In the Image of God 978-1885652119

Table of contents :
Introduction ix
The Church as a Presupposition for the Proclamation of the Gospel 1
Image as "Sign" (Semeion) of God: Knowledge
of God through the Image According to Saint Basil 9
Applications of the Theme "Eikon Theou"
(Image of God) According to Saint Basil the Great 49
Some Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal
Ecclesiology": Baptism and Eucharist,
Constitutive of the Church as Communion 75
The Theology and Experience of Salvation 114
Orthodox Soteriology 126
"Sister Churches:" Ecclesiological Implications 153

Citation preview

mage f

aximos .qhiopqoussi MeircDclitan

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY Copley Square

In the Image of

God

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2014

https://archive.org/details/inimageofgodstudOOaghi

Maximos Aghiorgoussis Metropolitan ofAinou

In the Image of

God

Studies in Scripture, Theology, and

Holy Cross Orthodox

Community

Press

Brookline, Massachusetts

© Copyright

1999 Holy Cross Orthodox Press

Published by Holy Cross Orthodox Press

50 Goddard Avenue Brookline, Massachusetts 02445

All rights reserved.

No

part of this publication

retrieval system, or transmitted in

chanical, photocopy, recording, or any other

sion of the publisher.

The

may be

reproduced, stored in a

any form or by any means

only exception

is

—without the

—

electronic,

me-

prior written permis-

brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Aghiorgoussis, Maximos. In the Image of God

:

studies in scripture, theology,

and community / Maximos

Aghiorgoussis.

cm.

p.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 1-885652-11-9 1. I.

(pbk.)

Orthodox Eastern Church

— Doctrines.

2.

Theology, Doctrinal.

Title.

BX320.A36

1998

230M9— dc21

98-39682

CIP

We

are grateful for permission to reprint these articles

from the following

journals:

The Church

as a

Presupposition for the Proclamation of the Gospel, Greek

Orthodox Theological Review 25 (1980) pp. 371-376.

Image

as "Sign"

(Semeion) of God: Knowledge of

God Through

the

Image

according to Saint Basil, Greek Orthodox Theological Review 21 (1976) pp. 19-54. Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theme"

(Image of God) According to

Saint Basil the Great, Greek Orthodox Theological Review 21 (1976) pp. 265-288.

The Theology and Experience of Salvation, Greek Orthodox Theological Review 22 (1977) pp. 405-415. Orthodox

Soteriology, Epistemonike Parousia Estias Theologon

ChalkesTomos

2 (1991) "Sister Churches:" Ecclesiological Implications, Epistemonike Parousia Estias

Theologon Chalkes

Tomos

3 (1994) Ekatonpentekontaeteris Ieras Theologikes

Scholes Chalkes 1844-1994

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Church

Image

ix

as a Presupposition for the

as "Sign"

Proclamation of the Gospel

(Semeion) of God: Knowledge

of God through the Image According to Saint Basil

Applications of the

9

Theme "Eikon Theou"

(Image of God) According to Saint Basil the Great

Some

1

49

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal

Ecclesiology": Baptism and Eucharist,

Constitutive of the

Church

as

Communion

75

The Theology and Experience of Salvation

114

Orthodox Soteriology

126

"Sister Churches:" Ecclesiological Implications

153

Dedicated to

My Parents ofBlessed Memory

Protopresbyter Evangelos

and Presbytera Lemonia Aghiorgoussis

Introduction

This collection of essays represents the work of many years of study, teaching,

and involvement

in the

movement which aims

at

the "rapprochement" of divided Christians. Thus, the collection,

which

is

mostly based on

articles

published in The Greek Orthodox

Theological Review, includes articles

on the image of God accord-

ing to the teaching of Saint Basil the Great, and papers prepared for

and presented to meetings of the dialogues between Chris-

tians.

The

present volume includes only part of these papers. It

hope that more of these still

articles,

some

is

already published and

unpublished, will appear in a next volume.

I

my

some

am happy to share

my thoughts on topics of God's image in man, theology, salvation, and Christian community with the reader. I am happy to offer a modest contribution

to the

Orthodox Christian understanding of

these topics.

The first article, "The Church as

Presupposition for the Procla-

mation of the Gospel," was written international

at the

Orthodox-Lutheran Dialogue.

tion of the importance of the

Gospel

beginning of the

It is a brief

for the

explana-

Orthodox and the

instrumentality of the church in keeping and teaching Christ's

Gospel.

The

church, "pillar and bulwark of truth"(l

Tim

3:15),

gifted with a hierarchical structure with the "charisma veritatis"

bestowed upon istry, is

its

episcopacy in continuity with the apostolic min-

charged with the same responsibility

as the apostles: to

preserve the integrity of the Gospel and proclaim

and sacraments

The second excerpt from

for the salvation article,

my

it

through word

of the world.

which gave the name

to this book,

is

an

doctoral thesis, "La Dialectique de l'lmage de

ix

In the Image of God

X

Grand" (Louvain, 1964). "Image as 'Sign (Semeion) of God: Knowledge of God through the Image Dieu d'Apres Saint

According

Basile le

to Saint Basil," deals

age of God in man, which

is

with the second aspect of the im-

the images instrumentality of knowing

God, "the same by the same." This knowledge our intellect only. result

is

not a matter of

matter of our entire being:

It is also a

of our experience of God in communion with Him,

edge by "familiarity" with God, known "connaturality."

The

in the

Eastern Fathers speak of the

This second, more profound

level

life

the

it is

a

knowl-

West of

as

theosis.

of knowledge belongs to the

realm of ontology (communion of human and divine natures).

The

third article, "Applications of the

(Image of God) According chapter from tions of the

Holy

Theme

'Eikon Theou'

to Saint Basil the Great"

is

yet another

my doctoral thesis. It deals with the specific applicatheme of the image of God to the doctrines of the and Anthropology. Special topics

Trinity, Angelology,

between image and

also considered: the distinction

age and grace, image and gender, image and

evil,

likeness,

are

im-

and image and

Image and Christology and Ecclesiology, and Image and End-Times (Eschatology) are also part of this chapter.

glory.

The

fourth article

is

being published for the

first

time.

"Some

Preliminary Notions of 'Baptismal Ecclesiology': Baptism and Eucharist, Constitutive of the say submitted to the

Church

as

Communion,"

is

an es-

Orthodox-Roman Catholic Theological

Consultation of North America.

Its

intention

is

to consider

"Bap-

tismal Ecclesiology" as a corrective to an one-sided "Eucharistic Ecclesiology."

The work of Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Of Water

and the

was summarized

Spirit,

discussion of Baptism from an

prominent were

Roman

Catholic

also utilized for the

in order to serve as a basis

Orthodox point of view. Articles of

liturgists,

such as Aidan Kavanagh,

same purpose. The second part of the

article considers all three

sacraments of initiation (Baptism,

Chrismation, and Eucharist)

as creators

of communion in the

of the church. Patristic arguments are added to the

The

of the

life

liturgical ones.

next section deals with the Trinitarian foundation of the sac-

raments.

The

balance of the article discusses the distinctiveness

Introduction

XI

and interrelatedness of Baptism and Eucharist, and how the ecclesiologies based

on these two sacraments

both of them serving the unity of the church

are

complementary,

communion.

as

"The Theology and Experience of Salvation." Orthodox theology is characterized by its experiential dimension. Theology cannot be separated from life and experiArticle five discusses

ence. Theology of salvation cannot be separated

of salvation in the sacramental vation,

eternal death

Holy

in

Orthodoxy

and

as the life

which

Spirit

crete life

life

is

from the experience

and practice of the church. Sal-

understood both

freedom from

as

of theosis through Christ and in God's

only experienced and meditated upon in the con-

is

of the church, centered around the sacraments.

Article six

on "Orthodox Soteriology" presented

a paper

is

to

the second phase of the Orthodox- Lutheran Dialogue in the U.S.A.

The

article deals

Christ and

its

with the Orthodox understanding of salvation in

presuppositions; the ancestral

work of the

quences; the person and the

Holy faith

Spirit; justification

and works;

and

sanctification

fall

Savior; the

is

and

theosis;

the

The

is

conse-

work of the by

faith;

communion of saints;

One

of the special

the Lutheran teaching of "simul iustus et

peccator" (simultaneously righteous and sinner).

response

its

sanctification; justification

fulfillment of salvation in Christ (eschatology).

problems discussed

and

that one cannot

mix

light

and darkness.

last (seventh) article deals

Ecclesiological Implications."

The

The Orthodox

with "Sister Churches:

essay was submitted to the

Orthodox- Roman Catholic Theological Consultation of North America. its

It deals extensively

Scriptural

and

with the concept of "sister churches,"

patristic foundations, its use in history,

up

to the

20th century, when, following the second Vatican Council, the concept abounds in the

official literature, especially in

documents

signed by the Popes of Rome and the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

The paper utilizes

the findings of Frs. Yves Congar,

Lanne, and John Meyendorff.

It

concludes that, even

cept applies mostly to churches which are in

one another, selves, the

like the

full

Emmanuel if

the con-

communion with

Eastern Orthodox Churches amongst them-

concept can also be extended to churches which are

In the Image of God

xii

sisters

from the very beginning of the Christian

through schism, they are

still sisters,

era; "estranged"

with the responsibility to

fully

rediscover one another as such, and strive for the restoration of full

communion with one

another.

Such

is

the call addressed to the

Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches by the Lord. I

am

pleased to present the above essays to the reader, both

Orthodox and non-Orthodox. According to

Orthodox theologizing the church." topics. I

had that

I

cannot say that

is

mind,

in I

as I

have succeeded. If I

Maximos Aghiorgoussis,Th. D. Metropolitan of Ainou, President of the Diocese of Pittsburgh

October

1,

of the

Georges Florovsky,

was dealing with the above

indulgence of my readers.

1998

Holy Protection Mother of God

Feast of the

Fr.

supposed to be done "from the heart of

failed, I

ask for the

One

The Church as a Presupposition for the Proclamation of the

Gospel

1

This brief essay does not pretend to exhaust the topic under discussion. It only offers a

few basic views and remarks

thodox Tradition. Hopefully,

As I

try to

it

will

answer the question

how the Church is

tion to the preaching of the Gospel, first

of

all

to the question:

be of some use to

What

I

is

deem

it

in the

Or-

my readers.

a presupposi-

necessary to respond

the Gospel, and

what

is

the

It is

the

Church?

What is the Gospel Evangelion

is

the

good news of our first

salvation in Christ,

by Christ and then by

The message of our found

?

good announcement, the good news.

announced and proclaimed

Christ's disciples.

salvation in Christ,

in Saint Peter's preaching

whose kernel

to be

is

on the day of Pentecost,

is

basic message of the entire revelation of God, treasured in the Bible. It

is

the

Holy

the unique message of the entire Bible, that of the old

covenant, and that of the new. The

God of our fathers, the God of

the prophets and the patriarchs, reveals himself in history as the

God

of our salvation.

He

prepares that salvation through the set-

ting apart of the old chosen people, the old Israel. salvation to the

He

gives that

new chosen people, the new Israel, through his new covenant of God, sealed by His own

Christ, the author of the

redeeming blood. Christ is the center of the history of God's

1

salva-

In the Image of God

2

tion.

The

Christ event, completed with the event of the descent of

Holy

the

makes God's

Spirit,

for the entire fallen

The Gospel in Christ: the

human

salvation a reality

and

a possibility

race.

proclaims and celebrates the message of salvation

message that

God

gave humankind the possibility

of participating in his glory through Christ's exaltation and glorification

and through the operation of the Holy

The Gospel

is

thus the announcement of this

in Christ, the proclamation of the

Spirit

of God.

new order of things

kingdom of God being inaugukingdom coming in power

rated in Christ and through Christ, the

through the descent of the

Holy

ciples

completed by

his Christ

Spirit for participation

by

and

to call

the order

Dei,

16:17).

as revealed

and given by

of humankind that the dis-

all

them

all

nations about these mighty works of God,

to fully associate themselves with these deeds,

through baptism of the water and the

the

(Mk

announce on the day of Pentecost. The Risen Christ sends

the disciples to teach

and

Spirit

specific

those magnalia Dei, the mighty works of God throughout

history, as

the

and accompanied with

mighty works of the Holy

signs, the It is

Spirit,

Holy

Spirit.

which they execute with the Spirit.

They are

The

assistance

disciples accept

and guidance of

the witnesses (martyres) of the magnalia

and especially of Christ's death and Resurrection,

in the

Holy

Sent by the Risen Lord to be his witnesses, "to Judea, and

Spirit.

Samaria, and Galilee and to the extreme parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8), the disciples

salvation

accepted this missionary responsibility for the

and transfiguration of humankind and of the

ated and fallen world: everything is

new in

Christ; there

have passed away, 5:17).

This

is

new

is

a

is

entire cre-

restored in Christ; everything

new creation in Him. Things of the

things have been created in Christ! (2

old

Cor

the message of the Apostles, and especially of Paul.

Along with the

proto-apostles, he

is

sent to announce and pro-

claim salvation in Christ: he best expresses the feelings of every apostle-proclaimer of the Gospel when he says: (1 Cor 9:16). community followed

"Woe is me, if I do

not preach the Gospel!"

The

apostolic

the example of the proto-

'

The Church apostles

Witnesses

East and West,

all

always cen-

the fathers of the Church, of both

concern of the community estab-

testify to this

by the Apostles, following their example. It is

we

is

Didache of the Twelve Apostles,

like the

Saint Irenaios, and almost

that

3

and Paul. The proclamation of the Gospel

tral in its life.

lished

as a Presupposition

this

community

the Church.

call

What is the Church? The Church nity, to

which

salvation

God

is

specifically that

is

salvation in Christ

covenant and apostolic revealed, through

is

commu-

which

this

proclaimed and attained.

reveals himself

and

his

mighty works including salvation

in Christ not to individuals only, but to a people,

His chosen people,

to a

community, the covenant community, both the old and the

new.

God calls

people to be set apart and to be used as an oasis in

a

the midst of the fallen world, as a salvation

He

is

is

means through which God's

given to the world. These people are His people, and

their

He

God.

is

daughters (2 Cor. 6.18).

their Father,

and they

are

His sons and

chosen people of God, the people

It is this

of the covenant, that

fully participate in the blessings

salvation in Christ. It

is

this

order of things in Christ, of the in Christ.

as

head and

The Church

as

cornerstone while they are Christ's

Holy Trinity is. For

Holy Trinity,

Church. As there

is

is

the

there

reflects the

Church

life it is

Spirit

of God.

a corporate reality, a unity

God which

of the Holy Trinity, in whose archy in the

temple of God, gathered to-

and enlivened by the Holy

as ekklesia (qahal)

persons called together by

is

new reality, new creation,

living stones of the holy

gether, inhabited,

that the

new new life

For these people are organically associated with Christ,

having Christ

body and

of God's

people that becomes part of the

is

kind of society

created after the image

participates.

As

there

equality of persons in the

all saints, all

is

only one

is

hier-

hierarchy and structure in the

Holy Trinity,

equality of persons and personal destinies in the

Church. The Church

of

life

communion of saints,

Christians, are called to respond to the

in

there

of the

which

common

call

In the Image of God

4

At the same time, hierarchy and structure in the Church is part of the being of the Church as instituted by Christ. The people of God is not left without leaders; the Body of Christ is not to holiness.

an amorphous accumulation of

cells,

distinct parts having distinct functions.

holy temple of God nerstones.

but an organic body, with

The holy construction, the

not without foundations, columns, and cor-

is

The Apostles

lie

in those foundations,

having Christ

as

the cornerstone, and having the Apostle's successors as pillars which

hold the temple standing and united.

The Church is is

apostolic,

which means that the Church not only

founded on the Apostles, but

also follows the

life,

mission, and

doctrine of the Apostles. It continues to proclaim the apostolic

message and to a

new

life

live

the

in Christ.

life

of the Apostles, a life renewed by Christ,

The Church

continues the apostolic witness

to this new, healed, resurrected, transfigured, glorious

is

to

and power-

Holy Spirit, the life of the kingdom which come fully, but which is at the same time inaugurated through

ful life in

Christ and the

Christ the King and His royal Spirit.

Being the body of Christ, Christ's extension, and according

to

Saint Augustine, being "Christ perpetuated into the ages," the

Church assumes

all

those functions which are in Christ: Christ

the Savior of the Body, the only Savior of this world.

makes Christ present

Christ continues to reconcile the world with

it

God,

and enliven

it

with His truth, to govern and

direct everything to achieve salvation in

According to an old scholastic Eusebios of Caesarea, Christ the king.

The Church

to the world, mediates Christ's salvation to

the world; through to enlighten

is

The Church

is

Him.

distinction,

which goes back

to

the great priest, the prophet, and

continues this threefold ministry of Christ,

mediating salvation to the world, proclaiming the Gospel of salvation,

and leading people

and through

its

to this salvation

sacramental

Thus, the Church proves truth (1

Tim

3:15), as

it

through

this proclamation,

life.

itself to

be the

pillar

and bulwark of

fully identifies itself with Christ, the liv-

ing truth (Jn 14:6), and as

it

leads

encounter with this living truth.

human persons

to an existential

The Church

as a Presupposition

5

How is the Church a Presupposition for the Proclamation of the Gospel?

The Church, as word of God "His in

own

the covenant community,

to

is

be found, for

God

possession," that

His Christ.

this salvation

It is to this

was given;

community

in that

the saints"

As

is

God,

that "faith

is

this

announcement of

community

that this

proclaimed to the world;

it

which was once delivered unto

to be found, sustained, and propagated.

body of Christ,

the

that the

through

announcement was proclaimed and is

the place where the

revealed His truth, His salvation

community

it is

is

to the holy people of

it is

as

an extension of Christ, even

as "Christ

perpetuated into the ages," the Church reflects the truth of Christ,

being the

"pillar

nate truth,

is

and bulwark of

a personal encounter

not only

truth." Christ, the living, incar-

present in the Church, calling each

human person to

and relationship with Him. Thus, the Church

calls to salvation in

Christ (which

is

the content of the

Gospel), but also communicates this salvation, allowing a personal experience of this salvation in Christ and through Christ. after the image of the Holy Trinand an apostolic community, in continuity with the proto-Christian community, the Church has in its leaders (spe-

Being a structured community,

ity,

cifically,

bishops as successors to the Apostles) the guarantees of

continuity in the proclamation of the apostolic message of salva-

tion in Christ.

The

bishops,

among

responsibility of "proclaiming aright the

Liturgy).

They

are the teachers

other tasks, have the

word of

and prophets par

truth" (Divine

excellence in the

community, reflecting and embodying the teaching ministry of Christ and of the Church.

Church is also a charismatic community, being the temple of the Holy Spirit and receiving His gifts, it experiences Since the

special gifts

of teaching, not only in

its

bishops and other clergy,

but also in lay teachers, who, under the authority and direction of the bishop share also in the bishop's responsibility to "teach aright the

word of truth" and proclaim

The Church

is

also a

the Gospel.

communio sanctorum, not only

as

commu-

In the Image of God

6

as communication in holy things, or a communion of holy things. These "holy things" (sancta), are the word of God, the Holy Bible, the Holy Gospel itself. The proclaimed word of God, the Gospel, is a sacrament in itself, inasmuch as a sacrament is a means of grace which leads to salvation in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. Also, the rest of the sacra-

nion of saints, but also

ments and other messianic

gifts in the life

other "holy things" in which ty (the

of the Church, are the

members of the messianic communi-

Church) share together. Three of these sacraments have

a

special significance in terms of the proclamation of the Gospel:

Baptism, Chrismation (Confirmation), and Holy Eucharist. It is

through these three sacraments that

rated in the

new life

in Christ,

and we bear

we

are fully incorpo-

its fruits.

According to

the late Fr. Georges Florovsky, "The true proclamation of the pel

would be

by deeds"

precisely the practice of this

Mt

(cf.

And

5:16).

also:

company of preachers, or a teaching It

new

life:

"The Church society, or a

is

Gosshow faith more than a

to

missionary board.

has not only to invite people, but also to introduce

new

this

life,

indeed, and

to

its

which

it

bears witness. It

mission field

missionary activity

is

first

missionary body

the whole world. But the aim of its

impose on them

a definite discipline

of all to introduce them to the

them through

to convert them, to bring

to Christ himself, that they should be

him by water and

into

not merely to convey to people certain con-

victions or ideas, nor even to

or a rule of life, but

is

a

is

them

the Spirit.

Thus

their faith

born anew

new reality,

and repentance in

him and

the ministry of the

into

Word

is

completed in the ministry of the sacraments." 2 Baptism, the sacrament of water and the

much more than

a ritual:

nouncing Satan and the

it is

Spirit,

is

of course,

the sacrament of repentance, of re-

fallen world,

renouncing one's old

self in

order to be fully incorporated into Christ, to fully participate in the

new

one

is

life

in Christ, the life

of resurrection. At the same time,

fully a participant in the royal priesthood

of all the believers,

thus sharing in Christ's threefold ministry, including the prophetic one.

The Church

as a Presupposition

7

Chrismation (Confirmation), our new Pentecost,

ment of the

gifts

of the Holy

Spirit,

among which

the sacra-

is

the gift of

is

teaching and proclaiming the Gospel. Finally, the

Church the pel.

The

Holy Eucharist

Eucharist

is

tice, in

is

Holy Gos-

Christ himself, as the Eucharist

sacrament of the Church.

Church

the sacrament which gives to the

is

strongest presupposition of proclaiming the

It is at

is

Holy Eucharist

the

fully present in its apostolic faith, doctrine,

the fullness of its apostolic and ecclesial

life.

also the

that the

and prac-

Celebrated by

Eu-

the bishop or the priest in continuity with the Apostles, the charist

is

the celebration of the

Word of God coming to

the world

and preaches the Gospel of salvation (Liturgy of the Word), and also the actualization

of the Lord's death and resurrection (Lit-

urgy of the Sacrament). Christ the King

through the operation of the Holy actualization of Christ's resurrection

present on the

is

Spirit.

The

Eucharist

and Pentecost since the

altar,

the

is

Spirit,

the eschaton breaks through into history, allowing us to participate

kingdom of God

in the taste,

anticipated and

the present reality of the

made

present.

kingdom which

is

to

The

come

fore-

fully, is

experienced by the faithful at the Eucharistic celebration. The are consecrated to

become

sanctified through the operation of the gifts,

and through them the

transfiguration of the

Holy

come" (Rev

terms.

One

1:4; 8:11,17), is

proclaim,

this

of God.

The

is

anticipated. It is,

is

in the

Holy

who was, and who is

proclaimed in the most dramatic

of the most ancient

Church includes

Spirit

gifts

faithful are

faithful, are transfigured; in this the

whole cosmos

Eucharist that the mystery of Christ, "who to

and the

Christ's presence,

liturgical rites

of the Orthodox

chant during the anaphora: "Thy Death

we

O Lord, and Thy Resurrection we confess" (Saint James

Liturgy).

The proclamation of the Gospel in various ways pertains to the essence of the Church. The Church cannot be the Church unless it is

holy, set apart in the world,

and

is

apostolic, missionary, pro-

claiming Christ's salvation to the world. the

Church always

to

It is

the responsibility of

hand down and proclaim

the revealed truth

In the Image of God

s

once given to the

saints,

and

to live

and experience. This truth

Christ himself, not as an abstract idea, but as a living

Church always has had, and

also has

now one main

proclaim the Gospel of salvation and restore

of the world" (Jn 6:51).

"for the life

proclaims in

Holy

its

preaching

is

What

an abundant

Spirit (Jn 10:10), a glorious life in

all

the life

God

reality.

The

function: to

things in Christ

Church

lives

in Christ

(cf.

is

Rom

and

and the

8:17).

Endnotes 1

A paper prepared for the first session of the international Orthodox-Lutheran

dialogue. 2

Georges Florovsky, Bible, Church, Tradition: An Eastern Orthodox View MA: Nordland Publishing Company, 1972). p. 69.

(Belmont,

Two

Image as "Sign" (Semeion) of God: Knowledge of God through the Image According to Saint Basil

The

dialectic

1

of the image of God according to the doctrine of

the great Cappadocian Father Saint Basil contains four important aspects,

going from the more simple to the more profound.

are these aspects?

The

the Prototype, that

is

first is

What

that of the image as a "portrait" of

the image as a "picture" depicting the Proto-

type in a rather external way. It does not exhaust the "raison d' etre"

of the image. Completely the opposite,

tional, is

and thus leaves intact the

its

role

is

essential aspect. The

purely func-

second aspect

the image as a "sign" (ar||i8LOv) of the Prototype. The image not

only depicts, but also "signifies" its

its

Prototype.

