆς ζωῆς παντί τρόπῳ κατ᾿ ἀρετήν… • (4) Reaching an equality with the ‘angels’ (=monastic standards) with reference to knowledge…διά τήν πρός ἀγγέλους κατά τήν γνῶσιν ἰσότητα… • (5) Communing with God through love …κτιστήν φύσιν τῇ ἀκτίστῳ δι᾿ ἀγάπης ἑνώσας…

  8. Difficulties 10.31a.5 and 41 • Difficulty 10.31a.5: Moses/marriage and Elijah/celibacy/monasticism; there is room for all • Difficulty41: one person (Elijah) or a couple (Moses and his wife)? • Holy life and “interiorised monasticism” (Paul Evdokimov)

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