The image makes

Archetype manifest and known, through reflection in the im-

age of essential qualities of the divine Prototype. These qualities are

known

in the theological tradition

attributes, or energies

age, the latter

aspect

is

as the

of God. Through their presence in the im-

becomes

that of the

of the Christian East

a

means of knowledge of God. The

image

as

third

belonging to the Archetype, and

as

the basis of personal relationships with the Archetype. These relationships develop

on the

basis of

knowledge of the Archetype

through the image. They are the vision,

desire,

and love of the

Archetype and ultimately union with Him. The fourth and aspect of the image's dialectic the Archetype. The image

is

last

that of the image as "presence" of

makes the Prototype

9

present, seen,

and

In the Image of God

10

felt

by

all

those

who

have the spiritual eyes to see Him, and have

the spiritual "extrasensory perception" to feel

Unlike the Christian West - which

Him

sees in the

present.

image

mere

a

representation of the Prototype and thus stops at a rather external

and

static aspect

more

of the image - the Christian East puts

into this doctrine of the

instrument of knowing God; the

means of entering

being in

It is

image of God. The image

it is

making

into personal relationships

Him

is

an

Him, with Him, of

the seal of belonging to

communion with Him, and

present and

much

ultimately of having

Him

present in a very dynamic way.

my intention to develop one of the four aspects

above, the image as a "sign" of God,

which

mentioned

constitutes

one of the

important themes in the theology of the great Cappadocian pastor

and theologian, Saint Basil the Great. At the same time

this

doctrine touches the very heart of Orthodox theology and spirituality.

To attempt a synthesis of Saint Basil's thought on a given theme, as of any of the Fathers, is not an easy task. The Fathers themselves did not always feel the need for this synthesis. They spoke and wrote quite

casually,

— of the moment. Yet, enough

according to the needs - mostly pastoral

there

is

order in their thought.

We can find

hints for a synthesis, as they occasionally offer

In attempting such a synthesis,

we should

them

to us.

follow generally ac-

cepted principles and guidelines, such as the following: the historical

context in which the texts have been delivered must be taken into consideration; the chronological order of the Father s writings

be respected

as indicative

of the

literary character

ough study of

all

doubtful works

These

must

of the development of his thought; the

texts

should be taken into account; a thor-

the authentic works of the Father

may be quoted

is

required;

as extra references in the notes.

principles are respected in this study of Saint Basil's thought.

By way of introduction,

a definition should be given

of the im-

age as a "sign" of God. In Saint Basil's thought, one can define the

image

as the

another."

"intermediary between beings which look for one

There

are

two such "images" of God, one perfect and

one imperfect. The Son of God

is

the perfect image of the Father.

Image

as "Sign" of God

11

Christ fully manifests God.

He fully shares

the whole divine real-

ity

with Him. His essence and energies are those of the Father.

The Son

is

not only fully oriented towards the Father, but

"knows" the Father;

fully

He

is

He

also

wholly in the Father and the Fa-

Him. The second image of God is man. He is an imperfect reflection of God. Only some of His "qualities," or "attributes" - or more precisely "energies" - are manifested through the image. It is ther

is

this

image, this "particle of grace" of

in

him towards God; through like." It is

is

His

man, which

man knows God,

it

"the like

orients

by the

seen as a "journey from man's conscience to

God." This "journey" has in

in

important to see what the problems of this knowledge

are. This knowledge

God

God

man; and

as its point

of departure the image of

knowledge of God

as its goal,

as a response to

call.

The

nature of the "object" of this knowledge of God calls for a

knowledge. This knowledge cannot be a merely

special kind of

intellectual one. In

His more intimate

reality,

His essence,

God

is

unknown by man; He is wholly unreachable. Yet, He is partially known and available in His energies. As an "object" of knowledge, He is thus both transcendent and immanent, known and unknown, present and absent. As an "object" of knowledge,

fully

He becomes the real "subject," offering Himself to man for knowledge. This knowledge

is

more than intellectual; it is moral, affective,

experiential, "ontological,"

and by "connaturality" (communion of

natures).

The intellectual knowledge of God presents us with limitations, both on the part of the subject and on the part of the object. The subject

is

finite,

God. The body to clearly see

not being able to have a true comprehension of

is

a

human

kind of "veil," an obstacle for the

God. Fully in His

essence, the object

is

spirit

infinite, tran-

scendent, inaccessible, and incomprehensible. Thus, an immediate

knowledge of God

But there gies; the

is

impossible for man.

are intermediate

"knowable" of God

and more particularly in

ways of reaching

is

God

in

His ener-

present in the creation as a whole

man made

in the

divine attributes are reflected both in the

image of God. Some

whole creation and

in

Image of God

In the

12

man-in-the-image-of-God. These attributes

man.

in

There

God,

energies.

There

of a conceptual

knowledge tial,

of

are special instances

Gods

through ot

nothing other than

energies,

Basil's

God

are

which reach us - which "descend to us" to use St. own term - in different ways. One of these is the image of

Gods

and

is

kind of knowledge of

this

of knowledge

a superior degree

intellectual character,

in the "faith-belief."

God

which

is

the

Yet this knowledge remains par-

or rather, half-wav, without the moral, affective, experiential

knowledge of God which complements the conceptual and

intel-

lectual.

This experiential, true knowledge of

who

affective,

God. Onlv people who know

have the experience of

union and communion, alive.

Thev

and moral knowledge of God

God

the

in this sense,

he offers Himself to them in

as

by

are considered

participate in true Life

God

is

St. Basil to

and Existence, which

be is

re all

that of

God.

As

far as the fact

of this knowledge

knowledge of

iential

God

is

proves to be

concerned, this exper-

commitment

God,

to

"

observance of His commandments, and also "familiaritv with in

As

for the explanation

sider: the

in

Him,

union and communion with Him. of this

fact,

there are two things to con-

preliminary conditions, and the

communion with God. Preliminary

way of this knowledge

events explaining this af-

knowledge of God are: firstly, the creation of man in God's image man is called to preserve God's image in him, which is to fective

preserve

"life

secondly, the

human

according to nature," a fall

nature;

man, which

ot

and

is

life

The

sible for

in

man through

God,

so that the via ascensiva

men. The way of this ascension

in

economy, which

man and

the

way of true

communion with Him

is

to

is

Christ and the

grace of God given through Christ in the Spirit

the via descensiva of

image

communion with God;

thirdly, the plan of divine

the restoration of the fallen image in Spirit.

in

the cause ot degeneration ot

fulfills

becomes pos-

God through the restored knowledge of God

experiential

the one of purification and askesis.

Free from the will of the flesh, free from

sin,

renewed according

to

as "Sign" of God

Image the image of His creator,

man

achieves

13

life

communion with

in

God. Then the three persons of the Holy Trinity dwell

The "blessed end" of this way of ascension and contemplation of God.

It is

God

to

in

man.

the vision

is

the "understanding" of God, not

merely intellectual way, but also in an affectionate and experi-

in a

ential

manner. To the purified

shows the Blessed

soul, the Spirit

Light of the Ineffable Image of the Invisible God: Christ. In

Image we contemplate the

this

Ineffable Beauty of the Archetype, the

Father of Lights. Ultimately, the image-"sign" of God in us proves to be the "earnest" in

of this beatific knowledge of God experienced

union with Him. Through the image of God in

knowledge of God

partial

"as in a mirror,

are expecting the "perfection" of this

promise. the

full

Then we will

see

us,

we

receive a

and enigmatically."

We

knowledge according to God's

God "face

Cor

to face" (1

13:10,12), in

splendor of His blinding Glory.

Having these main examine

ideas of Basilian thought in mind, let us

St. Basil's texts.

Before discussing the main theme of the image as "sign" of God in Saint Basil's thought, the following items should be considered: (1) a tentative definition

as

an image-"sign,"

of this image-"sign,"

(3) the case

(2) the case

of the Son of God,

of man

(4) particular

problems for man: the "journey from the conscience to God," and finally, (5)

"sign" of

two kinds of knowledge of

God:

The image type, has

intellectual

and

depends and of which

it is

it

mere representation of the Proto-

refers to the

Archetype on which

a manifestation.

towards this manifestation,

through the image-

experiential.

as the "portrait," a

no meaning unless

God

it is,

it

Oriented thus wholly

to use the expression of

Roger

Leys, "the intermediary between beings which look for one another," 2

The

which

"declares"

case of the

its

Archetype and

is its

"sign."

Son of God, the Image of the

Invisible

presents us with this aspect of the image as a "sign" of

eminent degree. The Son "shows us the Father

Son

is

3

God

in Himself."

God, in 4

an

The

the "imprint of the substance" of the Father, the "effulgence

of His glory," 5 having the same attributes in Father in numeric identity of essence.

He

common

with the

has the same will and

In the Image of God

14

energies, type,

showing

who is

to us in

Himself

the Father. 6 The

Son

all

as the

the beauty of the Arche-

image of the Father

is

not

Him from whom He receives origin; He is in Him. The Son of God has simply just "turned towards" the Father, "oriented" towards

no need

to "possess" the Father, since there

tween them; the one Father; there will.

is

is

in the other.

is

The Son is

no "distance" be-

the

the identity of "knowing" as there

Wisdom of the

is

the identity of

7

The concept of man as an image of God is much more complex. When we gaze upon man as the image of God, we behold those qualities of the transcending Archetype which are proportionately present in

of man we are

man. 8 Through our knowledge of the

qualities

know by analogy those of the Archetype. However there

two problems which must be considered: how the created im-

how this same image these questions we will

age manifests the transcending Archetype and leads to the

knowledge of God. To reply to

follow the "spiritual journey" that leads from the image to the Ar-

human conscience to God, as Basil describes it As we have noted, Saint Basil does this not system-

chetype, from the in his works. atically,

but occasionally and by aspects, emphasizing

first

one and

then another of these aspects according to the concerns of the

moment.

The

starting point of this "spiritual journey"

is

the very image

of God in man-made-in-the-image-of-God. This "image" which

encompasses our

faculties

oriented towards

its

and the divine

wards

its

of perception and knowledge

objects of knowledge

realities.

To begin

is

and discernment -

with, the image

is

becomes the

oriented to-

generis knowledge, as

we

According to Saint

God

through

means

Basil, if

Truth. Thus, our

mind

to is

this

image

is

His

a sui

will subsequently see.

God

conferred

which we have the image of the Creator, the truth

"objecti-

true "subject" of knowledge, "objectifying"

image. Thus, the knowledge of

know

God

Archetype, God. In the act of knowledge by

man-in-the-image-of-God, the Archetype while being fied,"

wholly

know God,

it is

to

because

upon us

reason, in

know the

God

is

truth. To

the existing

oriented towards the knowledge of God,

Image

on the

basis of

us; this

is

as "Sign"

of God

very foundation, which

its

15

the image of

is

from the very beginning of the mind's

so

Basil states in

one of his

The mind

is

letters to

in

Amphilochios of Iconion:

wonderful thing (xaA.6v

a

God

existence. Saint

and therein we possess that which

is

\ikv

after the

6

vouc,),

image of

the Creator (xcd ev xouxcp e'xojiev to xax' eixova xoi3 xxtaavxoc;).

And

wonderful; in that, in

the operation of the

its

perpetual motion,

mind

it... is

is

fre-

quently carried straight to the truth...

The judgment of our mind standing of the truth. (f)

is

given us for the under-

Now our God is

the very Truth

auxoa)o]6£ia). So the primary function of our mind

know our God (oooxe JtQor)you^i8v6v eoxi xcp 9 vtp xov Geov f|(icuv emytvoboxeiv). This knowledge of God, proportional to the cognitive power of is

to

the mind, 10 a

is

surely not just "intellectual"

knowledge which aims

and "philosophical." It is

at assimilation, at

"resemblance" to the

known "object," 11 and at the "enjoyment" of this Knowable Good. This happens when in the act of knowledge man is possessed by God. The subject then paradoxically becomes the object, while remaining the subject. 12

Thus,

of-God

in the act

there are

of knowing

two continuous and concomitant

sensorial, intellectual, ethical,

and

God by man-made-in-the-image-

and philosophical; the other is

aspects:

experiential. In Saint Basil's terms, there

which he views

lectual understanding

knowledge "by

faith,"

13

that

is

as a

to say, a

one

is

extrasensorial, is

the intel-

good means

to lead to

knowledge by consent and

confidence in the Revealer of the revealed truth. 14 Therefore, "intellectual"

knowledge, a philosophical knowledge,

of its inferiority to revelation, and

is

by the wisdom of "those from outside." 15 But "knowledge in Scholastics

faith,"

would

knowledge

say,

16

is

is

good

in spite

even able to be delivered to us

"lived,"

it is

the aspect of

by "connaturality"

knowledge by faithfulness

to the

as the

com-

mandments of God and the "familiarity" (01x8100015) with Him, which is the principal aspect of the act of knowing God, by man-made-in-the-image-of-God. 17

Both of these

aspects, intellectual

and

experiential, constitute

In the Image of God the one act of knowing

Him. At

ion with

God, which

leads to union

the same time, knowledge of

by the experience of God, obtained by

mate communion with Him.

two aspects on the

What

God

is

nourished

union and

in this

inti-

an analysis of these

is 18

basis of Basilian thought.

"Intellectual"

1.

man

follows

and commun-

Knowledge of God -

Transcendence of "Object"

The say,

fact

of the creation of man in the image of God, that

the fact that

God

"accorded to

man

reason,"

is

the beginning of the "spiritual journey" which the science

must make

to

its

Archetype. The

is

to

the basis and

human

con-

human conscience is thus it is He who wanted

capable of this knowledge of God, inasmuch as it so,

creating us in His image.

19

Knowledge of God

Transcendence of There

are

first is

second self

thus pos-

man.

sible for

the

is

is

two obstacles

God knowledge of God:

to an intellectual

the limitation of our

mind

in understanding

the nature of the "object" of our knowledge,

who

in

His essence

God; the

God Him-

totally transcends our capacity for

knowledge and understanding. Let us examine these obstacles Saint Basil describes

Limitations of the

them

Human Mind

The measure of our knowledge of God

is

directly proportional

to the capacity of our reason, according to that

granted to

it.

To show

the extent of this

Basil tells Amphilochios: infinite

Grandeur

insists as

ness.

much on

is

as

to us.

"Reason knows

able to be

measure which was

human knowledge,

Saint

God in such a way as the

known by

a lowly subject."

the reality of this knowledge as

on

20

Basil

its

minute-

is

not only

21

The minuteness of the human knowledge of God due to the limited capacity of our reason;

it is

tation of our present bodily existence. The

also

due to the limi-

body with which we

are

Image

of God

as "Sign"

clothed and in which our soul dwells, 22

a kind

the angels. is

precluded

the soul

is

occasionally seen by Saint

Thus

the

body soul.

Without this veil the 24

is

of "veil" (ji8QLxdXu(i|ia) for the immaterial

Basil as a "prison" (&ea|AO)Tr|Qiov)

becomes

23

17

soul

would have knowledge normal that

It is therefore quite

as a

for the soul.

similar to that of

sensorial perception

means of true knowledge of God. 25 Inasmuch

tied to this "veil,"

we

are prevented

from "seeing the

grandeur of the glory of God" without an intermediary gels see

as

as the an-

26 it.

Transcendence of the "Object" of Knowledge

But

in our act of

knowing God

it is

especially in considering

the "object" of knowledge that the difficulty arises; in the short treatise

On

Faith, preceding the Mora/ia, Basil says that "before

making a confession of faith,

important to

it is

Just as the majesty and glory of God

incomprehensible by reason,

word

it is

is

know what follows.

unexplainable in words and

impossible to express

or a concept, or to understand

it."

27

it

in a single

Thus we must approach

the mystery of faith and be prepared to receive

it

without being

able to understand or to articulate everything of its content,

ing that

it

surpasses the cognitive abilities of the mind.

the same ideas expressed by Saint Basil in his Homily

where

On

he, says: It is

consistent with piety to remind one's self of God,

the soul that loves

But

it is

God

Him.

never saturated with

is

bold to talk about that which

is

of

God

by

much inferior

words,

firstly,

to the

grandeur of (divine) things; and secondly, be-

cause the

would

it

because our intelligence

word is

is

equally inferior to intelligence.

not be necessary to remain

.

.

How

silent, for fear that

one will diminish the dignity of "theologia" 28 by the mediocrity of words (through which

God

The

desire to glorify

ings

endowed with reason. But all are

is

sown

it is

self to

have arrived

at the

expressed)?

in the nature of be-

equally incapable

of speaking in a fashion worthy (of God). blinded and fools himself so

No one is

so

much that he believes him-

peak of comprehension. 29

know-

We

find

Faith,

In the Image of God

IS

After this avowal of the incapability of the mind to understand the mysteries of "theologia" and the inadequacy of words to ex-

press them, 30 Basil gives an excellent discourse on divine transcendence.

He describes the trudging progress of thought un-

attains the

contemplation of the "qualities" of divine nature in

til it

transcendence and the contemplation of the three persons of

its

the

Holy Trinity as

faith

shows them to

by Basil before he goes on

must speak about that

faith.

us.

31

Precautions are taken

to express the mysteries of faith. Basil

Yet he realizes that he

is

not able to say "all

God is, but all that he is capable of saying about Him." 32 Even

"the tongues of the angels and archangels, whatever their nature

might

with

be, if gathered together

attained but very

little

of the

all

rational nature,

total Reality." All the

would have

more,

if

man

wants to say or to hear something about God, he must devote himself to

go beyond himself.

askesis to

earthly condition, he

must

"pass

He must

beyond everything by

surpass even the sky, and once being above the sky, he

template

all

There he things,"

34

the beauty that

will contemplate

is

if

we

if

upon the

there he will contemplate

we

dare to

make

dare to talk about

mind,

must con-

divine nature "beyond

upon

as

is

Holy

Spirit.

36

35

by thought, and

only right, in the end

we must

"concede victory to the majesty of the (divine) Nature, against rational expression."

all

"the uncreated Nature,

this "spiritual journey"

it,

his

found there by intelligence alone." 33

the natural Goodness," the Father, the Son, and the

But

above his

rise

all

We must understand that the mysteries con-

cerning the divine nature and the divine Persons are "inexpressible

and inconceivable

man

conception."

for the 38

human mind," 37 and they "exceed

all

In another text on the transcendence of

hu-

God

taken from his Hexaemeron, Basil compares the "hidden-mysteries"

of God to the Holy of Holies of the temple ofJerusalem. Standing in front of the propylaeum, Basil envisions the

Beauty hidden

the Sanctuary: If the entrance of the

Holy

is

such, if the propylaea are

venerable at this point, elevated and of a beauty the excess of which blinds our intelligence with lightning,

what

will the

Holy of Holies be? And what man

capable of confronting the Sanctuary?

is

Who will medi-

in

Image tate

as "Sign'

of God

19

upon the hidden mysteries? For even the sight of is inaccessible; and in any case, it is difficult to

them

put into words what the

spirit

understood of them. 39

We are thus amazed by the sight of the "entrance" and the "propylaea" of the knowledge of the mysteries of God. We would not Holy of Holies, seeing

dare enter into the possible.

The

incapable of translating

In that case,

if

God

His transcendence,

powerless, does this

We

im-

into speech.

it

as if

are

an "object" of knowledge our faculty of knowledge

mean

that

we must

is

unreachable so

is

weak and

confess "agnosticism"?

have just seen in the texts cited on God's transcendence

that Basil does not

come

to this conclusion.

speak about the mysteries of faith. vine realities, while he

is

He

speaks

He is obligated to of God and the di-

conscious that our intellect

of understanding the Incomprehensible. to

it is

we understand something of them, we

the sight; if by grace

in

that access to

divine mysteries are hidden and inaccesible even to

comprehend, to say something

40

in spite

It is

is

incapable

thus possible to see,

of everything.

Knowledge of God In the act of knowing God, ject"

is

if

an immediate grasp of the "ob-

impossible for us because the "object"

the conscience, there

is

nevertheless a

tain way, albeit inadequate

means

is

transcendent to

to grasp

it

in a cer-

and mediate.

Intermediaries

way of knowing God a partial knowledge of the artist by his work

Basil speaks about the intermediate

through the creation of

art,

and of

God by

asks the question,

his creatures.

"Which one

41

Amphilochios of Iconion

preceeds the other: faith or knowl-

edge?" Basil answers that conceptual knowledge preceeds

knowledge by

faith.

In his words, "In faith concerning

concept of the existence of tain

from

creation."

42

God. This Pauline theme 43 ent works of Basil.

God

is

the

Thus, the creation is

first.

God

This concept

initiates the

the

we ob-

knowledge of

taken up several times in the differ-

We read in the Hexaemeron:

In the Image of God

20

The world

is

conceived by the Creator in the best in-

of beings.

terest

It

responds to their ultimate needs in

becoming the school where

rational souls educate

know God;

themselves, the place where they learn to

He

offers

visible

Himself in

and sensible

effect to

our

spirit to

our

spirits

God

we contemplate is

invisible

by

44

the wonders of God: beauty

order, grandeur, strength, goodness,

Creation as a whole

by

apostle

are offered for contemplation

by means of His works.

It is in creation that

and

what the

Ever since the creation of the world, the

says:

perfections of

it

contempla-

objects, as far as the

tion of invisible things, according to

guide

wisdom, and providence. 45

thus a good "intermediary" to give us the

God to us in a certain way. But it is rational creation especially, and man in particular, that "microcosm" 46 who summarizes creation in himself, who makes us know God in a way far superior to that of irrational creatures. In the

first

idea of God, to manifest

homily On Observe If

Yourself, Saint Basil states:

you gaze upon yourself

attentively, that will ad-

equately lead you to the knowledge of God. If you reflect

upon

you

yourself,

will not have

structure of the universe to look for the in yourself, as in a

great

The same Basil

Creator.

self."

own

In

this

fact, "the

is

eye

is

which

is

why

difficult

sees the exterior, does

slow to recognize

tions." Saint Basil claims that this "after

of all things the most

view;" furthermore, "our spirit

perceive the sins of others,

Hexaemeron,

47

idea returns in the Hexaemeron. In the latter homily,

vows that "it seems that

its

Demiurge, but

microcosm, you will clearly see the

wisdom of your

- to know one's not enjoy

need of the

itself,

its

own

prompt

to

imperfec-

his discourse

on the

having examined with speed the entirety of other

beings, shows itself to be lazy and hesitant in the search of what

touches us personally." Basil however began his commentary on the creation of man just the same; unfortunately he was not able to finish

it

before his death. Saint Basil powerfully gives the reason

for which sixth day:

he continues his discourse on the creation of man on the

Image

as "Sign"

of God

21

Nevertheless, for whoever examines himself with in-

and the earth

telligence, the sky

us

are less suited to

make

know God than is our own constitution. This is what

the prophet says: 'Admirable the knowledge of Thee that

I

have taken from myself, that

myself,

I

is

to say:

To know

have learned the infinite wisdom which

in

is

Thee. 48

we know our

In knowing ourselves, fact that

God made

is

commentary on Psalm 48

it is

"bit

us.

49

The "im-

know God, man

50

also has this power.

the consequence of his creation in the image of God, this

of His grace which

latter

(49).

upon

his "dignity in his natural constitution."

Just as the angels are able to is

due to the

the great "natural" prerogative of man. It constitutes his

grandeur, his honor;

This

is

us in His image, bestowing reason

Basil stresses this in his

age"

Creator. This

might know the

Basil explains

God

like

how we

deposited in man, in order that the

by the

like."

51

obtain this knowledge of "the like by the

like:"

Understand

God

as incorporeal,

on the

incorporeal soul which dwells in you.

cumscribed in a place just

no residence body.

God

is

God

not

cir-

as the soul's intelligence

has

in a place, before the soul

is

God

as

being

thus knowable in a certain

is

invisible.

way by

is

joined to your

Having gazed upon your soul, which

to sight, believe in

basis of the

inaccesible

52

the knowledge

we have

of ourselves. "Therefore pay attention to yourself, so that you might

pay attention to God." 53 Therefore

we know God

in a certain fashion

through the entire

and more particularly through the creation of man-the-microcosm. We know something about God; Basil affirms this against the Eunomians, who accused him of creation,

agnosticism.

Knowledge of the Divine Attributes or Energies of God

We have already seen that what we know of God is that which is

"knowable" (yvooGTOv) by our

our capacity to know.

55

intellect

and

is

proportional to

In this stage of "intellectual" knowledge

In the Image of God

22

this

"knowable" consists of certain attributes which can be deduced

by means of syllogism, by

reflection

upon

creatures

and

especially

upon man.

We know the wonders of God, their beauty, their order, and the grandeur of created beings; we behold in them the magnificent attributes of God

which correspond

We

Infinite "Grandeur."

to

Him:

Intelligence, Beauty,

upon the goodness, the wisdom,

reflect

the strength, the providence, the justice of God in created beings.

Moreover, in contemplating the of

God

such as omnipresence,

human

soul,

invisibility,

we know

attributes

and knowledge by the

energies alone.

By way of affirmation (imaQX^VTajv o^oXoyia)

we

God

attribute to

that

which

suitable to his Divine Majesty,

is

according to Basil in his Against Eunomios. But

way of negation

it is

(ajt£[i(paiv6vTdv0r]v). Quotation from Ps 76(77). 4. 96 Dicta temporefamis, 8; PG 31:325D-28A. The theme of mystical marriage "Do not undertake any

care before enjoying the understanding of

In the Image of God

46

with Christ, the Bridgegroom,

is

very dear to

of our Christian tradition. Saint Basil here

what he

is

with a bride

says in the

who

is

all

mystics and mystic theologians

no exception

is

to this rule.

For example,

homily quoted here: "Do not present the Bridgegroom

ugly (ajiOQcpov) and without ornaments (dxoo^iov). In

He

seeing her in this condition,

might

dislike her (or hate her: ^ior|crn)

refuse to take her into His intimacy...

But keep her beautiful

and

(or pretty:

eij|iOQCpov)...so that she can light her candle together with the wise virgins,

keeping ([IT]

alive the fire

of knowledge, and not being short in the

oil

XeiJiouaa xarv xaxooOoo^idTCDV to eXatov). Here reference

of good deeds" to

Mt

actione, 2;

PG

made

is

25.4. 97

See In Psalmum XLVIII,

8;

PG

29:449C. Cf.

De gratiarum

31:221C.

PG 31:344B. PG 32:864C-65C. QuodDeus, 6; PG 31:344BC. De humilitate, 1; PG 31:525B. QuodDeus, 7; PG 31:345A.

98

QuodDeus,

99

Letter 233, 1-2;

100 101 102

103

6;

Ibid.

104

See

105

Ibid.

106

See

107

See

15-35;

De humilitate,

8;

PG

31:525AB.

De gratiarum actione, 2; PG 31:224A. De Spiritu Sancto, 14,32; PG 32:124D-125A;

PG

32:129D;

Sanctum Baptisma, 108

1;

2;

ed. Giet, p. 32. Ibid., 15, 36;

PG

ed. Giet, p. 32. Ibid.,

32:132B. See also In

31:428A.

See Regu/ae brevius, Prooemium;

PG

PG

PG

31:1080A. See

31:673B, and Liturgy, ed. Brightman,

p.

also

De

322, linesll-12;

iudicio Dei,

p.

402, lines

9-10.

PG 29:425D-28A. PG 31:1248CD. See also De gratiarum actione, 2; PG 31:224A; In Psalmum XLVIII, 8; PG 29:452B; and In illud, attende, 6; PG 109

110

In Psalmum XLV,

7;

See Regulae brevius, 258;

31:213A. 111

De

Spiritu Sancto, 14.33;

PG

32:125D-28A.

XLV, 5; PG 29:424CD. Cf. Adversus Eunomium, 1,7; PG 29:525A. Reference is made to Eph 5:8. 113 In Psalmum XIII, 4; PG 29:460B. Reference is made to Mt. 4:16; Lk 1:78andjn 1:9. 9; 112

In Psalmum

PG

114

Regulae brevius,

115

Adversus Eunomium, 2,16;

116

See In Psalmum XIV,

1;

31:1081AB.

1,3;

PG 29:604B. PG 29:526D. See also In Psalmum XLIV 6; PG y

29:401B.

PG 32:97B. PG 29:525B.

117

De

118

Adversus Eunomium, 1,7;

Spiritu Sancto, 8,17;

where Christ speaks of Himself

as the

Saint Basil hints to Jn 6:48-58, "Bread of Life." Saint John's context is

eucharistic. Here, for apologetical reasons, Saint Basil reduces this doctrine of

Christ being the Bread of Life to only one aspect of it, that of Christ being the "familiar food of our mind." Yet, Saint Basil's doctrine concerning the nature

Image

as "Sign" of God

and function of the human mind obviously

47

differs

from the Eunomian,

Neoplatonic, and Origenistic view of the intellect having the power to fully

know God

in reaching

God's essence

itself (cf.

Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology,

knowledge of God and the encounter with Him Christ, Bread of the human mind, is an act of the whole

pp. 26-28). For Saint Basil, this as

Truth revealed in

being of man. Through

it,

man

achieves

Communion

with

God without reach-

ing His essence, and without losing his human, "created" identity.

through

a eucharistic reception, as

it

On the contrary,

(Christ the Incarnate Truth) the proper characteristics of the preserved;

its

faculties elevated;

and

human mind human soul are

were, of the Bread of the

its

purpose

fulfilled, as it

reaches the status

of union with God, a status of experiential knowledge of God's energies, through

which

this

union

is

achieved.

Later on, Pseudo-Dionysios reduces the Eucharist to a mere symbol or "the

union of the 28).

One

intellect

with

God and Christ" (Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology, p.

can ask the question

if there is

continuity between Saint Basil's doc-

on "Christ, Bread of the human mind," and that of Pseudo-Dionysios. The answer is that there is no continuity between the two. When Saint Basil speaks

trine

of Christ

as the

speak of Christ

of union and

"Bread of the

as the

human mind,"

it is

just another

way

for

him

to

Incarnate Truth. This "Bread" and this "Truth" are means

communion with God,

not, as tor Pseudo-Dionysios, a

mere sym-

bol of this union. 119

In Psalmum

120

De

XLV,

6;

PG 29:445 B. Quote from PG 32:217BC.

1

Cor

2.16.

Spiritu Sancto, 30,79;

PG 32:865AC. PG 32:865A. Cf. De Spiritu Sancto, 1,2; PG 32:69AB. In Sanctum Baptisma, 1: PG 31:424C. De Spiritu Sancto, 29,75; PG 32:209AB. Cf ibid., 15,35; PG 32T32A. De iudicio Dei, 1; PG 31:653AC. Cf. Moralia, 80,9; PG 31:864A; and Regulae brevius, 1; PG 31T081A. De Spiritu Sancto, 24,56; PG 32T72C. Adversus Eunomium, 3,6; PG 29:668C. Ibid., 3, 5; PG 29:665BC. 121

Letter 233,1;

122

Letter 233,1;

123

124 125

126

127

128

129

title for this Psalm is: "Song for the Beloved One" toD dyajtriToi}). The Hebrew title is: "Love Song." Basil comments on the Greek title: the Beloved One is Christ. 130 In Psalmum XLIV. 2; PG 29:392AB-C. Quote from Eph 4:22, and Col

In the Septuagint, the

(cbSL i)Jt8Q

3:10.

As

stated above, in Saint Basil's terms "EJuyvooaig" stands for "true

which is an "affective" and "moral" knowledge, offered by who are worthy of His intimacy. edge," 131

See In Psalmum XLIV,

2;

PG

29:388 A-89A; and In Psalmum LIX,

2;

God

knowl-

to those

29:389BC. See also ibid., 1-2; PG PG 29:464B. On the theme of mystical

marriage of the soul with Christ the Bridegroom see also Dicta tempore/amis,

8;

PG 3L325D-28A, quoted above. In Psalmum XLIV, 2; PG 29:389B. De iudicio Dei, 6; PG 31:688AB. Cf. Regulaefusius, 260; PG 31T256BC; ibid., 114; PG 31T160B; and ibid., 269; PG 31T268C. Quote from 2 Cor 10.4-5. 132 133

In the Image of God

4S 134

Regulaefusius, 269;

PG

31:1268BC (quotations from Gal 5;19-21;

Rom

and 2 Cor 10.4-5). Cf. ibid., 20; PG 31:1096D-97A; De iudicio Dei, 3; PG 31:656C-57B; In Psalmum XXVIII, 5; PG 29:293D-97A; and In PsalmumXLV, 8.7;

3;

PG 29:421A.

PG

PG 31:668B. PG 31:1232A. Sancto, 15,35; PG 32:129D;

135

De

136

Regulaefusius, 224;

137

De

iudicio Dei, 6;

Spiritu

See also In Sanctum Baptisma, 2

31:428A.

PG 32:224C-25A; ed. Courtonne, p. 6, lines 1-12. See also: PG 31:920C-21A, ibid., 8,2; PG 31:937C; Regulae brevius 218; PG 31:1228A; In Psalmum XXXIII, 1; PG 29:353BC; ibid., 3; PG 29:357B, In PsalmumXLV, 8; PG 29:428C-29A; and In Psalmum XLVIII, 11; PG 29:457B. See In ebriosos, 6; PG 31:456B. See also: In illud, attende, 8, PG 31:216C In Psalmum XXXIII, 3; PG 29:357AC. In Psalmum XLV, 8, PG 29:428C; In Psalmum XLVIII, 11; PG 29:460A; and De Spiritu Sancto, 22,53; PG 32:168AC. De Spiritu Sancto, 22,53; PG 32:168C. Cf. Defide, 2; PG 31:681A; Letter 2,2; PG 32:225 AC; ed. Courtonne, pp. 6-7, lines 21-46. Cf, also In principium Proverbiorum, 4; PG 31:393B; and In illud, attende, 7; PG 31:216B. An indirect 138

Letter 2,2;

Regulaefusius, 5,1;

139

140

reference

is

made

to

Mt

5.8

PG 31:1097B. See also ibid., 32, PG 31:1104C; ibid., 1; PG 29:353BC. Letter 159,1; PG 32:620B. Cf. Regulaefusius, Prooemium; PG 31:896B. Regulaefusius, Prooemium; PG 31:896B-D. See also ibid., 2, 1-3, PG 31:908B-16C; and In Psalmum XLV, 7; PG 29:428A. De Spiritu Sancto, 30,78; PG 32:217C. Cf. ibid., 8,17; PG 32:97B; In Psalmum XXIII, 4; PG 29:360BC; In Psalmum XL V, 5; PG 29:424C; In ebriosos, 1, PG 3 1:445 A; In Principium Proverbiorum, 14; PG 31:416AB; and Regulae brevius, 248; PG 31:1248C-49A. Homilia de fide, 3; PG 31:169B; see also ibid., 3; PG 31:472A; In illud, attends, 6; PG 31:213A; and De Spiritu Sancto, 22,53; PG 32:168C. In Psalmum XLV, 8; PG 29:429B. De Spiritu Sancto, 15,35; PG 32:128C. See also: ibid., 8, 18; PG 32:100B (quotation from Eph 2.18); and Contra Sabellianos, 2; PG 31:601C. De Spiritu Sancto, 8,18; PG 32:100C. Ibid., 26, 61; PG 32:180C. Cf. De ieiunio, 1. 9; PG 31:180C. De Spiritu Sancto, 26,64; PG 32:185BC. See also: Letter 38, 4 PG 32:329C: Letter 226,3; PG 32:849A; Adversus Eunomium, 1,17; PG 29:552B, ibid. 1,18: PG 29:553A; and ibid., 1,26; PG 29:569BC. Cf. Letter 38,8; PG 32:340AC; Contra Sabellianos, 2; PG 31:601C; ibid., 4; PG 31:608C, De Spiritu Sancto, 8,18 PG 32:100C; ibid., 8,19: PG 32:101C; ibid., 8,21; PG 32:105BC; and ibid., 9,23; PG 32:109B. De Spiritu Sancto, 18,47; PG 32:153B. 141

45;

Regulae brevius, 21;

PG

31:1112A; and In Psalmum XXXIII,

142 143

144

145

146 147

148

149 150

151

152

"'Em xov 08ov xaxacp£i5Y 8l Li6vr|v eivai fiyoi^evoc; avdjiauaiv xr\v ev cnuxo) 6iaiiovr)v" In Psalmum XXXIII, 6; PG 29:416C. >

153 In Psalmum XXXIII, 6; PG 29:365 A. See also ibid., 7; PG 29:368C, and Psalmum XIV, 4; PG 29:421BC. 154 "r) ... ovoia avxov Lievei djtQOOixog." Letter 234, 1; PG 32:869B. 155 "at ... eveoyeiat avxov Jtoog r)(iag xaxapaivcruaiv.'' Letter 234,1; PG 32:869AB.

In

Three

Applications of the Theme "Eikon Theou"

(Image of God) According to 1 Saint Basil the Great

The theme of the image of God

finds various applications in

Among

the theology of Saint Basil the Great. are those in the

domain of Trinitarian

these applications

theology, angelology, an-

thropology, Christology, ecclesiology, and

finally,

eschatology.

As

a small contribution to the understanding of the theology of this

great

Cappadocian

father, the present study intends to briefly dis-

cuss each of these applications.

Trinitarian Doctrine

Among

the various applications of the

God, those made

in the field

theme of the image of

of "Theology" are particularly im-

portant. Saint Basil establishes the divinity of the

Son of God by

using the scriptural theme of the image.

The Son, Image of the Invisible Against Arianism, which attacked the divinity of the Son of

God,

Basil affirms the Son's divinity

image of God. The Son

is

This means that the Son, sence as God. Because reflects

He

by using the theme of the

the living image of the Invisible as is

God.

an image of God, has the same esthe perfect image of the Father, he

not only the "magnificent attributes" of the essence of the

Father, but also the very essence

itself.

both the essence and energies of

Thus, the Son

God

49

the Father.

2

fully reflects

Nevertheless,

In the Image of God

so

although the essence and energies of the Son are identical to those of the Father, the persons of the Father and of the Son are by no

means

identical.

Each person possesses

u

unique personal prop-

his

way the

propria personarum" In this

erties,

identity of essence

and

energies does not exclude the diversity of persons between the Fa-

ther and the Son: the "propria personarum' (i&ia^ovxooc; 8m9eooQOi)[iev(x) 3 are not reflected in the image of God. The para-

dox of similarity and dissimilarity between image and is

kept, even in the

its

archetype

most perfect expression of this image, the im-

age of God in His Son. 4

Image of the Son? book of Against Eunomius, employs the theme of im-

The

Spirit of God:

The

fifth

age in defending the divinity of the

image of God... so the Spirit

is

Spirit

is

Holy

work

this

Didymos

the Blind.

is

is

the

5

the image of the Son," also, "the

God

the visible and natural image of

However,

"As Christ

Spirit:

rejected as inauthentic

and of the Lord." 6 and

is

attributed to

In his authentic works, Saint Basil does not develop the idea of the

Holy

this:

as

the

Spirit as the

first is

image of God. There

methodological; the second

methodology is concerned,

on the

for

theological. Insofar

Reasonings are accepted to elabo-

rate a doctrine only if the doctrine

nowhere

is

two reasons

Basil always establishes his doctrine

basis of Holy Scripture.

Scripture. Yet,

are

basically

is

in the Scripture

is

found

in

Holy

the Spirit said to be the

"image of God" or the "image of the Son." For

this reason Basil

does not draw upon the theme of image in his justification of the divinity of the Spirit.

Moreover, from as the

a theological perspective, the idea

"image of God" or

scriptural doctrine

as the

of the Spirit

"image of Christ" violates the

of "monarchy" in the divinity7 advocated by Basil.

According to the doctrine of monarchy, the Father has an absolute supremacy

in the

ciple in the life

All-Holy Trinity.

He is

the source and the prin-

of the Blessed Trinity: "The natural goodness, the

innate holiness, the royal dignity, passes from the Father through

the

Only Begotten

to the Spirit."

8

According

"image passes" to the Spirit through the Son,

to this doctrine, if an it

must be the image

Applications of the

of

God

Theme "Eikon Theou"

51

the Father. Yet, Saint Basil does not call the Spirit the

image of God the Father. The

Spirit

is

called the "spiritual light"

which enlightens man and shows him the Image of the

God:

Christ, through

paternal Archetype.

Whom

man

Invisible

contemplates the light of the

9

Angelology Are the angels created

in the

image of God? Saint Basil does

not give an explicit answer to this question. There in the gels.

Hexameron which

assistance of the angels

sil

"Let us make

states that the

God

image of

only one text

God

and the an-

In this instance, he refutes the Philonian doctrine of the "image

of angels." 10 According to

says:

refers to the

is

man

11

God creates man with the addressing the angels when He

this doctrine,

and

is

according to our image and likeness." Ba-

Son of God, not the

angels,

addressed the words of Genesis 1:26.

the angels,

is

the one to

whom

The Son of God,

not

the "living image" of God, identical with the fatherly

is

Archetype. However, he does not state whether the angels them-

made

selves are

in the

image of God.

Nevertheless, the concept of the creation of the angels them-

image of

selves in the

The same and

gels

God

is

implied in Saint Basil's theology.

constitutive elements of the

in

image

are

found

in the an-

man: Basil speaks frequently of the reason and the

freedom of the angels; he speaks of their knowledge and love of

God, of their the

Holy

and

perfection, their holiness,

Spirit.

They are

of their free

will;

though they

are

established in the

their

communion

Good through the use

they are "stable" in their choice for God, even

of "unstable" nature,

as is

man. 12 For Saint

the angels are superior to man, setting an example for low:

in

"Man, who pursues

him

Basil,

to fol-

perfection, elevates himself to the dignity

of angels;" 13 he does this because he

God, thus being virtuous

created in the image of

is

like the angels.

inferior to the angels, has the potential

14

If

man, although he

is

of being assimilated with

God because of the image of God in him, the angels, who have the same and even superior prerogatives than man, should

also

be cre-

ated in the image of God. This, although the creation of the angels

In the Image of God

52

image of God

in the

cause

it is

not scriptural, or because the opportunity or need of

making such is

not explicitly stated - probably either be-

is

statement did not arise - nevertheless, this doctrine

a

in continuity

with the theology of Saint

Basil.

Anthropology Saint Basil uses the

theme of the image of

God

domain of anthropology, where he makes multiple

mostly in the

applications of it.

Saint Basil sees the creation of man in the image of God as an

expression of God's love towards man.

among God's

creation, elevated

by

Man is particularly favored

God

to the special dignity

being created in His image. This dignity distinguishes the rest of creation:

man

of

man from

the only one to be created in the image

is

of God. 15

What nature,

in

man

both material and

Saint Basil excludes the

spiritual, is the

image of God to be found?

16

God, because God

Basil believes that man's

created in the image of God.

The

Only

through his

in this

way he

soul,

is

soul possesses whatever there

is

invisible.

More

is

led to

knowledge of

through that which within him

is

Godlike;

know-

gains knowledge of "the Like by the like." In

ing the soul as "bodiless and invisible,"

and

body cannot

human

the

his

soul

bodiless.

is

17

which makes man God-like. Thus man

God

in man's dual

body from the image of God. Unlike

brother Gregory of Nyssa, reflect

image of God? Where

reflects the

man knows God, bodiless

18

specifically, Saint Basil notes the special attributes

which characterize the image of

God

of man

within him. Man's reason

(^oyixov) and his freedom of will (auxe^ouoiov) are seen by him as the

main

faculties

of the

human

soul

which

reflect the

image of

God in man. They make man God-like; furthermore, it is through 19 their good use that man progresses in likeness with God. Our "affectivity,"

in the

which

is

image of God

principally our faculty of love, in us.

God

our force of loving the Creator. seeds, to

know and

semble Him.

20

love

God,

is

also included

has implanted in us the seeds of

Man

is

called to cultivate these

to unite himself with

Furthermore, the power that

Him —

to re-

man has over creation

Applications of the

is

Theme "Eikon Theou"

53

included as a consequence of man's creation in the image of

God: the

"royal faculty" (f]y8[iOVLx6v)

might master the

creation.

with immortality, which

What

21

is

given to

Moreover, the

man

so that he

human soul is crowned

part of the image of God in man. 22

is

when he

exactly does Saint Basil understand

speaks of

"image of God" in reference to the hypostases of the Holy Trinity? Is

man

created "in the image of the Trinity," as Saint Augustine

would say

The

God

make ments

West?

question seems legitimate, since Saint Basil cites the same

attributes

of

in the

which

Augustine notes

St.

man: reason,

in

will,

and

as the

love.

23

elements of the image

Yet, Saint Basil does not

the same use of these elements. For Augustine, these eleare equivalent to the propria personarum

Son and the Holy to the Son,

Spirit; thus

and love

reason

Holy

to the

is

Spirit.

of the Father, the

ascribed to the Father, will

On the contrary, for Saint

Basil these faculties of the soul reflect the

common

attributes

(xoivoo^ emGeooQOujieva) of the divine substance, distinct from the substance itself and

common

to the three hypostases of the

Holy Trinity. The propria personarum

are not reflected in the

im-

age of God in man. 24

For Saint

Basil,

man

is

not called the "image of the Father," or

Holy

the "image of the Son," or the "image of the the

Son of God

Invisible Trinity,

is

God."

is

that he

Son imprints

called the

What man is

"in the

Spirit."

Only

image of the Father, the "Image of the is

in relation to the hypostases in the

image of God" (the Father), which the

in us, being our "creative cause,"

and the

to perfection, being our "perfecting cause." It

who, being our "primordial cause,"

is

is

Spirit leads

only the Father

the source of the "image of

God" in us. The other two persons do not have their image in us

as

persons.

As

for the "nature"

reflection in us

of this image, the image of

of divine attributes, such

as:

common

As one can

to the three persons of the

see, this interpretation

Saint Basils theology has nothing in

in us

is

the

immortality, reason, free-

dom, will, love, perfection and holiness, otherwise of God,

God

called the energies

Holy Trinity. 25

of the image of God in us in common with the Augustin-

54

In the Image of God

^

ian view of

man

when speaking of the theology of Basils

conclusion

this

an "image of the Trinity." 26 R. Leys supports

as

brother,

Saint Gregory of Nyssa; indeed he finds no place for the view of

man

created in the image of the Trinitv in Saint Gregory as in anv

Eastern Father. 2 Saint Basil

is

'

no exception.

Special Problems

Image and Likeness

One of the special problems man is the distinction between tinction, considered

by some scholars 28

beginning in Origen.

its

On

the Human

It is greatly

I

am

has

29

Human

the

Structure,

between "image" and "likeness"

as

between the Aristotelian terms Slivajiig (power) and

eveoyeia (energy,

The

in

developed in the homilies

homily On

first

Basil establishes the distinction

God

as a philosophical one,

Structure, attributed to Saint Basil.

Following Origen, in the

a distinction

concerning the image of

"image" and "likeness." This dis-

action):

reasonable and spiritual part of mv being, in which created in the image of

tion consists in the

God,

is

a power.

accomplishment of

The

ac-

virtue, in

my activity, and reaching the likeness of God through my best [Christian] behavior. Thus, since my creation, I have received in my nature what makes me to be in the image of God: this is the achieving good in

origin

and the roots of the good

God comes

to

me

achieve the good,

through

my

my

virtuous

Creator has not attributed to at

my

creation. For

come (yiveoGe) perfect.'

Fr.

it is

in

me. The likeness of

actions, life.

me

my

This

is

labors to

why my God

the likeness of

written in the Gospel: 'Be-

perfect, as our heavenlv Father

is

30

E. Stephanou

is

correct in seeing in this text the fulfillment

of the promise given by Saint Basil in his last homily,

Hexameron. Saint Basil

says: "In

and how does he participate

in

what has man the image

His likeness? This

followed by the homilies

is

God allows." 31 On the Human Structure:

going to discuss in what follows,

if

of

On

God

what we

are

This plan

is

Theme "Eikon Theou"

Applications of the

The end of the

55

ninth homily gives the division of the

next homily planned by Basil:

"Ev tlvl oirv e'xei to xax'

dxova Oeov 6 dvBoamoc; xai jtooc; ^£xa)uifi|3dvEi xov xa6' 6(iOi0JOLV.' The originality of the answer is already contained in the way the question is posed by the Saint: to be xax' eixova of

God

a

is

matter of

nature (exsi), whereas to be xa6' OjiOLCDGiv of God

is

a matter of personal effort and of freedom of will

(^lexataxfipdvei).

Now,

the la

De

concerned with responding to

Structura

is

entirely

this clear division.

The

author summarizes his answer in the following nice sentence, quoted by Saint

munes.

'

c

Maximos

'Qgt£ to xax' eixova

in his Loci

fiev e'x£i5

Com-

ex xotl

5

Xoyixog elvai, xa0 ojioioooiv de yevr) ex xov XQT|ax6xr|xa dvaXaPelv.' (Ia

30:33 A).

I

De

Structura, 21;

confess that the author of

and realized the

Structura has captured

PG

De Hominis original plan

of Saint Basil well, based on an idea both nice and new. 32

E. Stephanou 33 finds an interesting parallel doctrine

The same in the is

homily On Psalm 48. In

this text, the

seen as the great natural privilege of man:

image of God

in

man

man is "precious in his

natural construction" (to tl^ilov ev Tfj cpuorxf] xotTCXGxeuf] 8X C0V ) because of the image of God in him, which distinguishes him from

the rest of creation. 34

On the basis of this image, man was called to

become God-like: "Man was elevated above the whole creation; no creature but he is called the image of God in the highest. Yet,

man

did not realize his dignity: he stopped following

resembling the Creator. his passions;

On

On

the

Holy

the contrary, he enslaved himself to

he compared himself with the unreasonable animals;

he became their equal." 35

as

Spirit,

S.

Giet 36 finds a similar text in the book

where Basil

"resemblance with God, as

man Holy

nature." Spirit,

37

In the

man

life

sees the

much

purpose of man's creation

as this

is

possible for the hu-

of grace, through the operation of the

"abides in

God, resembles God," and achieves

the "ultimate desirable:" "he becomes God." 38

from these

God and

texts, that

man

One

thing

is

clear

has to become God-like, whereas he

is

In the Image of God

56

which makes him more precious than

created in the image of God,

any other creature. The distinction between image and likeness implied in these

Other

texts

is

texts.

speak in the same sense. Thus, in the homily,

On

Observing Yourself we read:

You

man, the only

are a

God

the hands of

Just think about

living being to be created

it: is

this privilege

not enough to

your heart with joy and confidence? age of Him

who

are

Made

created you, you can elevate yourself

endowed with an

agreeable fruits of science. All animals subject to your authority.

human; but

became man grace; the

there

is

.

.

.

These

are

life.

collect the

on earth

Holy

are

your advantages

one of a superior order:

for you, the

You

you know

intelligent soul, so that

God, reason on the nature of beings, and

as a

fill

im-

in the

of angels, through your virtuous

to the dignity

by

Himself, Creator of the universe.

Spirit

God

poured out

his

dominion of death has been destroyed; the

hope of resurrection has been given, divine precepts perfect your

life;

the observance of the

of Heaven and the crowns of justice are reserved

The same the image of

who do

to

not avoid the labors inherent in the 39

God

man

in

is

seen as the great natural privilege of

On the basis of this image,

in his reasonable soul.

has power over the whole creation. Departing from this im-

man

is

able to journey towards

equal to that of the angels. In the

help from

God, and

life

to achieve a dignity

of grace,

man

receives extra

God to achieve the purpose given to him at his creation:

become God-like,

His

closer to

ideas are present in this text, as in the previous texts:

man, imprinted

to

God; the King-

dom

for those

age,

commandments

you the power

practice of virtue.

man

come

gives

to unite himself with

God,

to participate in

glory.

The image of God the likeness of

God

in

man

as a reality given at his creation

as a reality to

be

tant text

seem

to be quite

at least

one impor-

fulfilled

distinct in Saint Basil's thought. Yet, there

is

and

from the Great Rules which seems to identify the two:

it is

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou"

the text of the

"hymn of the

man. The

of these benefits

first

benefits" that is

God

"God

that

57

bestowed upon

man

created

in

His

5

image and likeness" (xax eixova 0eoi3 xai Ojioiooaiv

toy dvBQOOJiov 6 08og). 40 This Saint Basil. It

is

text dates

jcoirjaac;

from the early years of

possible that at this time Basil followed the bibli-

cal

manner of speaking, according to which "image" and "likeness"

are

synonyms.

It is possible that

there

is

evolution in Saint Basil's

thought: he introduces a distinction between two synonyms in or-

der to present the Christian doctrine of a dynamic "image" of God in

man, leading

to likeness with

God.

In the years of maturity of theological thought, man's creation in the

image of God means, for

reason, capable of knowing

through knowledge of God. as

Basil, that

God. The 41

man

is

endowed with

likeness of God

Image and likeness

is

achieved

are distinguished

"power" and "action," the faculty of knowing and the activity of

this faculty

Another

-

that

the knowledge and the love of God. 42

is,

related

way of distinguishing between image and like-

ness in Saint Basil's thought

is

distinguishing between being and

becoming, present in the minds of many of the Eastern Fathers. 43

The "image"

is

given at the beginning, but

ized at the end of the process. "Image"

it

has to be fully real-

"likeness," or "similarity"

is

with God. Yet, the "image" has to become

fully the "likeness."

has to realize the potential likeness with

God,

He

Man

already present in

become more and more what he already is: is, God-like. The power of knowing God, which man has the image of God, can be used to know God,

the image.

has to

the image of God, that in

and thus, to be God-like through "assimilation" with

choice,

ment of the potential which is it

fully

static,

is

Likeness

in

it.

likeness of

last analysis,

His

we can

is

It

activity the

only realizes

image

itself

when

God.

say that in Saint Basil's theology, the

seen on an "ontological"

this point

Without this

unachieved, unfulfilled.

becomes the

In the

image

in

The image of God in man, his reason and freedom of made perfect through activity, that is, through deploy-

is

remains

Him

44

energies.

seen on an ethical

level, as a

level, as a

matter of "nature."

purpose to achieve. From

of view, the distinction between image and likeness

is

In the Image of God

58

not only a theoretical one, destiny of man himself.

of the image of

God

it is

To

man

in

also very practical:

achieve likeness with is

the basis

purpose for which

to achieve the

man is created. To fail in this enterprise is

deals with the

it

God on

to fail in achieving

mans

ultimate destiny.

Image and Gender In Saint Basil's doctrine, the body the image of God. reflected

The image

by the superior

woman

and

faculties

not directly involved with

is

imprinted in the

human

of the

human

soul,

spirit: intelligence

male and female

are absolutely equal.

are equally created in the

image of God, and

and freedom of will. In

Man

is

this

they are equally called to resemble God. Saint Basil puts these

words on the

dough

female sex sex.

lips

of Julitta the Martyr:

men. Like them we

as

is

Are not we then

is

"there

are

in the

made of the same

image of God. The is

the male

45

men in everything?" "There is man and woman," says Basil, "because

related to

only one creation of equal dignity for both." Consequently,

is

only one kind of reward for both... Those

same nature, have

same work

also the

same

activity.

receive an identical reward."

Thus, male and female

They

"We

made

equally (6[iOTL[i(og) as capable of virtue as

only one virtue both for there

are

Those who

are equally called to likeness

are

have the

doing the

46

are equally created in the

same rewards when they accomplish

who

image of God.

with God. They receive the their

common

task.

Image and Evil Through the image of God in man, the latter is called to know and to love God. Adam is called to "abide close to God" (jTQoaedooc; 0eoD), and to "unite himself to

Not

to

know God and

not to be in union with

God through love." Him through love,

is

to lose "life according to nature." To lose life according to nature

is

to "corrupt the soul

made

in the

image of God," and to resemble

the senseless beasts. This depravation of the evil.

Evil has no "ontological" existence. It

However,

evil

human nature is called is

a "loss

of the good."

has a veritable psychological existence, with painful

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou"

59

consequences in the ontological domain. The foundation of evil not in God, for

God

created everything "good, even very good."

The foundation of evil

is

human

in

freedom: "The source and the

principle of evil are in us, in our free will."

Two

kinds of

evil are

distinguishable, according to Saint Basil: "evil according to ture," that

physical

and is

is,

evil.

moral

The

evil;

and

"evil

to fight the veritable evil,

to deserve this

which

name." This

evil

have the power to give in to the

its

na-

according to our senses," that

God

used by

latter is often

is

moral

the only evil deserving of its name: "Sin

one

is

is

is,

to serve the good,

evil.

This moral

the real

evil,

"depends on our

vice, or to abstain

the only

will, for

from

evil

it."

we

47

Image and Grace

The work of divine economy consists of restoring of knowledge and love of the human soul, so as to anew toward fallen

their true object:

image means;

this

God. This

the

is

from death," that death which his

is

a

orient

them

what restoration of the

work of Christ, man's is

the faculties

"deliverance

consequence of his

estrangement from God, his source of true

sin, that is,

life.

human life is the "knowledge of God." 48 This knowledge introduces man to God's familiarity. God offers Himself to man as an Object of Knowledge. This knowledge is not only intellectual, but also experiential. It "assimilates" man with God, it makes man God-like. 49 Reason, which reflects the image of God, is granted to man to that end. 50 Adam failed to achieve this goal. The "fall" resulted from this The

failure:

"blessed end" of

the tarnishing of the image of God in man, his comparison

God

and resemblance not with separation from

God, which

is

but with the senseless beasts, and equal to death. 51 Christ liberates

man from death, renews life in man, and restores the fallen image. The Spirit gives to this image its original beauty. Departing from this restored

image, enlightened by the Holy Spirit to see the im-

age of the invisible

God

in

His Son,

man

is

led to the

of God, his "blessed end." In this knowledge

God; man

is

man

is

knowledge

united with

transformed by Him; he resembles Him; he arrives to

divine filiation, to "divine dignity," to "theosis," and he

"god."

52

becomes

In the Image of God

60

The above

represents the theology of Saint Basil concerning

the image in relation to the divine the Trinity, the Incarnate

economy of the two persons of Spirit. Although we

Logos and the Holy

cannot expect Saint Basil to answer questions which were not raised until later,

it

does seem perfectly legitimate to look for clues which

might indicate how he might have responded.

may consider include the following: Is there

Questions which we a distinction

theology?

between "nature" and "supernature"

Where

is

How can we

tinction?

in Saint Basil's

the image to be found if we accept this disexplain the possibility of grace for

man?

Is

there anything comparable to the doctrine of "created grace" of

the Latin middle ages? Basil speaks of "nature"

many times

ing of "nature" according to Basil

Son of God

is

One mean-

in his writings.

that which can be distinguished

God "by nature" (ex God "by grace" (ex xfjg 53 XOiQixog). Man is an adopted son of God through grace; the Son of God is the Son by nature. Perfection, holiness, and deification, from

"grace": the

(puaeoog), whereas

are the result

is

of grace, which

Spirit, the "source

distributes to

man

is

"similar" to

similar to

is

communicated

to

man

of sanctification" and of all the

man. These

gifts,

given to

man

in the

gifts

Holy

which

He

"by grace," exist in

the Spirit "by nature." 54 It is clear that

"nature" here

means the concrete

tological substratum of a person. "Nature" is

is

not this ontological substratum, whatever

human

opposed

-

to

the on-

whatever

in the case

of the

person - comes "from outside." 55 Thus, in Saint Basils

thought, in the case of

with God, there latter

reality,

is

man who

a distinction

enters in terms of

between "nature" and

coming "from outside" of human

distinction

found in

is

reality.

between "nature" and "supernature"

this distinction

What

communion

between "nature" and

The is

"grace," the

basis for the

certainly to be

"grace."

the relation between nature and grace? Saint Basil

is

always in the context of Eastern Christianity, in which grace does

not

come

to be "added" to nature.

forms and transfigures the nature; exteriorly,

Grace assumes, it

restores, trans-

does this not by being added

but by working from the inside. Several things support

Applications of the this view: the distinction

used to explain the

life

Theme "Eikon Theou

61

between essence and energies

in divine grace; the inhabitation

God,

in

of man by

the Holy Trinity, through the energies of God; and the image of iron in the fire used to explain the deification of created nature in

the

Holy

Spirit.

56

The image of God in man is the great natural prerogative of It is part of the human nature such as is created by God. It is imprinted by the creator Logos in the human nature. Grace renman.

ders to this image

and transfigures Grace gives fection

and

its

this

original beauty; moreover, grace strengthens

image, making

man more

theosis,

of per-

achieved by special assistance from the perfecting Spirit.

Man in the life

resemblance" of God.

In Saint Basil's theology there

is

of grace "par-

57

nothing similar to the Augus-

and scholastic doctrine of "original justice" as an "added gift."

tinian

The image perfection

is

which

Adam

this relative perfection

of the image towards

God

in

The

imprinted in the very nature of Adam.

relative

could achieve depended upon his use of

the potential hidden within

of

conform more with God.

potentialities to realize his destiny

and deifying cause, the Holy ticipates in the

it

him

image of God. The

in the

through the

fall,

loss

the loss of the orientation

transcendent Archetype, hurt the image

its

man, thus hurting the human

nature: separated

God, Adam found himself in unauthentic existence, equal to

The decay and

fall

of

of

man was more

from

death.

than the loss of an "added

gift.-

The which

superiority of grace over the

God granted

image

God became man, He

in him,

what

seen in the

liberated

Spirit.

man from

When the

death, renewed

in

Son life

and redeemed him through His precious blood. This

constitutes man's value, man's dignity:

man

is

upon him

"divine dignity," including everything that accompanies

man

the

power

to

Whom He sent to him. What

in the

human

is

bought with

the precious blood of God. Moreover, Christ bestows

gave

way

His grace to man: through the incarnation of

His Son, and the "distribution" of His Holy of

is

it.

"become God," through His Holy

a

Christ Spirit

58

nature explains the receptivity of divine

In the Image of God

62

grace? Is there an intermediate reality between

enables

God and man which

man to be capable of being united with God? Is

there any-

thing comparable to the "created grace" of scholastic theology? It

would be presumptuous

to ask this kind of question in rela-

tion to Saint Basil's theology, or to the theology of any

Greek Father.

In the Christian East the doctrine of uncreated divine energies

God and man

explains the mystery of communion between life

of grace.

59

The

idea of "created grace"

is

in the

completely foreign to

the theology of Eastern Christianity. Yet, there Spirit,

is

an expression in Saint

Basil's

book,

On

the

Holy

which, in the minds of some, could suggest a kind of "cre-

ated grace." 60 Saint Basil speaks of the

our soul.

61

Is this

Holy

Spirit as the "form"

of

not a doctrine similar to that of "created grace"?

Benoit Pruche, recent editor of the text of

On

the

Holy

Spirit,

makes the following comments: In this text of Saint Basil, one cannot see 'an intermediary creature,' or a 'grace'

coming from the

Spirit

without being the Spirit Himself, but which would

become

of the recipient.

after reception the 'reality'

What one

can and should see there

He

in person, as

is

the

Himself directly

offers

Holy

Spirit

in participa-

make the soul spiritual through an immediate communion with Him. It is at this point tion in order to

that one can truly call sanctification.

Saint Basil, and with East,

which

finds

its

Him

the 'formal cause' of our

62

him

the whole theological tradition of the

best expression in the theology of Saint Gre-

gory Palamas (fourteenth century),

tries to find

explains the possibility of divine grace, or

Him.

63

Saint Basil does not try to explain

ture justifies

Christian

As

its

West

tries to

for Saint Basil,

he

what

in the created na-

satisfied

If one wishes to

push

is

what the grace."

64

with the statement that in the

Spirit, "inaccessible

"communicable by goodness."

human

communion with

do with the concept of "created

is

Holy

God

in

life

union with the Uncreated Nature. This

case of grace the

the

out what in

by nature," becomes

65

for an

answer to the question of what on

side explains the possibility

of grace,

this answer, ac-

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou

63

cording to Saint Basil's thought, would not be found in an "added gift,"

but rather in the image of God in man. This image, the "par-

God put in man at his creation and which is 67 ultimately the presence of God in man, gives man regenerated in ticle

of grace" 66 which

Christ the possibility to "renew himself in knowledge according to

God, and

the image of his Creator," to resemble

to

"become god"

(by grace).

One final remark pertaining to the distinction between "nature" and "supernature," and "image" and "grace" in Saint Basil's thought

must be made: there or any of the

is

Greek Fathers of an "independent

nature, created in the

God

of

as the basis

image

is

able to keep

between

no understanding whatsoever for Saint Basil image of God,

its

very being.

is

God and man, between

intrinsically

The

potential

its full

nature."

is

way

68

Human

dependent on in

which the

to continue to

be the link

only

the Archetype and the image.

When the image deteriorates, man loses his life "according to nature." The restored

through virtuous likeness with

man life,

the

image

life

on the

God and "life

in Christ

the

basis

life

and the resemblance with

God

of the image of God in man, the

of theosis, these constitute true hu-

according to nature." 69

Image and Glory

When

properly used, the

dynamism of the image

semblance with God. This resemblance, which

is

leads to re-

an assimilation

man a participant of the divine nature inasmuch it. The divine nature in which man 70 participates is called the energies of God or, according to another

with God, makes as

man

is

able to participate in

favored expression of Saint Basil, the "goods of life eternal." Among these energies or goods

is

that of divine glory,

which surrounds the

divine essence.

Saint Basil says: elevated by nary!

"Had man kept

God, his

Man would

exaltation

the glory in which he was

have been glorified by the power of God in the

Highest, and adorned with His wisdom; in the

first

would have been real, and not imagi-

man would have

rejoiced

goods of life eternal." 71

Adam

was elevated

in this glory

through

his creation in the

In the Image of God

64

He had the power to stay in it through

image and likeness of God.

the exercise of love. However, his failure to do so resulted in a loss

of the divine glory. But, having renounced the glory that he had from

God,

he desired another one, that he could not reach, and he

lost that

the only

which he could

way to

heal his

gain.

His unique resource,

evil, is to

return to the dignity

by humble

from which he

fell; it is

feelings, not to

imagine a vain structure of glory that

to be motivated

he finds in himself, but to search for his glory in God.

Thus he

will correct his mistake;

and he will return

ness;

he will heal his

to the divine precept

ill-

from which

he ran away. 72

The

grace of Christ gives

man

which he has

the dignity from

the possibility of this "return" to

fallen.

Saint Basil says:

man really glorify himself? What makes God says: 'Let him who wants to glorify himself. put his glory in knowing me and acknowledging that I am the Lord!' Man's grandeur, his glory In what can

him

great? .

.

and dignity consist attach himself to

in

it,

of glory. The Apostle self,

knowing what

and

is

really great, to

to seek his glory in the

says: 'Let

be glorified in the Lord. Jesus the Christ

to us to be our fication,

wisdom, our

Lord

him who glorifies himis

given

our sancti-

justification,

our redemption, according to what has been

written: Let

him who glorifies himself be glorified only

in the Lord.'

glorious in ness, but to

The

God

is

veritable

and perfect way of being

not to boast about our righteous-

acknowledge that when

left

on our own

means, we are deprived of veritable righteousness: we are justified only glorifies

ness,

by faith

himself in the disdain for his

and

in the attitude

faith in Jesus the Christ,

through

in Jesus the Christ. Saint Paul

faith.

participates in

own

righteous-

of seeking justification from

and which comes from

God

In this justification he knows Christ,

His sufferings and experiences the power

of His resurrection: he becomes confirmed with His death and does everything possible to reach the blessed

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou"

resurrection of the dead.

There

O man, to you nothing

disappears.

where

it is

in

is left

all

65

pride

which you

can boast. All of your glory and hope consist in mortifying everything

the

life

we now

which

you enjoy

that

is

you seek

in you, so that

in Jesus the Christ.

Of this

for

life,

experience the foretaste, living by the good-

ness and the grace of God, 'For

it is

God who operates

in us the will

and the energy according

pleasure.' It

God who, through His

Spirit, reveals to

own wisdom, which He had

predestined for

us His

our glory.

is

to

His good

73

God wants man "to be worthy of being glorified." 74 This is why He gave man His Son, His wisdom, to make His abode among him through His "God-bearing flesh," through Christ whose human nature was made glorious by being inhabited by the divinity. Through His Christ, God sent His Spirit to impart in man the glorious humanity of Christ. In the Light of the Holy Spirit, man becomes

"spiritual"

and

a "Spirit-bearer."

[Man is] transformed in a certain way to become something more brilliant, through His glory. it

means

in one's

'to

own

.

glory!'

[Man

This

is

what

thus becomes glorious], not

way commensurate

to the capability of the being enlightened

this glory, St. Basil concludes,

"earnest," but

.

be transformed by the glory of the Spirit

in a stingy or feeble way, but in a

Of

.

man

by the

has

Spirit.

now

75

received the

he expects the fulfillment in the age to come.

Christology and Ecclesiology Basil

is

doctrine.

Holy It is

especially interested in "theology," that

He

has to defend the divinity of the

Spirit against his enemies: the

only towards the end of his

life

is,

the Trinitarian

Word and

of the

Arians and Pneumatomachs. (about 376) that Saint Basil

begins to articulate the doctrine of the Church concerning the incarnation of the

Word.

Basil responds to the Christological her-

esy of Apollinarios of Laodicea,

which adds

itself to the still

persistent Trinitarian heresies. Against Apollinarios, ishes the

human

who

dimin-

nature of Christ by negating the existence of a

In the Image of God

66

reasonable soul in flesh,

it,

Basil states that Christ "was not a soulless

but a divinity using a flesh with soul." 76

The Apollinarian heresy marks the beginning of the dispute on the dogma of Incarnation, as we can see it in several of Saint Basil's dating from the end of his

letters,

life.

77

In

all

of these

letters, Basil

human nature in Christ. If Christ had human nature, the entire work of divine

defends the reality of the

not assumed a true economy would have been negated in its foundation. Death, which

dominated human nature, could not have been overcome without its

contact with a concrete

human

nature united with the divinity.

Sin could not have been abolished without the righteousness of the

God-man Jesus. 78

What is interesting in these texts, with respect to the image of God in man, is that the human nature, made in the image of God, was healed from

sin

and death through

assumption by the Logos.

its

human nature by Christ, the restoration image of God in man is certainly included. The image is the

In the restoration of the

of the

great natural prerogative of man. Yet, the

of the image

is

not very

theme of the

much developed by

Basil;

restoration

it is left

up

to

other Fathers in the Christian tradition of the East to do this kind

of work.

The

great concern of Saint Basil until the end of his

life is

defense of the Trinitarian dogma. In his Hexamefon, the last

of his

life,

of Saint Basil,

79

In the theological and apologetical works

we cannot

expect complete doctrinal presentations

domain of Christology

during Saint

since the

need for

is

its

anthropological

not greatly discussed in the great theological and

apologetic works of Saint Basil,

of

does not arise

it

Basil's lifetime.

Although the Christological doctrine with implications

work

Basil seems satisfied with simply alluding to the

Christological heresy.

in the

the

this doctrine in his irenic

we can

nevertheless find elements

works. In his commentaries on the

Psalms, Saint Basil presents us with several elements of his Christological doctrine

which have anthropological implications.

While meditating upon sil

various verses of the Psalms, Saint Ba-

presents the doctrine of the Incarnation of the

Logos and the

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou

He

redemption of man in a positive fashion.

67

speaks of the kenosis

of the Son of God, who, "being rich by nature - for everything

Him

that belongs to the Father belongs to for us, to enrich us

as well

- became poor

by His poverty." The Son of

God

emptied

Himself, taking up the condition of a slave, so that "from His ness

we

all

receive, grace

upon

grace." Christ

He

and reconciliation with God: two-in-one

"in

full-

became man's peace

His person created the

new man, who, through His blood shed on the cross, Him, both on earth and in heaven." 80

reconciled every being in

On

other occasions, Basil speaks of the following themes: the

"God-bearing

flesh,

vestment of the

divinity,"

through which

God

came among men; 81 the "redemption by the blood of the Onlybegotten;" 82 the "God-bearing flesh" sanctified through

with God; the flesh

as the "residence"

the Church. 83 Basil

city,

union

of God, through which

manifested Himself to us, and through which

midst of His

its

tells

God

He

resides in the

us of "the

God-Man,

Jesus the Christ, the only one capable of giving Himself up and offering

Himself to

Basil develops the

groom of the In

more

all

Logos.

as a

ransom

for all

of us." 84 Ultimately,

theme of Christ the Beloved One, the Bride-

soul in particular,

of these

in the

God

and of the Church in general. 85

texts, as in the apologetic texts, Basil is interested

Only-begotten Son of

The human

nature of Christ

God is

than in the Incarnate

seen in relation to the re-

demptive work of the Logos. The anthropological implications of the

Logos becoming

image of God

in the

flesh

human nature of Christ is

either. Yet, the doctrine

of

God

remain undeveloped. The

is

of the

not discussed here,

implied in statements such

as:

"The Son

humiliated Himself to raise us up and became poor to

enrich us." Christ accomplished the

fate

first fruits

of man's

all

of this in His

own humanity;

own regenerated humanity are in Him. His God manifests Himself to man

"God-bearing flesh" through which

and

in

which

He

resides in the midst of

His

city,

the Church,

is

the instrument of man's redemption. In this humanity of the Logos,

the restoration of

human

nature as a whole takes place.

nature cannot be understood without tive,"

the image of God in

it.

its

Human

great "natural preroga-

In the Image of God

68

Church

the

Is

whole

as a

image of God? The Church

in the

is

not only the body of Christ, but His spouse, too. For Saint Basil,

body of Christ

as for Saint Paul, the

of its members. This

the Church,

totality,

of Christ. Saint Basil applies

and

this last

same

man. 86

It is

who

worthy of the

created in the image of God,"

is

and which

in the individual soul,

make

the latter to be "in the image of God." Yet, there

plicit

statement

God." In Saint

oped

as

is

Church

implied that the Church as a whole reflects the

which we find

qualities

to the

Church, Basil asks for the

for the individual soul,

Spouse, and "worthy of him is,

also called the spouse

is

name both

to the individual soul. Just as for the

same kind of ornaments that

constituted by the totality

is

made about

Church being

the

"in the

Basil's doctrine, ecclesiology is as greatly

is

no ex-

image of undevel-

Christology.

ESCHATOLOGY

What happens to the image of God in man at the end of time? The image of God contains a dynamism that cannot be exhausted. Under

the guidance of the

Holy

to resemblance

with God, to

happens

dynamism

to this

There

is

at least

one

image in

it

is

is

and divine

theosis,

at the

coming again of the Lord?

human fate

not mentioned in the

implied in the

the

concerned. The

dynamism which it.

The

[The psalmist] describes the future time

in

compari-

life

On

he

earth,

says, I

surrounded with the labors of death; in heaven, soul

is

delivered from death.

tears because tears to

earth,

will

eyes pour

who

re-

union of the vision of the divine

glory. 'For

On

earth, the

wipe

all

tears

from

all faces.'

dangers of failures are multiple; this ten:

my

am my

of suffering; in heaven, there are no more

darken the pupils of the eyes of those

joice in the

God

On

'Whoever

flatters

is

why

it is

is

text reads as

follows:

son with actual conditions.

gives us

the doctrine of the

text; yet,

text, in relation to

is

which

of holiness which results from

and the

man What

leads

filiation.

text in Saint Basil's writings

a hint about the last things, as far as

image of God

dynamism

Spirit, this

writ-

himself about being upright,

let

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou"

69

him be careful not to fall.' In heaven, the feet are stable; life is without change; there is no more danger of falling into sin. There are no more revolts of the flesh, no collaboration of a

man and woman and unique

life,

and reside

ter

mortal:

it is

in the resurrection.

the

of those

life

living.

who

die.

Man

is

only one

their

Mas-

This world

The

composite; now, whatever

by nature perishable.

no longer

is

There

who please

of the

in the land

is

There

in sin.

the place of those

visible things ite is

woman

is

compos-

being in the world

and being part of the world by necessity participates the nature of the universe

But the

there,

where there

body nor of the

is

soul

.

is

nature of

in

.

no longer change, neither of

- for there

is

no further devia-

tion of thought, or change of opinion, as there are

no

more circumstances which can jeopardize the stability and tranquillity of our thought - there is the land of those

who really live and who

themselves.

It is in this

able as possible to

land that

God,

no more external things

with

are always identical

as the

we

will

be

as agree-

prophet promises: for

will be able to take us

away

from our purpose, the true service of God, identical the service of angels.

At

the end of time, the

of God in

man will

to

87

dynamism which God put

achieve on the one hand, the

in the

image

maximum

of its

deployment, becoming resemblance to God; on the other hand, will

be stabilized because

it

will achieve

its

it

purpose, a true service

of God, identical to that of the angels. There will be no further opportunity for another fall - estrangement from God, with "death as the

wages of

sin"

-

there will be the

God, who resemble God; the

life

of those

who

life

there will be the

of those

life

who

live in

of "gods by grace,"

"live the veritable life in Jesus the Christ, to

whom belong glory and power in

the ages of ages.

Amen." 88

Endnotes 1

This study originally appeared

de Dieu chez Saint Basile

le

as part

of my thesis "La dialectique de l'image

Grand," submitted to the School of Theology of

In the Image of God

70

the University of Louvain in partial fulfillment of the requirements "pro gradu

Doctoris in Sacra Theologia." notes.

I

Monsignor Gerard

late 2

It

has been revised, especially with regard to the

deeply appreciative of the good suggestions of my thesis director, the

am

Philips,

under whose guidance

Among the many passages which we find in

this

work was

written.

Saint Basil's works in reference

PG 29:552C; ibid.; 1,20; PG PG 29:572A; ibid., 2, 16; PG 29:604C-605A; ibid.,2, 17; PG 29:605B; ibid., 2, 31; PG 29:645B. Cf. Contra Sabellianos, 2; PG 31:604BC, De Spiritu Sancto, 8, 21; PG 32:105AB; Homi/ia defide, 2; PG 31:465C468B;L^r 105; PG 32:513A;L^r226,3; PG 32:849 A; Letter 236, 1; PG 32 :877 AB; and Liturgy, ed. F. E. Brightman, in Liturgies to this doctrine, see: Adversus

29:556C;

ibid., 1, 23;

PG

Eunomium,

29:564A;

1,18,

ibid., 1, 27;

Eastern and Western, Being the Texts Original or Translated of the Principal Liturgies 3

of the Church (Oxford, 1896), p. 322, lines 28-30; and p. 402, lines 18-19. See Letter 28, 6; PG 32:336C; ed. Courtonne, 6; p. 89, line 7; ibid., 4; PG

32:332A;

ed.

29:637B;

ibid., 1,14;

Courtonne,

4; p. 85, lines

PG

29:545A;

40-42; Adversus Eunomium,

ibid., 2,4;

PG

29:577C;

2, 28;

ibid., 1, 7;

PG PG

29:524D. 4

See

my

thesis

La

dialectique de

Vimage de Dieu chez Saint Basile

le

Grand,

University of Louvain, 1964, pp. 50-62. 5

"Elxcbv

Eunomium, 6

5;

\iev

""Oil eixoav

5; PG 7

Qzov

XQicrcog,... Eixcbv &£

Ylov to HvEV\ia." Adversus

PG 29:724C. dX.r|0f|g

xcd cpuaixr| 0eo13 xai Kuqiou to Ilvei^a."

Ibid.,

29:725B.

"To 8i)G8p8g 66y|ia

xfjg

\iovaQ%iac,"

De

Spiritu Sancto, 18, 47;

PG

32:153BC. 8

9

Ibid.,

10 11

18,47;

PG PG

32:153B.

32:153AB. In Hexameron, 9, 6; PG 29:205AC;

Ibid.,

18,47;

Philo the Jew,

De

opificio

ed. Giet, pp.

516-18.

mundi, 24, 14-15; ed. Cohn, 25.

3, 2; PG 29:660AC; ibid., 3, 4; PG 29:661BC; De 32:136A-140B; In Hexameron, 1, 5; PG 29:13A; ed. Giet, pp. 104-106, ibid., 2; 4; PG 29:40C-41A; ed. Giet, pp. 162-164; ibid., 3, 9: PG 29:73D-76A: ed. Giet. p. 236. 13 In Hexameron, 9, 6; PG 29:205BC; ed. Giet, p. 518. 12

Adversus Eunomium,

Spiritu Sancto, 16, 38;

14 15

In

illud,

PG

attende tibi

Regula fusius

PG 31:212B. PG 31:913B; In Psalmum attende tibi ipsi 6; PG 31:212BC. ipsi, 6;

tractate, 2, 3;

XLVIII,

8;

PG

29:449BD; and In illud, 16 Roger Leys, L' image de Dieu chez Saint Gre'goire de Nysse (Brussels, 1951), pp. 64-65. Even for Gregory, though, priority is given to the human soul, created in the image of God. For Gregory, the body participates in the nobility of the soul, being the instrument through which the soul-in-the-image-of-God expresses itself (ibid.). 17

In

18

Ibid., 3;

19

Regula fusius,

illud,

attende, 7;

PG

illud, attende, 3;

PG

PG

3L216A.

PG 3L261A. 3L913B; In Psalmum XLVIII, 8; PG 29:419C; In 3L204A; ibid., 6; PG 3L212BC; ibid., 7; PG 3L216B; and

3L204A; 2, 2;

PG

also ibid., 7;

Applications of the

Theme "Eikon Theou"

71

malorum, 6; PG 31: 344B. PG 31:908B-914A. ReguU'fusius, 2, 3; PG 31:913B; In Mud, attende, 6; PG 31:212BC; and In Hexameron, 9, 5; PG 29:201C; ed. Giet, p. 508. In illud, attende, 3; PG 31:204AC; zn&Ad adolescentes, 8; PG 31:588C; ed.

Quod Deus non "

20

est auctor

Regularfusius, 2,1;

21

22

Boulenger, 10; 23

p.

60, lines 21-22.

For the doctrine of Saint Augustine see

J.

Heijke, "St. Augustine's

Com-

An

Anthology from All his Works Exclusive of the De Trinitate, "in Classical Folia, Supplement 111 (1960), pp. 14, 16, 20, 37-38, 49-50, 51-52, 66, 67, 68, 72-75, 77, and 87-88. Also, excerpts from the De Trinitate in English translation referring to the same doctrine are found in Henry Bettenson, The Later Christian Fathers (London, 1970), pp. 229-236. See also Gerald McCool, "The Ambrosian Origin of St. Augustine's Theology of the Image of God in Man," in Theological Studies, 20.1 (1959), pp. 62-81. Cf. Vladimir Lossky, ments on Imago Dei,

'

The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church (Cambridge, England, 1968), p. 81. 24 These "propria personarum" or hypostatic idioms (properties) are different in Saint Basil

and Augustine. For Saint

dogma of monarchy")

the "pious

and "procession"

for the

Courtonne, pp. 84-84,

Holy

for

Spirit.

lines 1-50;

cf.

Basil, these

God

idioms are "fatherhood" (or

the Father, "generation" for the Son,

See Letter 38, 4; PG 32: 329A-352A; ed. Contra Sabellianos, 6; PG 31:612BC, and

PG 32: 513AB. See also my article "Image as 'Sign' (Semeion) of God: Knowledge of God through the Image according to Saint Basil," in The

Letter 105;

'

Greek Orthodox Theological Review, 21:1 (1976), 25

See

my

Theology, pp. 26

article

Image

p. 35.

as 'Sign,' p. 35, note 55. Cf. Lossky,

The Mystical

79-80 and 115.

One might be tempted to

see a kind of "image of the Son" or "image of the

Spirit" in such expressions as "conformity with the

image of the Son of God," or

"put on Christ," or "spiritualization," or "conformity with the Spirit." In

"image of the Son of God"

reality,

Both God, fully shared together with the substance by the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity.

this

of them indicate the

is

identical with the "image of the Father."

common "magnificent

attributes" or energies of

is the image that God put in us at our creation. As for the expressions "put on Christ" and "become spiritual," they refer to the restoration of the image in

This the

life

of grace. They indicate participation in the "magnificent attributes" of

Holy Trinity, which descend Holy Spirit. the

27 28

to us

from the Father through the Son in the

Leys, L'image de Dieu, pp. 93-97. Erik Peterson, "L'immagine di Dio in

S.

Ireneo," in

La

Scuola Cattolica,

book Against the Heresies, Saint Irenaeos makes a distinction between "image," as being similarity with God, found in our body, and "likeness," as being resemblance with God, the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Peterson makes the following remark: "The distinction between the image and the likeness of God in man (which we find) in this 69.1 (1941), pp. 50-51: In chapter 6 of his

chapter of Saint Irenaeos

is

important, because in a sense

doctrine of the Church" (ibid.). Cf. GustafWingren,

it

anticipates the future

Man and the Incarnation, A

Study in the Biblical Theology oflrenaos, translation Ross Mackenzie (Philadephia,

In the Image of God

72

Great Britain, 1959), pp. 14-26, 90-100, 147-59, 201-213. See also Henri Crouzel, Theologie de V image de Dieu chez Origene (Paris, 1956), pp. 32, and 21745. We read on page 217: "The distinction between 'image,' which is given at the beginning, and the 'likeness,' which is the purpose of human life - [a dis-

which we have found in Platonic philosophers, in Irenaeos, and in Clement [of Alexandria] - also occupies an important place in the doctrine of Origen on the image." 29 From my study of these homilies I would agree with Stanislas Giet that the ideas in them are those of Saint Basil, even if in their present form the homilies do not seem to be Basilian. They are probably the work of some stenographer who took notes while Saint Basil was lecturing on the subject. The study of the doctrine of the image in the undoubtedly authentic works of Saint Basil continction]

firms this view.Cf. Stanislas Giet, "Saint Basile a-t-il donne suite a

l'Hexaemeron?" in Recherches de Science Religieuse (1946),

PG

p.

520, note

3.

30

De hominis structura,

31

In Hextemeron, 9.6;

32

Elpide Stephanou, "Le sixieme jour de l'Hexaemeron de Saint Basile," in

1.20;

PG 29:208A; ed.

Echos d'Orient, 168 (1932), 33

Ibid.

34

InPsalmum XLVIII,

35

Ibid.

3;

PG

29 449BD.

Giet, Saint Basile a-t-il donne

37

De

38 39

Ibid.,

In

1. 2;

Giet, p. 520.

391.

p.

36

Spiritu Sancto,

30:32CD.

PG

suite, p.

520, note

3.

32:109C

9.23;PG 32 109C.

illud, attende, 6;

PG

31:913B.

ReguU fusius, 2. 3; PG 31:913B. 41 De Spiritu Sancto, 1.2; PG 32:69B: "There is no knowledge" (ofiOLOOOtg Se ovk dveu yvoboeoog). 40

42

Letter 233,

ator, is

article 43

1;

PG 32:364C865C:

Reason, which bears in

oriented towards the knowledge of

Image

likeness [of God] without

God;

this

it

the of the cre-

knows with God."

Cf.

my

as 'Sign' p. 25.

See for example the doctrine of Saint Irenaeos, in Peterson, L'imagine di

the doctrine of Origen, in Crouzel, Theologie de 1' image, pp. 217-222; u doctrine of Saint Athanasios, in Regis Bernard, L'image de Dieu d'apresAthanase

Dio,

p. 52;

(Paris, 1952), pp.

130-35; the doctrine of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, in Leys,

u

L'image de Dieu," pp. 116-119; and the doctrine which preceeds him, in Walter Surghardt, The Image of God in Man according to Cyril ofAlexandria (Woodstock,

Maryland, 1957), pp. 1-11. Cf. Jean Giblet, L'Homme, image de Dieu dans les commendaires litteraux de Philon dAlexandrie (Louvain, 1949), pp. 97, 114; Vladimir Lossky, In the Image and the Likeness of God (st. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1974), pp. 138-39; and Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church (Middlesex,

England, 1964). pp. 224-26. 44 Letter233, 1; PG 32:865A. See

PG

also

De hominis structura,

45

In martyrem Iulittam,

46

In Psalmum 1.3:

47

Quod Deus, passim; PG 31:329A-353A. See

29:36B-40B;

7;

1.20;

PG 30:32BC.

31:241A.

PG 29:216D-217A.

ed. Giet, pp. 152-62.

also In

Hexameron

2.4-5;

PG

Applications of the 48

De Spiritu

49

See

PG

Sancto, 8.18;

my article

Image

Theme "Eikon Theou"

32:100C. See

73

also Letter 233, 2;

PG

32:868B.

as 'Sign, p. 40ff. '

PG 32:864C-868B. Regula fusius, 2.3; PG 31:931BC; In Psalmum XLVIII, 8; PG 29:449D-452A; and Quod Dew, 6-8; PG 31:344A-348B. 52 Regula: fusius, 2.34; PG 31:913C-916A; Z> %Wta Sancto, 9. 23; PG 32:109AC; and Homilia de fide, 3; PG 31: 468C-472A; Cf. De Spiritu Sancto, 50

Letter 233. 1-2;

51

15.36;

PG

32:132B;

cf.

also

my article Image as

'Sign,' pp.

52-53.

PG 29:208B; ed Giet, pp 520-22 De Spiritu Sancto, 8.19; PG 32:100D; ibid., 15.35; PG 32:132AB; ibid., 9.22; PG 32:108C; Letter 105: PG 32:513B; and Liturgy, ed. Brightman, p. 323, 53

In Hexcemeron, 9.6;

54

line 9; p. 402, line 24.

the

The whole

thrust of Saint Basil's

Holy Spirit is to prove that the

Spirit,

cannot be of the same nature with those Spirit

is

the source of the divine

that the Spirit

is

life

Holy

It is

in the

book On

whom He sanctifies. The fact that the He communicates to us is the proof

which

divine. Thus, the Spirit

is

of the same value with the Father and

the Son, and, together with them, worthy of the 55

argument

Who is the "Source of Sanctification,"

same honors

(6|i6xi|iov).

understood that for the divine persons of the Son of God and of the

Spirit "nature" contains "grace." The distinction

applies to the

human

reality only.

between nature and grace In the theological tradition of the East -

according to the terminology that Saint Basil himself was using - there distinction

between "essence" and "energies"

tween the nature of God

in

God;

that

is,

is

a clear

a distinction be-

incommunicable (essence), immanent, descending towards us, reachable, communicable to us (energies). God is unknown in His essence, yet known in His energies {Letter 234, 1; PG 32: 689AB. Cf. my article Image as 'Sign,' p. 36). Grace is nothing else than these energies of God, which reach man. See Lossky, The Mystical Theology, p. 87. 56 This image is applied to the angels in Adversus Eunomium, 3.2; PG 29: 660AB, also De Spiritu Sancto, 26.63; PG 32:184AC. 57 In Psalmum XLVIII, 8; PG 29:449B; Letter 283,1; PG 82:865A. Cf. De

and the nature of God

as transcendent, unreachable,

as

PG 32:69AB. Regula fusius, 2.3-4; PG 31:913B-916C; In Psalmum XLVIII, 29:449B-452B; and In illud, attende, 6; PG 31:213A. Spiritu Sancto, 1.2; 58

59

8

PG

See Charles Moeller and Gerald Philips, Grace et Oecumenisme (Chevetogne,

1957), pp. 12-21. 60

Actually, there

is

such an interpretation of Saint

E. Scholle, Die Lehre des

hi.

Basilius von der

Basil's doctrine,

Gnade (Friburg

found in

in Brisgau, 1881),

passim. 61

62

De

Spiritu Sancto, 26.61;

PG

32:180BC

Benoit Pruche, "Basile de Cesaree, Traite du Saint-Esprit," in Sources

Chretiennes, 17 (Paris. 1947), p. 73; 63

64

Philips, ibid., pp. 22-41.

65

De

66

cf. ibid.,

pp. 225-226, in footnote.

Philips, Grace, p. 19.

Spiritu Sancto, 9.22;

In Psalmum XLVIII,

siccitatis,

5;PG31;317AB.

8;

PG 32T08C. PG 29:449BD.

See also Dicta tempore famis

et

In the Image of God

74

67

See

my thesis La dialectique, pp. 297-347; see also my article Image as 'Sign,

pp. 19-20.

John Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology (New York, 1974), The Mystical Theology, pp. 126-27. 68

69

138. Cf. Lossky,

PG 31; 329 A-353A. PG 32; 689AB. See also my article Image as 'Sign,' p. 36. De humilitate, 1; PG 31:525AB. Ibid., PG 31:525B. Ibid., 3; PG 31:529B-532A. In Psalmum XXIX 7; PG 29:304AB. De Spiritu Sancto, 15.23; PG 32:109BC; ibid., 21.52; PG 32:165BC; and 15. 36; PG 32:132B. Quod Deus, passim;

70

Letter 234,

71

72

73

74 75

ibid

p.

1;

.,

76

"Oi))(i

/^r234,

odgh,

f)v ct\|)uxog,

d^d Geoxrig oagxi E^wjnjxw xexQT]Mivr]." Z^/-

1;PG 32:877C.

L^r250, 8; PG 32:965C; Letter 251; PG 32:963B-972D; Letter 252; PG 32:973A-976A; Letter 253, 4; PG 32:980BD; and Letter 255, 2; PG 32:984B988C. All these letters were written during the year 377. 78 See especially Letter 251; PG 32:971AC, and Letter 252, 1-2; PG 32; 77

973AC. 79

In Hexameron, 9.6;

PG 29:205C; ed. Giet, p. 518. Saint Basil alludes to the

heresy of Apollinarios of Laodicea, calling

it

a

"new circumcision."

PG 29:361BD.

80

In Psalmum XXXIII,

81

PG 29:468AB. PG 29:465A. In Psalmum XLV, 4-5; PG 29:424AD. In Psalmum XLVIII, 4; PG 29:440BC; cf. ibid., 4; PG 29:441AC. In Psalmum XLIV, passim; PG 29:389C-413D. Ibid., 9; PG 29:409BC; ibid., 10; PG 29:409B, and ibid., 11; PG 29:412AC. In Psalmum CXIV, 5; PG 29:492B-493C. Ibid., 5; PG 29:493C.

82 83

84 85

86 87

88

In Psalmum LIX, 4; Ibid., 3;

5;

Four

Some Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal and Eucharist, Constitutive of the Church as Communion Ecclesiology": Baptism

1

In a recent article "The Local Churches and Catholicity," John

Erickson indicated the need for a "baptismal ecclesiology,"

as

both

a completion and a corrective of the shortcomings of "eucharistic ecclesiology."

2

"The Church

"but only because the

is

Church

he

a eucharistic organism," is

a baptismal organism."

says,

The

au-

thor continues:

Modern ecclesiology, like modern church practice, has tended to ignore the significance of baptism. Emphasis

has been on eucharistic fellowship, with relatively

little

concern for the preconditions for

Baptism, to be sure, for

most of us

is

in the

acknowledged

West,

at least,

thing that happens in infancy, of significance in

life

save that

later for the Eucharist.

understanding of for the

The

its

it

this fellowship.

as necessary.

baptism little

qualifies

is

But

some-

continuing

one sooner or

Early Christians had a deeper

meaning and of

its

significance

Church. 3

author supports this same position in a more recent paper,

presented in the context of the dialogue of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops in the United States.

In this

last paper,

Roman

4

the author rightly states that the statements

of our consultation on Apostolicity as Gods Gift and Primacy and Conci/iarity,

for

church

also

many

emphasis has been given "on baptism

life."

third

as

foundational

- but world and Eastern European Christians today -

5

The author

continues: "Early Christians,

75

In the Image of God

76

had

a

much deeper understanding of baptism's meaning and

sig-

nificance for the Church, for ecclesiology. ...Our prevailing

must be corrected by

eucharistic ecclesiology ecclesiology."

The

a

baptismal

6

author quotes the two Consultation statements, and con-

cludes: I

believe that rediscovery of the ecclesiological signifi-

cance of baptism could have some dramatic - though possibly unsettling - consequences for Orthodox/

Catholic theological dialogue, both International and

North American, and

also for

your work in

this Joint

Committee of Orthodox and Catholic Bishops. Catholics accept us as truly baptized,

if

If you

we Orthodox

accept you as truly baptized and not just as acceptable

by "oikonomia," then what does

this say

about our

mutual responsibility for building up and strengthening our baptismal faith. ..?... Perhaps,

will find fewer areas

to

if

we begin with

common baptismal identity, we

a stronger sense of our

- whether

relating to marriage or

primacy - in which our traditions are not easily har-

monized. 7

In the

spirit

of our dialogue, which intends to discuss "some

preliminary notions on 'baptismal ecclesiology',"

I

would

like to

present for discussion the following items: a review of some

mod-

ern studies on the Sacraments (or "Mysteries" of Christian Initiation; a brief presentation

of these sacraments, mostly from

an Orthodox point of view; the relationship between Christ and the

Holy

Spirit in theology

Baptism and Eucharist tutive

of the

as

and

liturgy; the interrelatedness

of

sacraments of communion and consti-

of the Church; a review of some questions regarding

life

"baptismal ecclesiology" as relating to "eucharistic" and "commun-

ion ecclesiologies"; and draw

some conclusions pertaining

to

"baptismal ecclesiology."

I.

Modern

Studies Pertaining

to the Sacraments of Initiation There

is

a variety

of recent studies pertaining to the sacraments

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecc/esio/ogy"

77

Roman

Catholic

of initiation, both from an Orthodox and from a

just a

We

There

is

no reason here

few of them,

as

an example of contemporary scholarship.

perspective.

From an Orthodox

to be exhaustive.

select

point of view, one of the major contribu-

and the three sacraments of initiation

tions to liturgical theology

(the Sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation,

and Eucharist)

is

Fr.

Alexander Schmemann's book

Of Water and the Spirit} commentary on the service of initiation as it is conducted in the Orthodox Church. As he goes along

The book presently

is

a

with his commentary, the author finds the opportunity to discuss historical, theological, structural, liturgical,

and

pietal issues per-

taining to the sacraments of Christian initiation as experienced in

the

life,

and

practice, tradition,

liturgical piety

of the Orthodox

Church. In the introduction, entitled "To Rediscover Baptism," the author indicates that during the "golden age" of Christian liturgy,

was performed on the paschal night

"the sacrament of baptism

as

an organic part of the great annual celebration of Easter." Baptism

was an

integral part of the paschal liturgy.

celebration,

and Pascha was

Schmemann

Fr.

tism in the

life

of the Orthodox Christian today; absence from the

worship of the worshipping community) of

Orthodox Church,

the celebration of the

of the Church,

as

as

baptism

Holy

comprehended

power

The

not usually connected with

Eucharist; and absence from the piety

life

in the Risen Christ.

here with us," he says. "Baptism

to be

is

baptism does not celebrate the paschal mystery

of the triumph of new still

a paschal

deplores the absence of appreciation of bap-

leitourgia (the public

the

Baptism was

a baptismal celebration.

as the

to fight for this

is

"The foundation

performed. But

door leading into a new

new life's

it

life

is

has ceased

and

as the

preservation and growth in us."

author deplores the reduction of baptism from the paschal

celebration of new

life

by the community,

to a private rite of incor-

poration into the Church. Baptism has ceased to be "the very heart

of the Church's liturgy and piety."

Academic theology has reduced the

rich patristic baptismal the-

ology to two points regarding baptism: the removal of the "original

In the Image of God

78

sin," life.

and the conferring of a kind of grace

"But baptism

as the

sacrament of regeneration,

as the

as re-creation,

personal Pascha and the personal Pentecost of man, as the

integration into the /aos the people of y

old into a

God:

to begin one's Christian

all

new

life,

and

God,

as the passage'

an epiphany of the kingdom of

finally as

which made baptism

these meanings

from

so central

and experience

essential to early Christian piety

nored, and this precisely because they do not

fit

and so

are virtually ig-

into the legalistic

framework adopted from the West."

The lidity"

author deplores that western questions like that of the "va-

of the sacraments in general and Baptism in particular have

become

the

from the

main questions of "this type of theology," disconnected

liturgical piety

community.

Fr.

and

life

Schmemann

of the Church

as a

worshipping

says:

If the Validity' of the sacrament requires nothing but a

and a minimum of water,

valid priest

nothing but Validity'

is

important,

if

furthermore,

why not reduce

the

Why

not

sacrament to these essential prerequisites? have water and

oil

blessed in advance in order to save

Why

our precious time?

which prescribe that

bother with archaic rubrics the candles be lighted' and

all

the priest 'be vested in white vestments'?

Why involve

the parish, the congregation, the people of God in this?

form

Thus today

takes

it

in a dark corner

some

fifteen

all

minutes to per-

of a church, with one

psaltist'

giving the responses, an act in which the Fathers saw

and acclaimed the greatest solemnity of the Church: mystery 'which angels and

all

creatures,' a

fills

a

with joy the angels and the arch-

the powers from above and the earthly

mystery for which the Church prepared

herself by forty days of fasting

and which constituted

the very essence of her paschal joy.

A decadent liturgy

supported by a decadent theology and leading to a deca-

dent piety: such

is

the sad situation in

ourselves today and

the

which we find

which must be corrected

Church and want her

which transforms the

life

to

if

we love

become again the power

of man.

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecc/esio/ogy"

Fr. its

concludes that "we must rediscover baptism -

Schmemann

meaning,

its

79

power,

its

true validity ."The purpose of his essay

is

precisely to help in that rediscovery, "or, rather, to

enumerate pre-

for the real rediscovery

must take place

liminary conditions for

it,

each time the Church celebrates this great mystery and makes

of us

its

As

participants

all

and witnesses."

Schmemann

a liturgical theologian, Fr.

intends to bridge

the gap between academic theology, liturgy and piety of the Church.

He

has certainly succeeded in doing this in his essay.

quoting the conclusion of his introduction, where

summarizes

on

his views

liturgical theology,

Baptism (and, by extension, of new, resurrected

by

life

it,

Fr.

fills

initiation sacraments), the imparting

the connectedness between Baptism

our Christian

To understand

liturgy

worth

on the importance of

and Pascha, and the meaning of this connection, which of the joy which

It is

Schmemann

from

lives.

He

is

the cause

says:

and ex-

inside, to discover

perience that 'epiphany' of God, world and

which

life

the liturgy contains and communicates, to relate this vision

and

power

this

problems: such

is

to our

own

existence, to

Of all this, baptism is truly the beginning, the tion,

and the

in the

the is

new

first

key.

life

founda-

The whole life of the Church is rooted

day of the new creation.

this introduction

liturgical

our

which shone forth from the grave on

given in baptism and

began

all

the purpose of liturgical theology.

is

It is this

fulfilled in the

new life

that

Church.

We

with the mention of the

initial

connection between Pascha and baptism. This

whole study explain the

is

indeed nothing

meaning of

municate, inasmuch as

this

it is

words, the joy with which

else

but an attempt to

connection and to com-

possible for our poor it fills

In the five chapters which follow,

our Christian

Fr.

human life.

Schmemann

9

discusses the

preparation for Baptism, Baptism itself as the Mystery of Water, the Sacrament of the

Holy

Spirit (Chrismation, Consignation, or

Confirmation), the entrance into the sion

and Eucharist), and the

rituals

Kingdom

(baptismal proces-

of churching.

In "Preparation for Baptism" (Chapter

1), Fr.

Schmemann

dis-

In the Image of God

so

cusses the

meaning

for this preparation

both on behalf of the per-

son to be baptized (pre-baptismal catechesis for adults), and the

worshipping community, whose

faith

and

life is

also edified

by

Baptism.

Lent was

traditionally the time of preparation of the catechu-

mens, leading to Easter, which was the fulfillment of preparation, through the celebration of new

life

this

in the baptismal/

paschal celebration.

The as

prepares

it

the

author

the

calls

for,

Church

itself preparation

and

fulfillment,

but also celebrates the presence, here and now, of

kingdom of God, whose

we

life

celebrate in the baptismal/

paschal mystery.

Regarding infant Baptism, the author

need for an

understanding in order for the Baptism to be pos-

(intellectual) sible

rejects the

and/or "validVfruitful. Later, he says that what makes Baptism

possible

and

fruitful

the understanding and faith not of the bap-

whether adult or

tized person,

Himself, which Fr.

is

is

infant;

the faith of the Church.

Schmemann

the "faith of Christ"

it is 10

reviews the ritual of the catechumenate, which

includes the exorcisms, the renunciation of Satan, and the pledge

of allegiance to Christ. In discussing the exorcisms, he discusses

not the absence of good, he

devil. Evil is

presence,"

which opposes the

fictitious: it

will

has a "person" behind

evil

represented by the

sayst It is a "negative

of God. That "presence"

it,

is

not

being that of the devil and his

fallen angels.

Christ came to annihilate the power of the devil through his

Him, we fight the devil and his pomp (pride, pompa diaboli). Denouncing him and rejecting him by breathing and spitting upon him, we make the firm commitment to fight against him throughout our death and resurrection. Together with Christ, and joined to

Christian

life.

In declaring our allegiance to Christ, we recognize

him

as

and God." What makes the difference between us and the acknowledging Christ, but not

The

is

that the devil

"King

devil in

may recognize Him as God,

as King. ritual

of catechism concludes with the proclamation of the

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

faith, as

81

contained in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (ad-

justed from plural to singular for baptismal purposes). 11

The chapter concludes with the final prayer of the catechumenate ritual: "Call Thy servant to Thy holy Illumination; and grant unto him the grace of Thy holy Baptism. Put off from him the old man and renew him unto life everlasting. And fill him with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, in unity of Thy Christ, that he may be no more a child of the body, but a child of Thy kingdom." Chapter Two discusses "Baptism." A community celebration of the paschal mystery, Baptism

renews the whole church in

is

its

a passage into

God's kingdom, which

commitment to

the

life

of the king-

dom. In the baptismal mystery, the mystery of the water has three di-

mensions: the cosmic one, in which creation (the water exorcised)

renewed and re-created (Baptism as new creation); the ecclesiological one, in which Baptism purifies, regenerates, and reis

news the new members of the Church through the Holy (Baptism in

as

Spirit

sacrament of the Church); and the eschatological one,

which Baptism makes the church

a partaker

of the

new

life

of

kingdom of God, resurrected life in Christ (Baptism as sacrament of the kingdom). As the author reviews the blessing of the water, he remarks that

the

Baptism begins with the eucharistic blessing of the kingdom. This indicates the connectedness

same can be

said of the

between Baptism and Eucharist. The

Sacrament of Holy Matrimony,

Baptism and Matrimony not only were in the context

[are]

as

both

normally "celebrated

of the eucharistic gathering of the Church," but also

"the Eucharist

was

[is]

their self-evident end'

and

fulfillment."

In the petitions before the great blessing of the water, some of the elements of Baptism are revealed: the water Spirit;

it

is

sanctified

by the

"contains" the "grace of redemption," and the blessing

brought to the Jordan by Christ;

it

"contains" the "purifying op-

eration of the super-essential Trinity," manifested in the Jordan

River at Christ's Baptism; in the water, the descent of the Spirit grants "illumination ety"; the

by the

light

Holy

and understanding of pi-

water becomes "effectual unto averting of every snare of

In the Image of God

82

the enemies, both visible and invisible";

thy of the

Kingdom

it

makes the baptized "wor-

incorruptible," a "child of the light

and an heir

of good eternal things"; a "member and a partaker of the death and Resurrection of Christ our God," which

connected with Baptism in the Greek the baptismal water

is

one of the major themes

patristic tradition. Finally,

for the baptized "a laver of regeneration,

is

unto remission of sins, and a garment of incorruption." 12

The prayer which the priest offers on behalf of himself \% quoted and commented upon; the priest prays for his own unworthiness, asking God not to take it into account, so that the sacrament may not be affected by

it;

there

magic with Baptism, ity" is

not enough,

fulfillment

church

no magic

Schmemann

Fr.

if

is

there

is

and no

in the sacraments,

acknowledges;

also, "valid-

no fulfillment of the sacrament,

a

which involves not only the baptized, but the

entire

which involves the

entire

as well.

Baptism

is

a process,

Christian community, Fr. Schmemann concludes. As the whole community takes part in the preparation for Baptism, the whole community is also responsible for the eternal salvation of the newly baptized. 13

The

quoted and

consecration of the water follows. Its parts are

analyzed: It

is

a eucharistic prayer, similar to that

charist: preface,

of the Holy Eu-

anamnesis (remembrance) of the saving events of

and God's

salvation history,

self-disclosure; the last

manifestation {epiphany) of the

Holy Trinity

the hallowing of its streams by the

of matter (water) to

its

Holy

one here

in the

Spirit,

original status of creation as a

stored and fulfilled as a

the

and the restoration

man to have communion with God. The epiclesis (invocation) of the Holy Spirit and the of the water follows. Through

is

Jordan River,

this consecration, the

means

for

consecration

water

is

re-

means of communion with God. "The

holy water in Baptism, the bread and wine in the Eucharist, stand for, i.e., represent

end,

when

it

the whole creation, but creation as

will

be consummated in God,

it

will be at the

when He

will

fill all

things with Himself."

Consecrated matter

munion with is

is

not an end 'm

itself; it is

a

means of com-

Him whose epiphany and presence this matter is. This

why the Orthodox do

not venerate the eucharistic

gifts outside

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

83

the Eucharistic Liturgy; the hallowed water becomes a

means of

transformation and regeneration, the baptized.

The

Wherefore,

O

birth

and new creation

Lord, manifest Thyself in

and grant that he who formed; that he

which

is

that he

may be

after the

new

for

consecratory prayer concludes:

baptized therein

is

this water,

may be

may put away from him

trans-

the old

man,

corrupt through the lusts of the flesh, and

clothed with the

image of

Him who

new man, and renewed

created him: that being

buried after the pattern of Thy death, in baptism, he

may, in like manner, be a partaker of Thy Resurrec-

and having preserved the

tion;

gift

of the Holy

Spirit,

and increased the measure of grace committed unto him, he

may

receive the prize of his high calling,

and

be numbered with the first-born whose names are written in heaven, in Thee, our

For unto Thee are due worship, together with

The

God and Lord Jesus Christ.

glory,

Thy

dominion, honor, and

Father

who

is

from ever-

lasting

and Thine All-Holy and Good and Life-Giving

Spirit,

now and

ever,

and unto ages of ages. Amen. 14

blessing of the Oil of Gladness and the anointing with

follows. Fr.

Schmemann makes

cance of oil, which

is

a

few comments on the

it

signifi-

traditionally used as medicine, as a "natural

source of light" (thus becoming a symbol of joy), and as a symbol

of peace and reconciliation.

The

pre-baptismal anointment of both the water and the body

of the catechumen Spirit.

As

is

the symbol of joyful

the gift of the

life,

Holy

15

oil is

applied to the entire

catechumen, the entire

man

(soul

body of and the and body)

is

senses of the

restored and re-

created in Baptism, being fully restored in wholesomeness.

The

next section, on "'Form' and 'Essence,'"

is

actually a ques-

tion regarding the various theological understandings of Baptism.

Baptism

is

the "self-evident beginning and foundation of Chris-

tian life," Fr.

Schmemann

says.

However, "the explanations and

interpretations of this fundamental act to differ Fr.

began

at a rather early date

from one another."

Schmemann

is

stricken

by the

"inability

of modern or post-

In the Image of God

84

theology to explain the relationship between Baptism and

patristic

He

death and Resurrection of Christ."

sees a shift in

academic

theology, interpreting Baptism only as removal of the "original sin"

and the bestowing of a kind of "grace." However, Baptism should always be understood

and

not as images, but

resurrection,

discusses the question of "form"

as reality.

of death

in terms

The

author finally

and "essence": baptism

is

the "like-

ness" of Christ's death and resurrection. This "likeness"

theologians is

call

is

what

"form," and this "form" reveals the "essence," which

and epiphany of the death and resurrection of

participation in

Christ.

With

regard to "form," the "validity" of the sacrament

is

dis-

depend

cussed, to say that the "validity" of the sacrament "does not

on the question of 'form'." 16

The

next section deals with the actual meaning of "Likeness of

Christ's

Death and Resurrection," to

participation in Christ's death

The

and

indicate that likeness

risen

is

actual

life.

author discusses Christ's voluntary suffering and death;

Christ's desire for this death, for the sake of the "life of the world";

the "spiritual meaning" of death, a death accepted by Christ in

order to annihilate "death by death."

The

way but

and Resurrection, there

no change

biological death

is

is

it is

result

there

why

in biological death.

The

real

man's separation from

However,

death

life.

is

death

This

life is

life.

This but

biological.

not the whole of death.

as a spiritual reality, that is

Gods

man to underWith Christ's death

author discusses the inability of modern

stand death in any other

spiritual death

opposed

of sin. is

no

It is

to

is

life,

from

not opposed to the true

this

real (spiritual)

life

in

soul's "immortality,"

God. The whole death

death that Christ's death frees

is

the

us.

For

death in Christ's (physical) death; this

Christ passes from death into

life.

In Christ, "death

is

is

no

more."

Thus, dying to

in Christ's likeness

means dying unto

be liberated from sin and be resurrected into

through Christ's death and Resurrection. 17

life

sin, in

order

in Christ and

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology"

The

last section in

the chapter

is

85

"Baptism." In order for Bap-

tism to be fulfilled, there should be the desire for

it.

What does

this

mean in terms of infant Baptism? Actually, not very much! The efficacy of Baptism does not depend upon our personal an adult or youngster) but on the faith of Christ, expressed and adhered to by the Church. Personalfaith is good for faith (either as

conversion of an unbeliever, as

it is

good

for infant Baptism,

when

expressed by the godparent or the child's parents. However, what

Baptism

constitutes the

is

not personal

faith,

but the faith of Christ:

many of us as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ." He who acts in us.

"as

It is

Regarding

Church admits them

infants, the

cause they belong to her from birth:

to Baptism, be-

they are the children of

Christian parents. Their churching indicates their belonging to the

Church, even before Baptism. The Church baptizes them, knowing that their parents' faith

a guarantee as to their Christian

is

upbringing. However, the

Church does not do the same with the

children of unbelievers, or

members of other non-Christian faiths.

The

last

item in this section

is

the actual Baptism (immersion)

of the catechumen, baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity by triple

immersion and emersion.

The "baptismal grace" given at Baptism is gift is

of Christ's death and Resurrection,

the foretaste of risen

life

in Christ

the gift of Christ, the

as a personalized

reality. It

and through Christ.

One more important element in this section is a quotation from Gregory of Nyssa, according

St.

truly"

is

"for us

to

whom "this

[baptismal] water

both tomb and mother." "Tomb" indicates

partici-

pation in Christ's death and Resurrection. "Mother" indicates the

"new birth," "birth from on high," "of water and the are the indications

Testament.

Holy

Spirit

is

which

of Christian Baptism in the books of the

New

18

Chapter Three of the book the

Spirit,"

Spirit."

What

is

is

dedicated to "The Sacrament of

meant by

this

is

certainly not that the

given through the Baptism of water (this would be the

case for the Syriac tradition, or that of St. John Catecheses).

Here the Sacrament of the Holy

Chrysostom

Spirit

is

in his

the second

In the Image of God

86

sacrament, that of Chrismation (or Confirmation).

The

chapter begins with the bestowal of the White Garment,

and garment of immortality. The garment symbolizes the "spiritual purity and righteousness also called shining garment, royal robe,

for

which each Christian must

strive in his life." It

the newness of life, the glorious

kingdom.

life

is

a

of resurrection, the

symbol of life

reminds us of the white garments of Christ on

It

Tabor

at

ciples

of the glorious, Risen Lord. 19

His Transfiguration,

of the

Mount

as well as the apparitions to the dis-

The next section speaks of The Seal ofthe Gift ofthe Holy Spirit. The ritual of Chrismation, which follows that of Baptism, is both an integral part of the baptismal celebration, thus of Baptism, but also distinct

from and the fulfillment of Baptism.

What is given this time is not Christ perse, but the Holy Spirit, who anoints Christ and makes Christ who He is: the Anointed of God, anointed by God's Holy anoints Christ, St. Irenaeos:

Who

Spirit. It is the

same

also anoints the Christians at

Spirit,

Who

Baptism

(see

Chrisma, Christus, Christiani).

In receiving the "Spirit of adoption," at Baptism,

we become an

extension of Christ-the-Anointed-of-God and adoptive sons in

Son of God. What we receive through the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit is not the gifts of the Spirit, but the Spirit Himself. 20

the

The

following sections speak of the "three offices" given to the

baptized on the basis of his/her Chrismation with Holy Chrism: In the same

way oil was used in the Old Testament to anoint kings,

and prophets, so the Christian

priests,

Confirmation) are anointed kings,

A king man

at

is

Baptism (which includes

priests,

and prophets.

someone vested with authority and power. So

it is

with

Baptism. Being appointed king of creation by God, and

having failed his mission, he

power

at

to bring creation

is

now

restored to his authority and

under God's dominion. This kingship

restored through Christ's death

upon the

cross. It is given to

is

man

through Baptism (participation in Christ's death) and Confirmation (Chrismation),

of Christ: His Holy

A priest

is

which anoints him with the same anointment Spirit.

21

someone who mediates

salvation

and sanctification

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

for

man and the world.

Christ

is

tized

an extension of Christ

is

priesthood of all believers

meaning,

Priest.

However, one of

anointment

s

is

that the bap-

as priest. St. Peter calls this

baptized) a "royal priesthood."

which "institutional," or "ordained" priesthood

the context in its

(all

High

the

the gifts that comes from the Spirit

87

fullness,

and

fulfillment. It

is

It is

finds

man's responsibility to

mediate salvation and sanctification for the world, thus bringing to

it

communion with God. Fallen

society,

man refuses to be this priest for God's creation. In today's

he becomes the consumer of the world instead of receiving

the world eucharistically and offering

back to communion with

it

God. Christ restores this priesthood by accepting

it.

The Church

is

the extension of this priesthood. In the context of the royal priest-

hood, institutional priesthood, which priesthood, receives a

new meaning:

representing Christ, entrusted by

His ministry

A prophet

in a is

that of being "set apart"

Him

unique way. 22

God

in the

was

took him away from

this

midst of his fellowmen.

God's prophet. Man's

office. False

prophets and pseudo-prophecy

restores the gift of

fall

goes together with sobriety, inner-wholeness and integ-

rity,

discernment, and understanding.

irrationality.

true that the

fulfilled in

does not agree with

It

23

final section

gives us the

of this chapter

Holy Spirit Holy Spirit,

is

and the

gift

"The Holy

give us Christ, so as in a

it is

As

it is

true that Christ

is

thus our personalized Pen-

of the Holy Spirit Himself.

Seraphim of Sarov

Holy

sees as the goal

Spirit."

For

of Christian

St. Paul,

"righteousness, and peace, and joy in the

14:17).

Spirit."

continuous Pentecost. Baptism

confirmation (chrismation)

acquisition of the is

the result. Christ

prophecy by becoming God's prophet par ex-

gift

St.

is

The gift of Christ's prophecy is extended to the baptized.

This

tecost

repre-

Man

called to be

The

and

with the continuation of

someone who hears the voice of God, and

sents the will of

cellence.

Christ's personal

is

life

"the

kingdom of God Holy Spirit" (Rom.

the

In the Image of

ss

Some people have sidering

Him

difficult}'

God

understanding the Holy

as a "divine It."

The

reason

is

attempt to have intellectual knowledge of the

know

things about the Spirit instead of

by experiencing His presence

Paraclete)

And

vet his presence in us

The

Spirit

He makes

dom.

is

communicates

revealed to us, as

He

is

con-

that these people

Spirit;

they want to

knowing

Him

(the

of the Church.

in the life

the fulfillment of true happiness. to us the

abundant

Bodv of Christ. And

us the

Spirit,

life

of the king-

vet his person

is

the only one of the three persons in

not

God

not to have his icon (image) in another person.

His presence in us of the

spirit."

is

known through the abundance of the "fruits

24

Chapter Four deals with "The Entrance into the Kingdom."

Baptism and confirmation

are that entrance into the life

kingdom, present

and the

the

Church

in Christ

as the inaugurated

Spirit

of the

who communicate

it

to

kingdom.

Section one speaks of the importance of the baptismal procession following baptism

Now, This

the procession is

the

where the

is

and confirmation, and before the readings. a circular

one around the baptismal

remnant of the actual procession from the

first

two sacraments of initiation were celebrated,

main church of the paschal/eucharistic

celebration.

font.

baptisterion,

to the

The baptismal

procession and the paschal procession were only one.

The

new reality event celebrated at Pascha. The

event into which the two sacraments lead

of God's inaugurated kingdom, an

Eucharist, to which the two sacraments lead, of this

same paschal event and the new

is

the

is

also a celebration

realitv

of God's inaugu-

rated kingdom. Fr.

Schmemann

and pascha

is

a

notices that

Baptism

is

a paschal celebration,

baptismal celebration. Traditionally, Baptism was

celebrated at the paschal vigil, after a long catechumenate through-

out Lent. The readings of the Epistle and the Gospel at the Vespers

of Holv Saturday (now the Vesperal celebrated on the

"first"

Holy Saturday morning,

pascal Divine Liturgy

or in Jerusalem, following

ceremony and miracle of the new resurrection

urday afternoon) are identical with those read Baptism, and vice-versa.

light

Holy

Sat-

at the celebration

of

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

89

Another linkage between baptismal and paschal celebration

is

the closed (royal) door before the procession: this door opens fol-

lowing the procession and before the readings. Traditionally, the baptismal/paschal procession led to the main door of the church,

which was closed up

When

to the point of the procession.

the two celebrations (baptismal and paschal) are

connected, their order cession,

the traditional one:

vigil,

is

both an end and a new beginning, so

out Lent; and

it is

of the kingdom

a

new beginning, an

Baptism:

is

the end of the lengthy preparation leading toward

The

still

Baptism, pro-

and Eucharist.

As Pascha is

is

it,

it

through-

eschatological celebration

already present, even if it

is

not yet fully

so.

25

next section deals with the relationship between two of the

initiation sacraments,

26

"Baptism and Eucharist.

sacrament of regeneration, whereas the Eucharist of the Church, that

is,

"the sacrament

the presence and the gift in

'this

which

Baptism

is

fulfills

is

the

the sacrament the

Church

as

world' of the kingdom of God."

Let us quote the author with regard to interrelatedness and interdependence of the three sacraments of Christian

initiation,

Baptism, Chrismation, and Eucharist: In the early tradition, baptism, chrismation and Eucharist 'belong together,'

and

'ordo,'

form one

liturgical

because each sacrament within

in the other in such a

way

that

it is

sequence

it is

fulfilled

impossible fully to

understand the meaning of one in separation and isolation

from the other two. If chrismation,

tried to show, fulfills baptism, Eucharist

is

as

we have

the

fulfill-

ment of Chrismation. Fulfillment here means not Validity,'

but the

each sacrament being

spiritual,

'valid' in its

dynamic and

own

right,

existential correlation

of these sacraments in the new life received from Christ. In baptism

we

are

and

it is

this birth

the

Holy

Spirit, to

it is

the gift of the

to the

born again of Water and the

which makes us open

And finally,

our personal Pentecost.

Holy

Spirit that 'opens' to us access

Church, to Christ's table

are baptized so that

Spirit,

to the gift of

we may

in

His kingdom.

receive the

Holy

We

Spirit;

In the Image of God

90

we

The

receive the

Holy

ing

members of

the

Church

Spirit so that

Bodv of

the

we may become

liv-

Christ, growing within

into the fullness of Christ's stature.

27

next section speaks of the "Rites of the Eighth Dav:" thev

washing off of the Holy Chrism and the tonsure, which

are the

now performed traditionally

are

end of the baptismal celebration, but which

at the

were celebrated

"on the eighth day."

later,

A post-baptismal catechesis, called mystagogia, took place during Bright

Week. The seven days of the week symbolize the world

of creation, whereas the eighth day

the day of the kingdom,

is

inaugurated with Christ's resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit

on Pentecost. The

eighth day

and bevond the created world:

we

during which

r

no longer

are

is

it is

actually a day

the dav of the

in statu viae,

but

bevond time

new

creation,

in statu patriae,

the ecclesiological time of the kingdom.

Of course,

there

is

a constant tension

between these antinomic

and eschatologv, old and new, world and king-

realities: history-

dom, already and not

and horizontal. 28

yet, vertical

The "Washing off the Holv Chrism" and "The Tonsure" are the The washing off of the Chrism done

last sections in this chapter.

for practical purposes, receives a symbolic

cating the neophyte's readiness to

now

r

meaning

fight the devil

the kingdom. The original laving on of hands

now by the

the bishop and to the

newlv baptized

work for

The

tonsure

signifies

The

is

is

a rite

baptismal

"It

challenge with which

known life

Old Testament, as well. It God, sacrifice, and dedication.

to the

to

is

an opportunity of thanks-

for the beauty of man's creation, even the

the Eucharist,

Kingdom.

powers and

that of martyria (witness).

both offering one's

God

The

is

is

done by

commission given

to join in the fight against evil

prayer leading to the tonsure

giving to

The

faced

is

and serve

(originally

priest) indicates the

the expansion of the kingdom.

the neophvte

as well, indi-

rite in its entirety,

fall.

including Chrismation and

the passage for the neophyte into God's

when

the baptismal liturgy

Baptism begins to work with

us."

is

Holy

accomplished that

29

Chapter Five deals with "The churching" of a

child, a rite per-

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecc/esio/ogy"

formed on the

day

fortieth

purification for the mother, (registration)

The

rite is in

is

and of

is

of

a rite

a preliminary incorporation

of the child in the church.

Old Testament

continuity with

How-

practices.

with the continuity with the old order of things,

ever, together

there

after the child's birth. It

91

of these things and

a fulfillment

new

a

which

attitude

accompanies the fulfillment, that of freedom. In discussing the

of the

rites

that a kind offorgiveness

is

day of birth, which indicate

first

given to the mother, the author

tries to

explain that forgiveness as a help for healing and wholesomeness for the mother: ness,

which

The

rite

"What

can the Church offer her except forgive-

always the passage into

is

life

redeemed by Christ'"

of the naming of the child with

the eighth day after the child's birth

a Christian

name on

presented and discussed.

is

The naming is a kind of commitment on behalf of the parents

that

the child will be brought up in the Christian faith.

The

actual rite of the churching concludes the chapter. It

is

a

who now is restored to communitv

rite

which

life

and the reception of the holy sacraments, especiallv the Eu-

benefits the mother,

charist.

The churching prayer benefits pared for Baptism "in due time."

who

the child,

In the conclusion 31 the author wants to

one misunderstands his studv

as

is

now being pre-

30

make

certain that

an effort to restore the

past.

no

On

the other hand, he supports continuitv with this past, guided by

God's Holy

same

Spirit,

yesterday,

It is

in life

same

and practice in terms

of

The Orthodox perience of the

in a

its

and forever" (Heb.

Church

to

keep

its

as

Christ

"the

tradition, continuity

changing world, which, however,

hostility

is

13:8).

is

the

toward the Gospel of Christ. The

identified with this fallen world.

should regain and recover the mind and the ex-

Church "which is the only source of a truly Orthodox

worldview and of

and

always the same Spirit,

today,

imperative for the

Church cannot be

living

who is

and

a trulv Christian

life-giving,

is

life.

And

preciselv baptism

by which the Church always

reveals her

...

this source, always as that essential act

own faith, her

experience'

In the Image of God

92

of man and the world, of creation,

and the Holy

of the

Spirit,

the source of the whole

life

fall

and redemption, of Christ

new life of the new creation,

as

indeed

of the Church and of the Christian

life

of each one of us."

For the experience and again,

it is

life

of the Church to become baptismal

necessary to rediscover the true meaning and power of

baptism, as the sacrament of the water and the Spirit. This can

only be achieved through education, which has always been understood "as the indivisible unity of teaching, liturgical experience, and spiritual effort." The author

comments on each of these

three tools

of pertinent Christian education for renewal of our theology, urgy,

and

initiation.

spirituality

He

on the

basis

concludes:

Obviously none of these

'recoveries'

- the

theological,

- can be instantaneous, the

the liturgical, the spiritual fruit

lit-

of the sacraments of Christian

of merely external reforms and 'adjustments.' We

need much patient study, much pastoral concern, and

much

love.

And

above

all

we need

deepening of our

a

Church consciousness, of the very mind of the Church, truly a thirst

and hunger

for 'living water.'

absolutely convinced that such recovery desirable

by a

and

make our

a

I

am

not only

possible, but that indeed only in

it,

only

power and joy, can we again

faith 'the victory that

(1 Jn. 5:4). It is this

From

But

common 'rediscovery' of the true meaning of Bap-

tism, of its fullness, beauty,

fess,

is

however inadequately,

Roman

overcomes the world'

conviction that

I

wished to con-

in this study.

32

Catholic point of view, in the recent publica-

tions of the Rite of Baptism for Children^

and Rite of Christian

34

pertinent information

Initiation ofAdults (henceforth R.C.I. A.) is

given in the introductions, as well as in the commentaries, of the

various rituals. There practice

which

tween the two

From

is

is

a

welcome change

in the

Roman

Catholic

very encouraging in terms of rapprochement be-

practices, Eastern

and Western.

the point of view of the abundant scholarly studies on

some of the articles with which I have conthe articles in Made, Not Born, 35 in which the following

Christian initiation, sulted are

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology"

important

93

articles are included: "Christian Initiation: Tactics

and

Aidan Kavanagh, O.S.B; "Christian Initiation in the New Testament" by Reginald H. Fuller; "Development of ChrisStrategy" by

tian

Catechumenate" by Robert M. Grant; "Dissolution of the Rite

of Initiation" by Nathan D. Mitchell; "Christian Initiation:

Reformation Period" by Leonel L. Mitchell; "Christian

The

Initiation,

Post- Reformation to the Present Era" by Daniel B. Stevick; "Chris-

The Rites" by Aidan Kavanagh, O.S.B.; "Christian Initiation: The State of the Question" by Ralph A. Keifer; and, "Hope for the Future: A Summary" by Robert W. Hovda. Reference to some of this literature will be made in my tian Initiation of Adults:

presentation.

Besides these studies, some of which were published as far back

some more recent

as 1974, there are

with which

I

have consulted. They

Postconciliar Infant

Church" by Paul by Mark

Searle;

F.

37

Baptism Debate X. Covino;

36

on the same subject

chronological order:

in the

"The

American Catholic

"Infant Baptism Reconsidered"

and "Recent Research on Christian

by Georg Kretschmar.

Most of these

articles

are, in

Initiation"

38

studies encourage the

development

in the west-

ern practice to consider the restoration of the Christian initiation rites as

one celebration for the adults

(see R.C.I.A.); they support

the interconnectedness-interdependence of the three initiation

sacraments; they see infant Baptism in a

new

light,

not only en-

couraging that the practice should continue, especially parents are Christians; but also that there tion

and Eucharist

to

is

room

when

for confirma-

be given to the infants and children,

of a unified and continuous Christian

the

initiation, just as

as part

with the

adults.

The

reasons advanced (by at least one of the authors) in de-

fending a unified Christian initiation for children are similar with those advanced by Fr. ecclesial

Schmemann:

the recovered "public and

dimension of the sacraments," which enables us "to rec-

ognize that sacraments,

when

properly celebrated, are meant to

redound

to the benefit not only

ecclesial

community." 39

of the recipient but of the whole

In the Image of God

94

The same author advances the argument from contemporary human sciences concerning the child-in-relationship" not known before, and the fact that even adults are not fully "intel-

"data of the

lectually"

God's

informed of what

gift

is

involved in the sacraments, that

more than our doing. For

all

is

these reasons, the author

concludes: "far from barring children from the font, the chrism,

and the

altar,

the

Church should welcome

their participation in

Church

these sacraments as a reminder both of the catholicity of the

and the be

fact that,

as adults,

Church we

no matter how informed or committed we might

when we

take part in the sacramental liturgies of the

are taking part in

more than we know." 40

Also, another important finding in these studies

is

the Jewish

precedent of the Spirit being imparted before Baptism according to the Syrian (especially Syriac) sequence.

41

This finding not only confirms the Jewish roots of Christian faith

and

practice, but also allows us to see the close interrelation-

ship of the

two sacraments, those of the "water" and the

first

(gift

of the) "Spirit," Baptism and confirmation.

These recent

studies also establish that the "disintegration of

the primitive rite of initiation"

is

the doing of the western

Ages, and express the desire for the correction of

Georg Kretschmar

says:

first

sion [regarding disintegration] fall

clearly

communion which assumed

that expres-

to be the

norm did

asunder in the West in the Middle Ages.

contrast preserved in the

now

this practice.

"The unity of water-baptism, imposition

of hands [chrismation] and

undeniably

and

Middle

It

was by

Orthodox and other oriental rites,

a point

forcefully

emphasized by theologians of those

churches." 42

On the basis of these readings, let me now attempt a brief synthesis regarding the three sacraments of initiation

interrelatedness

and

their

and interdependence.

The Sacraments of Initiation as Sacraments of Church Communion What the three sacraments of initiation have in common is that II.

all

three of them are a paschal/pentecostal celebration, having their

origin in Christ

and the

Spirit, the

Uhr Sakrament. All

three of

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecc/esio/ogy"

95

them, interrelated and interdependent, impart the paschal/ pentecostal mystery of new the

life

in Christ

and the

Spirit, the life

kingdom inaugurated by the paschal mystery of the

human nature by the Risen Christ, imparted

tion/re-creation of the

by the

of

restora-

Spirit in the continuous Pentecost

of the Church.

The ultimate purpose of all three initiation sacraments is communion with God, participation in the life of the kingdom inaugurated by Christ and the Spirit, and the figured

life

God) made

in

available

life

of theosis (trans-

by them. More

specifically,

each of the three initiation sacraments contributes to the restora-

communion with God and impartation of the paschal/ pentecostal mystery and the new life of the kingdom as follows: The Sacrament ofBaptism, of Water and the Spirit, is the "sacrament of regeneration," of the renewal of creation of a "new birth," tion of

necessary so that the "old," or biological birth, accompanied by "original," or "ancestral" sin

may be

counteracted and discontin-

ued. St.

Gregory of Nyssa

and tomb." It is birth is

all

a

is

right in seeing

Baptism

as

both

"womb

"womb," in that it is the sacrament of "new birth,"

over again, or "birth from on high." Adoption to sonship

the gift of the Spirit, the "Spirit of adoption." The gift of "adop-

tion to sonship"

is

given by the Spirit at Baptism, as Baptism imparts

"the grace of the Jordan River," the grace of the Baptism of Christ, in

Whom and through Whom we are adoptive sons (sons by grace).

The

Syrian (Syriac) tradition should be thanked for this contribu-

tion. St. John

Chrysostom

he speaks of Baptism

is

a representative

as the gift

of this tradition when

of both Christ and the

Spirit,

without reference to another, second initiation sacrament which in the Jerusalem tradition imparts the Spirit: the sacrament of

Chrismation.

Another important dimension of Baptism epistle to the

Romans:

is

The

the symbol (which

new

life

and we

triple

immersion-

makes present what

symbolizes) of Christ's death and Resurrection. ticipants in Christ's death, resurrection, the

expressed in the

participation in the paschal mystery, the

death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

emersion of Baptism

is

We

it

are really par-

really enjoy the life of

in Christ's inaugurated

kingdom, stem-

In the Image of God

96

ming from our Baptism. The Christian baptism is also our tomb in terms of burying our "old," sinful man, so that we may walk in the newness of life, the risen Thus, Baptism self

is

life

in Christ.

Him-

our new, personalized Pascha, for Christ

is

given to us at Baptism through the operation of the Holy

At this point, a text by Methodios posium is very revealing. The text says:

(of Olympos) in his

Spirit.

Now

I

man

think the Church

child

ened

Rev

(cf.

here said

is

to

bring forth a

12:5) simply because the enlight-

and image, and

spiritually receive the features,

Word

manliness of Christ; the likeness of the

stamped upon and knowledge and

and thus Christ

faith,

And

so

it is

This says:

is

is

formed and born

as Christ.

in Scripture

Touch you not my anointed; and do no

prophets: (Ps. 104:15); those

become, so

and here

which

evil to

my

who are baptized in Christ

to speak, other Christs

tion of the Spirit, this

is

meaning of the passage

the

Church

each of the saints by sharing in Christ

us, so that

born again

spiritually be-

is

that the

with child and in labor until Christ

is

is

begotten within them by perfect

is

gotten in each one.

within

Sym-

it is

the

by

communica-

a

Church

that effects

transformation into a clear image of the Word.

Thus the Word of truth must be stamped and imprinted upon

the souls of those

Christians (which Spirit at baptism,

who

born again. 43

are

means "anointed ones")

by the

are anointed

becoming "other Christs by a communication of

the Spirit," St. Methodios says. There

is

no specification how

this

"anointment of the Spirit" takes place. In another proof text by

ment of the

Spirit"

by the baptismal the it

Holy

Spirit;

the Syrian, this "anoint-

Ephrem

says:

"The

serves him, following

oil is

him

the dear friend of

like a disciple.

the Spirit signed priests and anointed kings; for with the

Holy

Spirit imprints his

whose impression is

Ephrem

happens through the pre-baptismal unction of

oil. St. it

St.

imprinted by

is left

oil

mark on

his sheep.

With

oil

the

Like a signet ring

on the wax, so the hidden

on the bodies of those who

seal

of the Spirit

are anointed in

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

97

Baptism; thus they are marked in the baptismal mystery." 44 Later in the text ters to this it,

the

womb

Holy

St.

Ephrem

[Baptism] as

it

"The priesthood minis-

gives birth; anointing precedes

[Gen. 1:2] over

Spirit hovers

anointment does not follow, cedes Baptism.

specifies:

its

..." 45

streams

as in the Jerusalem tradition,

The

but pre-

And the Holy Spirit is given in that "kaleidoscopic The Spirit is given in the oil ointment, but He

view" of Baptism.

also "hovers over its [the Baptism's] streams."

Of course, Jesus

is

in the Jerusalem tradition the sequence

"confirmed"

His Baptism

as the

is

different:

beloved Son of the Father following

in the Jordan river;

and the

Spirit,

truth" of the voice of the Father calling Jesus

who "confirms

His beloved Son,

appears "in the likeness of a dove" following Jesus' Baptism.

same sequence

is

the

The

Baptism of Christians, the

to be kept at the

anointed ones in the Anointed of God, Christ, whose extension they become by the anointment of the Spirit at Baptism. Fr.

Schmemann

is

absolutely right

when he

ments, Baptism and Confirmation, interrelated.

Chrismation

ment of Baptism;

it is

distinct celebration

as

sees the

sacra-

interdependent and

more than anything

is,

two

else,

the fulfill-

part of Baptism (in the East there

is

of confirmation apart from the baptismal

ebration), but also distinct as the seal of the gift of the

Holy

no

cel-

Spirit

imparted on the occasion of Baptism.

As

the Paschal mystery

as Christ, the

tian faith,

is

is

fulfilled in the

mystery of Pentecost;

Anointed of God, and the Risen Lord of the Chris-

made

present in the

life

of the Church through the

descent of the Spirit in a continuous Pentecost, so in Baptism, "Christ in the

the

is

formed and born within us" (St. Methodios quoted above)

womb

Holy

of the Church, Baptism, through the operation of

Spirit.

Chrismation (Confirmation)

is

the fulfillment of Baptism, and

our personalized Pentecost. During this Pentecost, and according to

His promise, Christ, given

to us at

sends us personally the gift of the

ment

in Christ, anoints us

baptism by the Holy

Holy

Spirit,

Spirit, to lead us to fulfill-

with the same

gifts

with which

He

anoints Christ, and gives us the "panoply" (armor) of the Spirit, so

In the Image of God

98

we may

that

good

"fight the

fight" against evil

power, the devil and his pride (pomp) that rejected at Baptism. Fr.

Schmemann

its

pseudo-

46

right

is

when he

Baptism (and "Confirmation") not (in plural),

and

we denounced and

identifies the gift given at

many "gifts" of the

as the

but the Spirit Himself The text read

of Holy Chrismation

that of dorea, a free gift.

is

Since this sacrament

is

a free gift, the gift

Spirit

at the application

47

of the

Spirit,

one does

not need to be fully cognizant of the importance of the

gift

knowledge

why

after

West and

after

supposed to be that of the

is

"adults"; this

the disintegration of the initiation ceremony in the

is

(such

Confirmation was separated from Baptism, Confirmation began to be considered as an "adult sacrament"). Infants as entitled to receiving the gift as are adults.

Kavanagh then

is

asks: "If age

On this point, Aidan

a serious obstacle to confirmation,

is

are

why

age not a serious obstacle to receiving baptism? Theologi-

cal discussion will

One this

and children

of the

have to cope with

common

traditions

this

anomaly." 48

between East and West

is

that

"second sacrament" of Christian initiation involves the bishop In the West, the laying on of hands by the bishop

directly.

mally indispensable. In the East, the priest

Baptism

is

provide the

bishop

Holy Chrism.

Both baptismal

name) through

(or, in his

a laying

Gods Holy

community

of

the only one to consecrate and

is

absence, the priest in the

on of hands upon the neophyte.

who through Baptism and Chrismation Spirit to

receives the authorization

Christian

a sign

49

commission by the bishop

anointed by

As

Eastern and Western, include a kind of

rites,

Thus, the neophyte,

nor-

celebrates the

authorized by the bishop to represent him.

this authorization, the

bishop's

who

is

is

be a"king, priest and prophet,"

and the assignment by the head of the

to exercise his (her) ministry within

and on

behalf of the community. After he (she) receives the gift of the Spirit,

he (she)

living a present

is

now

Finally, the third charist.

The

sent to witness as a present day apostle

day Pentecost. sacrament of initiation

is

that of the Holy

Eu-

other two sacraments find their fulfillment in the

99

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Eccfesio/ogy"

As

Eucharist, the "Sacrament of the Church."

Hymns: "Once

his

this

womb

Ephrem

St.

says in

[Baptism] has given birth, the

altar

suckles and nurtures them: her [the Church's] children eat straight

away, not milk, but perfect bread [the Eucharistic Bread, of course!]."

50

The neophyte, a newborn baby, is

already ready not just for milk,

but for that "perfect Bread" of the Eucharist, the "Bread of Life" for

both children and adults. Introduced into the

life

of the king-

dom, the newness of life of the paschal mystery which is the center of the life of the Church as the inaugurated kingdom, the neophyte

ready to fully partake of this

is

life;

the

and which sustains everyone, old and young life,

life

which

is

a gift,

alike, to everlasting

the goal of our creation.

In

Fr.

Schmemann's words, according to the Church

fathers

the tradition of the entire Church, East and West, the charist

is

"the 'focus

and not merely the

V

and

Holy Eu-

the source and the fulfillment of the entire

"liturgical" life

of the Church, the "sacrament

of the Church's self-manifestation and edification." 51

The

Spirit descends

"upon the community and upon the

not only to consecrate the

gifts

and change them

gifts"

to be truly the

Body and Blood of Christ, but also to consecrate the worshipping community, the Church, and make it the living Eucharist, the living Body of Christ. The purpose of the consecration of the gifts is not for them to be "venerated," but consumed, so that "Holy Gifts" may be given "unto the holy," and so that the many may be gathered together, as the One Bread, the One Body of Christ, the "real presence" of the resurrected, transfigured

life

in Christ the Risen

Lord.

The

Eucharist, being, together with Baptism, the celebration

of the paschal mystery, and the celebration with Chrismation of Pentecost, the "birthday of the Church,"

Church" in so many ways. Christ

made

It is

is

the "sacrament of the

the glorious and risen

present through the Spirit; the

body of Christ;

new life of the

king-

dom inaugurated, manifested in the Pentecost continually present in the life

of the church; the kingdom inaugurated and the eschaton

anticipated. It

is

the sacrament joining together history and

In the Image of God

100

eschatology, vertical and horizontal, living and dead, poor and rich,

male and female,

rulers

and

subjects, clergy

uncreated existence, into one rist is

and

created and

laity,

communion of love. In

the sacrament of the Church.

this

Eucha-

52

All three sacraments of initiation are the sacraments which constitute

and build up communion

in the life

of the Church.

the

It is

communion of eternal life, the life of the kingdom, the life of God destined to us, and made available to us by the Father through the event of His Christ in the Spirit. All three sacraments of initiation are events of faith in the

of the Church.

life

They manifest the church realities of which they The one main reality which all these

are called to be the epiphany.

God in which man is called to participate and which our Christian One God, a trinity of hypostases, offers in communion to man and the sacraments manifest,

is

the reality of the eternal

life

of

entire creation.

Thus, insofar the

life

as these

communion with

sacraments put us in

of the Holy Trinity,

all

communion. Let us now pause

three of for a

them

moment

are sacraments

to

ponder the

that the three divine persons play with regard to these

of

role

communion

sacraments of Christian initiation.

III.

The Sacraments From the Trinity

John Zizioulas ion.

rightly states that being in general

For being to

really be,

it

has to be relational.

is

commun-

Thus

is

true

being, the being of God, shared by a trinity of hypostases. Shared

by three divine hypostases, Gods being is

Now, God

creates spiritual entities, as well, relations other.

relational par excellence.

creates beings out of non-pre-existing matter;

and

calls

them

he

into being through

with the three persons of the Trinity, and with one an-

Man

has a very special place amongst the other creatures:

being created

as a

psycho-physical unity, he not only has received

the call to be God's image, reflecting personhood and

highest of which

is

love;

God's creation into

full

guide of God's creation

its gifts,

the

but he also receives the challenge to bring

communion with God, as the keeper and in its movement toward God.

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

Adam fails to achieve his call. Thus, the coming

Unfortunately,

of a "new

Adam,

Adam"

The

Father

He

creates

Not only does

imperative.

is

restore creation to

its

the goal of man's creation,

ation.

which

is

eternal

in

life

also achieves

God. life

for

by His two hands, the Son and the

creates

new

Christ, the

He

original beauty; but

the author and origin of eternal

is

101

His

cre-

Spirit.

He

through the Son, and perfects His creation through the

Spirit.

communion with God, God sends His Son to restore life for the world: "He came so that we may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn. 10:10). Through Following man's

failure to

keep his

His incarnation, His becoming life

in

flesh,

communion with God. The

in

life

He

restores

humanity into

of God makes Christ the

Spirit

He works with Christ throughout His life mak-

Anointed of God;

ing of His event, the event of salvation and deification, participation in the life

Christ

own

of God. risen

is

from the dead through the power of God, His

power, but also the power of the Holy

lute "synergy"

their

work, be

Spirit.

of the three divine hypostases it

the

work of creation, or of its

as

There

power of His Holy

The

Spirit gives the

abso-

restoration through

Christ's "economy," the plan of salvation executed

the

is

they accomplish

by Christ,

in

Spirit.

Anointed of God, Christ the Savior

world and man; and Christ, on Pentecost, shares (see St. Irenaeos: Chrisma, Christus, Christian?)

to the

his anointing

human

per-

in Christ

and

with

sons.

The

Spirit, source

of life for

us, source

of new

life

the gift of sanctification, forms Christ in us and bestows life.

This

is

done

cially the three

in the sacramental life

new life

in Christ

and the

power and operation of Christ and the If the

life

of the Church, and espe-

sacraments of Christian initiation, which

incorporate us into

is

on us His

of the Trinity

is

Spirit.

communion; and

extended to us through the sacramental

especially the Eucharist,

we

Spirit,

realize the

life

through the

53

if this

communion

of the Church, and

importance of the

life

of

In the Image of God

102

communion for all, both for Christians, whether by among themselves, and also for the world for the life of which Christ sacrificed His own life. Let us now spend a few moments to discuss sacraments, the the

Church

as

themselves or in dialogue

initiation sacraments,

and especially the two basic sacraments,

which, according to John Chrysostom, came out of the open side

of Christ which the soldier pierced with a spear: the sacraments of "blood" and "water," Eucharist and Baptism.

IV.

Baptism and Eucharist as Constitutive of the Church as Communion

The importance

for the building

up of Church communion of

Baptism, which together with Eucharist are part of Christian tiation

ini-

and constitute the major and basic sacraments of the Church,

cannot be overestimated and overemphasized. Professor Erickson, quoted at the beginning of this essay, gives us

enough

clues with regard to this.

But so does John Zizioulas,

and so do most of the authors quoted Fr.

Schmemann

to this point.

has a classical statement with regard to Bap-

tism and Eucharist as builders of the Church, as

communion. After building

munity

community and

establishing that the goal of the Eucharist

is

communion with God and among the worshipping com-

as ecc/esia, that

is

a eucharistic gathering,

he

says:

Clearly only such understanding and experience of the

Eucharist reveals

it

as the self-evident

fulfillment of baptism. Baptism,

we

and necessary

are told, integrates

us into the Church. But if the Church's ultimate being

and essence

are revealed in

if Eucharist

is

and through the Eucharist,

truly the sacrament ofthe Church

and not

only one of the Church's sacraments, then of necessity to enter the

Eucharist the best

is

way

Church

to enter the Eucharist, then

indeed the fulfillment of baptism. to understand this

baptized as they join the

is

now

body of the

is

to follow the

And

newly

enter the church in procession,

believers

and together with them

begin their participation in the eucharistic celebration. 54

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology "

John

Zizioulas, in his introduction to Being

emphatically

him

states:

As Communion,

"The being of each human person

(her); consequently, the

human

person

is

1 03

given to

is

not able to force

himself absolutely from his nature' or from his 'substance' [essence],

from what biological laws .

freedom involves Is there a better

a

him [her], without bringing demand of the person for absolute

dictate to

about his annihilation.. .The

'new birth,' a birth 'from on high,'

a baptism."

55

foundation of Baptism as creating Church com-

munion? This communion

is

not possible without a "new birth"

that only baptism provides.

The same

author returns to the doctrine of Baptism

wants to find a concrete

way of applying

Christ who became history, to the concrete as

communion.

He

a

life

of the Church seen

says:

Christ's existence

not

when he

the "historical Christ,"

is

applied to our historical existence

in abstracto or individualistically,

community. This community

but in and through

formed from out of

is

ordinary existence, through a radical conversion from individuals to

personhood

in baptism.

As death and

resurrection in Christ, baptism signifies the decisive

passing of our existence from the 'truth' of individual-

ized being into the truth of personal being. resurrectional aspect of baptism

is

therefore nothing

other than incorporation into the community. tential truth arising

from baptism

is

The

exis-

simply the truth

of personhood, the truth of communion. is

The

A new birth

required for this, simply because birth by normal

procreation, as stated in the previous chapter,

is

ated beings a cause of individualization and birth of beings destined to death. Eternal

for cre-

is

thus a

life

needs

new birth of baptism as a 'birth in the Spirit,' just Christ's own birth was 'in the Spirit,' so that each

the as

baptized person can himself become 'Christ,' his existence being one of life.

communion and hence of

true

56

Zizioulas discusses the possibility of the priority of the the Spirit over Christ's and vice versa,

on the

basis

work of

of the Syrian

In the Image of God

104

(Syriac) testimony of a priority of the

work of the

Spirit as Confir-

mation comes before Baptism. Zizioulas dismisses the importance of this

priority,

choosing for simultaneity of the two:

evidence suggesting that baptism

itself

Church without the giving of the

early

conclusion that the two

and

liturgically

rites

Spirit,

which

this "ordination"

is

.

.

in the

leads to the

one synthesis both

in

theologically, regardless of the priority

of any of

57

In another context, Zizioulas

Both

there

was inconceivable

were united

the two aspects over the other."

laity."

"...

calls

baptism "ordination of the

and that of the bishop have

to

be

placed in the context of the Eucharist, the celebration of the king-

dom, where history and eschatology meet. The sacraments, including those of initiation, are "iconic" in their character, as

all

of the ecclesial institutions. All these institutions, as signs of the presence of the kingdom, exist epicletically, that the

Holy

Spirit

is

they depend on

and the prayer of the community. 58

In discussing culture and Church, Zizioulas states that the

Church may

at

times be

critical

the fact that the Eucharist

is

of culture: "This

is

indicated by

preceded by baptism. The world can-

not become Church without some kind of purification." 59

As he

discusses the local church constituted

by

its

ministries,

the author does not only discuss episcopacy as a constitutive ministry

of the church

as a eucharistic assembly,

ministries of the laos Theou (people of God),

he also adds the

which

pensable form of local church structure." There

is

is

"an indis-

here certainly a

hint to "lay ordination" through Baptism, of which he spoke in the

same context

in the previous pages.

60

In discussing the orders of the church, which are constitutive of its

ecclesial being, the

'layman'

is

tism and

author says (in footnote): "The idea that the

not a 'non-ordained' person but one

chrismation belongs to his

own

who through

bap-

order in the Church

is

fundamental in the correct understanding of the eucharistic synaxis

and

its

ecclesiological implications."

61

Finally, as the author discusses the responsibility

of the Church

not only to be an epiphany of the eschaton, but also to lead the

world to

God in a constant tension between history and eschatology,

105

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology"

faith

and

and

culture, horizontal

vertical

dimensions of the

the Church, he emphatically states: "There tion

Him

creation and never ceasing to belong to

community which through

of

and the Church be-

the descent of the

transcends in herself the world and offers

it

to

Holy

only

Spirit

God in the eucharist."

continues in the footnote: "This transcendence which

sible

life

a constant interrela-

between the Church and the world, the world being God's

ing the

He

is

is

pos-

the Spirit' presupposes a baptismal purification of

'in

man and his world and in this sense it is important to bear in mind the paschal' character of the Eucharist

.

.

.

and the intimate

rela-

62 tionship between baptism and Eucharist."

the author never got a chance to exploit this

It is a pity that

"intimate relationship" between Baptism and Eucharist. tain that

from the few hints he gives

and interesting things

The

last

author

am

cer-

like to present regarding the constitu-

of the initiation sacraments with regard to church

tive character

communion

I

he would have important

to say.

would

I

us,

is

Aidan Kavanagh. As he and

tion in terms of tactics profitable relationship"

son] and the church

strategy,

discusses Christian initia-

he

tries to find a

"mutually

between the "converting individual" [per-

community

to heal the

trauma caused to the

"individual" as a result of "the Church's insensitivity to crisis." The

communion as this "mutually profitable relationship": the kind of communion which is "the ultimate purpose of the whole author offers

and especially the Eucharist.

initiatory process,"

He

Baptism

calls

the beginning of Eucharist, and Eucharist the sustainer of Baptism. In his

own words:

This mutually profitable relationship basis,

such

what

I

conceive

communion

is

communion

initiatory

phase

is

might

say, in

presupposes

a sustained

communion beyond

the ultimate purpose of the whole

of Church order, the heart of which

economy centering

on

the ultimate purpose of the whole

initiatory process. Sustaining such its

is,

to be. Establishing

especially

is

the sacramental

on the Eucharist. One

sacramental terms, that baptism and is

the

way

all it

the Eucharist begins, and that

In the Image of God

106

the Eucharist and

causes

all it

is

the

way baptism

is

sustained. Sacramenta significando efficiunt gratiam

quam

Sacraments by signifying cause the

significant.

grace they signify. 63

In this same context see the importance of

(number

of Baptism and Eu-

3) regarding the basic sacraments

charist in the life of the

Lumen Gentium

Church:

The Church - that is, the kingdom of Christ - already present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of

God in the world. The origin and growth of the Church are

symbolized by the blood and water which flowed

from the open

and

side

of the crucified Jesus

his death

on the

earth, will

cross:

draw

all

ten as the sacrifice

Pascha altar,

is

the

(cf.

Jn. 19:34),

words of the Lord referring

are foretold in the

to

And I, if I be lifted up from the

men

myself (Jn 12:32). As ofof the cross by which 'Christ our

sacrificed' (1

to

Cor

5:7)

work of our redemption

is

celebrated on the

is

carried out. Like-

wise, in the sacrament of the eucharistic bread, the unity

10:17),

is

who form one body

(cf. 1

Cor

both expressed and brought about. All

men

of believers,

are called to this

the world, from live,

as

in Christ

union with Christ, who

is

the light of

whom we go forth, through whom we whom our whole life is directed. 64

and towards

Baptism and Eucharist

are constitutive of the life of the

communion, however,

in a

Church

complementary, non-antagonistic

manner. Not only Baptism and Confirmation, but the

rest

of the

sacraments as well find their fulfillment in the Eucharist, the sac-

rament of the Church.

No wonder that communion, which

is

goal of and the result of all the sacraments, but especially the charist,

is

Eu-

taken as synonymous to Church; and no wonder that

communion ecclesiology is raments

the

here to

as initiatory, healing,

Eucharist makes

all

three

stay.

In the classification of sac-

and community service oriented, the

lists. It is

not just another sacrament as a

means of "grace," but the very heart and center of the whole the Church.

No

life

of

one of the other sacraments can be called "the

sacrament of the Church" to the same degree

as the Eucharist.

107

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology"

Baptism

is

the foundational sacrament, the one

which incorpo-

rates into the church, the "sacrament of regeneration."

incorporation into and the beginning of the

dom

new

life

of the king-

through a new birth cannot define or express the

the church.

The Holy

But

life itself of

Eucharist can.

In the light of these remarks, eucharistic ecclesiology,

let

now see the shortcomings of

us

and appreciate some of the

correctives that

can be offered from the point of view of an ecclesiology which

is

inspired by Baptism.

V. "Eucharistic" versus

"Baptismal" Ecclesiology

In the two articles of John Erickson 65 quoted at the beginning

of this presentation, some criticism

is

rightly addressed to a one-

sided "eucharistic ecclesiology" of the late Fr. Nicholas Afanasieff.

To

say that "where there

Church" needs

John

many

is

the Eucharist celebrated, there

is

the

qualifications.

Zizioulas, the "painstakingly balanced," brought about

corrections to Fr. Afansieff

s

statement.

The major one

the simultaneity of "local" and "catholic" Church. In excluding

is

"all

pyramidal structures" from his eucharistic ecclesiology, Zizioulas does not exclude a hierarchy

among

of a given

of the Synod (or Synods) and coun-

cils;

but

area, the existence

also,

the local churches (dioceses)

along with the idea of "collegiality" goes that of the

primacy of a major bishop in a given

on Apostolic Canon 34, presupposes pendent with it.

area.

collegiality

Zizioulas deplores the "rupture" in ecclesiology,

tury

became

and

Orthodox

is

interde-

(eucharistic)

which occurs when the dioceses of the second censo difficult to handle that they

into parishes,

were broken down

headed by presbyters. This presbyteral system of

church structure makes

all

ministries, including those of the bishop

and the deacon, unnecessary. is

That "primacy," based

A healing of this system

is

needed:

it

the creation of small dioceses, where the bishop can be the pas-

tor,

knowing

his flock;

where he may be the

"eucharistic bishop"

presiding over the one Eucharist of his diocese; and he his "presbyters"

around him.

may restore

In the Image of God

108

With John Erickson

I

would agree

more complicated than

bit

second century situation"

that things

would concur

that. I

anachronistic.

charistic

allow for a

I

be a

little

that "return to a

described in the letters of St. Ignatios

as

may be romantic and ecclesiology may only

of Antioch

primacies).

may

I

concur that eu-

weak primacy

(or

concur that overemphasis on the eschatological di-

mension of the Church,

as

found

in the Eucharist,

may bring about

triumphalism and irresponsibility in dealing with the "historical"

and horizontal aspects and dimensions of the

Church

Yes, the

God

life

of the church.

already "in statu patriae" as the

is

kingdom of

inaugurated in Christ and the Spirit, in the

is

life

of the

Church. But, at the same time, the church in history. Its responsibility

is

is

to bring the event

midst of human history and heal the healing power of Christ.

also "in statu viae'

The

human

lifetime."

How is

all

ger,

efficient

its

is

"communion

make

some remedies. More, stronger, and

structures" are needed, including stron-

permanent "primacies" of bishops which would not

but continue

to

realization "in our

of this going to happen?

Professor Erickson proposes

more

lives

miseries through the

Church's responsibility

certain that the "great commission" finds

and

of Christ into the

as special ministries in the life

alternate,

of the Church.

Communication(s), networking, and connectivity, are some more remedies. All these suggestions are welcome. But can we ultimately

speak of "baptismal ecclesiology," on an equal footing with "eucharistic ecclesiology"?

Can you equate the beginning and birth of

new life of the neophyte with the life of a grown up, the "mature soldier" of Christ, who is constantly fed by the Bread of Life in the a

Holy Eucharist? Triumphalism if

we

the

are

life

we take

dom

is

aware of

always a danger. But

it,

and

of the Church

if

we

it

can be easily overcome,

stress the historical

dimension of

simultaneously with the eschatological; if

the historical Christ as seriously as his eschatological king-

already present in the Spirit but not yet fully here.

Yes, "baptismal ecclesiology"

may be

rective to "eucharistic ecclesiology."

a

complement and

a cor-

However, "communion

109

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology'

ecclesiology," goal,

is

is

behind both of them and constitutes their

it is

the only ecclesiology which can help Chris-

which

here to stay:

tians achieve the well desired

the

common

rapprochement, in the name of Christ

Lord. 66

From what we have

discussed in this paper, one of the major

contributions of "baptismal ecclesiology"

may be

anointment of Holy Chrismation, giving us the the

the baptismal

"seal

of the

gift"

of

Holy Spirit, and bestowing upon every faithful the royal, priestly,

We

new

and prophetic

office.

fices in the life

of the Church, under the supervision of the bishop.

can seek

Conclusions

VI.

Let us

now draw some

applications of these of-

conclusions from these notes on per-

spectives of "baptismal ecclesiology": 1. It is

imperative for our theology and church

life

to rediscover

the baptismal piety of the Church, namely, the paschal experience

of Baptism and the pentecostal experience of Chrismation.

Both of our

2.

traditions should take advantage of the findings

of contemporary scholarship with regard to sacraments in general

and

initiation sacraments in particular, if we

church

life

want

to

enhance our

and mission and enrich our academic theology with

the findings of liturgical scholarship. 3.

Let us understand that what makes the sacraments what they

- epiphanies of the new reality of the kingdom and new life in Christ and the Spirit - is the faith of Christ, as lived and experiare

enced in the Church. Then, questions

like that

of the "infant

Baptism" and imparting the three sacraments of initiation in an uninterrupted celebration can easily be answered to the positive. 4.

Let us

realize the

interdependence and interrelatedness of

the sacraments of initiation, and realize that Baptism and

Chrismation find their fulfillment in the Eucharist. 5.

Let us

not the

which 6.

realize that the "gift

"gifts"

is

of the

Spirit,

our anointment

Let us

king, priest

utilize the

as

of the Spirit" given

at

Baptism

is

but the person of the Spirit Himself,

He

is

Christ's.

"baptismal offices" and ministries - those of

and prophet - and make concrete applications

in the

In the Image of God

110

use of these baptism-based ministries for the building up of the

Body of Christ and

the advancement of the cause of God's inau-

gurated kingdom.

We

7. is

must

of the blessed All-Holy Trinity

realize that the life

communion;

Church

that the

is

invited to be part of this

munion, and that Christ and the Holy imparting this communion.

He

is

(the

The Holy

key role in

Spirit play a

Spirit

com-

makes Christ what

Anointed of God), and Christ sends upon us the Holy

Spirit as in a continuous Pentecost.

We must realize that Christ and the Spirit play a simultaneous

8.

role in the effectuation

Chrismation

We

9.

result

of

(see especially Syriac tradition).

must all

of the sacraments, especially Baptism and

communion is

realize that

the sacraments and that

communion with

all

the ultimate goal and the the sacraments

and the community whose

Christ,

life

augment they im-

pact. 10.

We must realize that the "historical Jesus," that

history,

is

Jesus

is

made

imparted to humankind through the sacraments, and

especially the Eucharist;

and that

all

antinomies and dichotomies

(local-universal, horizontal-vertical, historical-eschatological, al-

ready-not yet) are overcome in the eucharistic celebration.

We

11.

must

correctives of

munion

its

realize that "eucharistic ecclesiology" needs

new comones, are much

triumphalism and naivete, and that

structures, besides strengthening the old

needed for today's church. 12.

Some of these structures are communication structures, net-

working and connectivity.

It is

up

to the local

and regional churches

to use their creative imagination in securing these structures.

A stronger primacy

13.

that

is,

allow. tory.

is

needed to go along with

collegiality;

stronger than a triumphalistic eucharistic ecclesiology would

Permanent primatial

They should be

structures are provided

utilized for the benefit

of a

by Church

his-

united Church

mission in today's world. If a "pyramidal structure"

is

not favored

by "eucharistic ecclesiology," probably a "truncated cone" primatial

structure will be favored

head of the pyramid

will

by

a

communion

ecclesiology (the

be occupied by Christ Himself, leading

Preliminary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology'

kingdom

the

to the Father,

Who

is

above

14. Finally, "baptismal ecclesiology"

111

all).

which

is

meant only to

cor-

and complement "eucharistic ecclesiology" cannot replace "communion ecclesiology." "Communion ecclesiology" is here to rect

stay as the only

hope

for

rapprochement among today's separated

Christians.

Endnotes 1

Paper presented to the Orthodox

-

Roman

Catholic Theological Consulta-

tion of North America. 2

John H. Erickson, The Local Churches and The Jurist 52 (1992) 490-508.

Catholicity:

An

Orthodox Perspec-

tive, in 3

4

Ibid., p. 505.

John H. Erickson, American Orthodox-Roman

and Primacy

in the Church:

Catholic Dialogue on Synodality

The State ofthe Question, given in Pittsburgh, October

4-6, 1994, as a response to a paper by Fr. Brian Daley presented to the Joint

Committee of Orthodox and Roman Catholic Bishops. 5 Erickson, Synodality and Primacy, p. 6. 6

Ibid., p. 6.

7

Ibid., p. 7.

Alexander Schmemann, Of Water and the Spirit (Crestwood, NY: St

8

Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1974). 9

Ibid., pp. 7-13.

10

Ibid., pp. 16-8.

11

Ibid., pp. 19-35.

12 13

14

Ibid., pp.

37-43.

Ibid., pp. 44-5. Ibid., pp.

45-51.

15

Ibid., pp. 51-3.

16

Ibid., pp. 53-60.

17

Ibid., pp. 60-6.

18

Ibid., pp. 66-70.

19

Ibid., pp. 71-5.

20

Ibid., pp. 75-81.

21

Ibid., pp. 81-94.

22

Ibid., pp. 94-9.

23

24 25

Ibid., pp.

99-103.

Ibid., pp. 107-8. Ibid., pp.

109-15.

26

Ibid., pp. 115-21.

27

Ibid., p. 116.

28

Ibid., pp. 121-4.

29

Ibid., pp. 124-9.

In the Image of God

112 30 31

32

Ibid., pp.

131-47.

Ibid., pp.

149-54.

Ibid., p. 154.

33

Rite of Baptism for Children (Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1969). 34

Rite of Christian Initiation ofAdults, Study Edition

Book Publishing

(New

York: Catholic

Co., 1980).

Made, Not Born, New Perspectives on Christian Initiation and the Catechumente (The Murphy Center for Liturgical Research, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1980). 35

36

37

Worship 56 (1982) 24-260.

In

Mark Searle, ed., Attractive Futuresfor

Worship, vol. 2: Baptism

and Con-

firmation (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1987) 15-54. 38

In Studia Liturgica 12 (1977) 87-106; reprinted in Living Water, Sealing

Spirit,

by Maxwell Johnson,

ed. (Collegeville: Pueblo, 1995).

39

Mark

40

Ibid., pp. 408-9.

41

Georg Kretschmar, Recent Research on

Baptism Reconsidered,

Searle, Alternative Futures, Infant

p.

405.

Christian Initiation, p. 30: "Thus,

- immersion finds its most convincing analogy in the regulation of the Qumran community that purification by Spirit was a prerequisite of cultic lustrations (IQS 3, 4ff.)."

the Syrian sequence: impartation of the [Holy] Spirit

42 43

Ibid., p. 12.

in Thomas Halton, The Church: Messages of (Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1985), pp. 54-

Methodios, Symposium, quoted

the Fathers of the Church, vol. 4;

55. 44

St.

Ephrem, Hymns on

Virginity,

Hymn

7:6,

quoted in

Thomas M.

Finn,

Early Christian Baptism and the Catechumenate: Western and Eastern Syria, "Message of the Fathers" vol. 5; (Collegeville: Michael Glazier, 1992), 20 and 155. 45

46

Ibid.,

Hymn

7:8, p. 155.

It is significant that

Catechisms, characterizes

one of the Greek Fathers,

Holy Chrismation

as the

St.

Cyril of Jerusalem in his

sacrament which gives the

Christian the strength to fight his spiritual fight ("rohoratur ad pugnam"). 47

Note

that R.C.I. A. uses the

(donatio) of the

Holy

same expression: "N., be sealed with the

gift

Spirit"; 235, p. 163.

48

A. Kavanagh, Christian Initiation for Adults: The

49

Note

that recently in the

West

the bishop

Rite, p. 128.

may extend

same authoriza-

the

tion to the priest; R.C.I.A., n. 232, p. 161. 50 51

52

Ephrem, Hymn 7:8, p. 155. Schmemann, Of Water, p. 117. See Schmemann, Of Water, pp. 116-21.

It is

important to notice the strong Vatican Council

language that The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the

II

uses regarding the centrality of the Eucharist in the entire

life

Number two

(2) says:

"For

it is

vine sacrifice of the Eucharist, 'the

and

it is

through the

their lives

work of our redemption

liturgy, especially, that the faithful are

and manifest

the true Church.

to others the

The Church

of the Church.

the liturgy through which, especially in the di-

is

is

accomplished,'

enabled to express in

mystery of Christ and the

essentially

both

human and

real nature

of

divine, visible but

Prelim inary Notions of "Baptismal Ecclesiology " endowed with

invisible realities, zealous in action

tion, present in the world, is

113

and dedicated to contempla-

but as a pilgrim, so constituted that in her the

human

directed toward and subordinated to the divine, the visible to the invisible,

action to contemplation, and this present world to that city yet to come, the

The liturgy daily builds up those who are in the Church making them a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling-place for God in the Spirit." And number ten (10) even more emphatically states: "Nevertheless the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows. For the goal of apostolic endeavor is that all who are made sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to object of our quest.

praise

God

in the midst of his

Church, to take part

in the Sacrifice

and

to eat

the Lord's supper." Sacrosanctum Concilium, in Vatican Council II: The Conciliar

and Post-Conciliar Documents, ed. Austin P. Flannery, O.P. (Collegeville: Liturand 6. 53 See J. Zizioulas, Being as Communion (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1985), especially chapters 2 and 3, pp. 110-142. Also, D. Staniloae, Theology and the Church (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1980),

gical Press, 1984), pp. 1

especially chapter 1, pp. 11-44. 54

Schmemann, Of Water,

55

Zizioulas, Being As

56

Ibid., p. 113.

57

Ibid., pp. 128-9.

58

Ibid., pp. 137-8.

59

Ibid., p. 254.

60 61

pp. 117-8.

Communion,

p. 19.

256-7.

Ibid., pp.

Ibid., p. 153, n. 52.

62

Ibid., pp. 162-3.

63

Aidan Kavanagh, Christian Initiation: Tactics and Strategy, pp. 3-4. Lumen Gentium no 3; in Vatican Council II: the Conciliar and Post-Conciliar

64

Documents,

come

in

p.

351.

One

can realize

comparison with Vatican

I,

how

far the

second Vatican Council has

First Draft of the Constitution of the Church

of Christ, where the church is seen in a very static and juridical way as the "true, and supernatural society"; chapter 2, in John Neuer, S.J., and

perfect, spiritual

Henrich Roos,

(New York: 65

S.J.,

The Teaching of the Catholic Church,

ed. Karl Rahner, S.J.

Paulist Press, 1962) pp. 213-214.

Erickson, Local Churches, especially pp. 498-508; and Synodality

and Pri-

macy, especially pp. 4-7. 66

An

important

article

on Communion

Ecclesiology

by Paul Avis

is

in Blackwell's Encyclopedia ofModern Christian Thought, ed. Alister E.

(London: Basil Blackwell, 1994), pp. 133-4.

included

McGrith,

Five

The Theology and Experience of Salvation

1

Preliminary Remarks

The

title

of

can be somewhat misleading:

this presentation

can be understood

as separating

it

theology from experience, or even

opposing the two. Actually, according to the best tradition of the

Orthodox Church, there

is

no way that we can separate theology

from experience or experience from theology. Lex orandi lex credendi,

prayer

is

and

lex credendi

is

always

always lex supplicandi; the law of

the law of faith and vice versa.

known

is

The

great tradition of the

harmony between doctrine and piety, which is evident in the hymnology and the liturgy of the Church. Theology for Orthodoxy is always an experiential theology. In the words of an Eastern Orthodox theologian of the last century, Philaret of Moscow, theology is "the word regarding God, from God, in the presence of God, for the glory of God." It is the reflection of our minds on the divinely revealed truth and the East

well

is

for

its

proclamation of this doctrine of faith for the glory of God. Yet, this

proclamation

reflect

is

our Christian

but meaningless, empty words life

and experience,

if it

personal experience in our lives of the truths

A

theologian whose theology

experiential

is

is

if it

does not

does not reflect the

we

are proclaiming.

purely theoretical and not at

all

not a true theologian.

Accordingly, we cannot separate our experience of salvation from

our theology of salvation and vice versa. Therefore, we must present the mystery of our salvation in Christ not only as theological reflection, but also as

and

life

it is

of the Orthodox Church. 114

it

developed in

experienced in the history

The Theology and Experience of Salvation

115

Introduction

When we speak of salvation in our Christian tradition, we speak of the central event of our holy history (Heilsgeschichte) which

hidden in

God in eternity, made known

constantly present to us in the

the

Holy

from

positive or from

a

dimension of salvation

Orthodox

tradition

life,

When

nature has fallen.

salvation can be approached either

The

a negative point of view.

is

is

and made

of the Christian Church through

negative

that of liberation from danger; in the

we understand

of unauthentic

state

Our

of God.

Spirit

life

to us in Christ,

this to

that state

be liberation from the

of decay into which created

approached in

this negative fashion, sal-

vation has also been called redemption and justification. However,

we can

also

approach salvation from a positive point of view.

positive

dimension

fication

is life

in

of God which

gies.

life

in the grace

the Eastern tradition, the grace of is

The

that of sanctification or deification. This dei-

communion with God,

As understood by life

is

communicated

to us,

i.e.,

of God.

God

is

the

His uncreated ener-

2

The statement pertaining to man's salvation which we find in many of the Greek Fathers is that "The Son of God became what we are so that we might become what He is: He became flesh so that we might become gods by grace." 3 The truth of this statement becomes evident when we consider the two divine economies the

economy of the Holy Spirit - the two persons of the Holy Trinity in the work

economy of the Son and

involvement of these

the

of our salvation. Christ's saving mystery and event salvation; yet,

it

must be conditioned by the

tery of the descent of the

seals the

work of Christ and

in Christ to each

central to our

Spirit event. The

mys-

Holy Spirit and His personal involvement

with our salvation history on Pentecost

which

is

of us personally.

is

also an

important event

applies the event of salvation I will

divide this presentation

into three parts: (1) the presuppositions of our salvation, (2) salvation in Christ

and

the sacramental

in the Spirit,

life

and

(3) salvation as

experienced in

and practice of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In the Image of God

116

Our

Presuppositions of

Salvation

we read the following statement: for whom and by whom all

In the Epistle to the Hebrews For

was

it

fitting that he,

things exist, in bringing

make

many

sons to glory, should

the pioneer of their salvation perfect through

suffering.

For he who

sanctifies

and those who

are sanc-

why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, 'I will proclaim thy name have

tified

all

one

origin. That

is

my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee.' And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' And again, 'Here am I, and the children God has given to

me.' Since therefore the children share in flesh and

blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he

power of death, that

who through

might destroy him

is,

who

the devil, and deliver

fear of death

has the

all

those

were subject to lifelong

bondage (Heb 2:10-15).

In this text

we

see that

God

calls

us to His glory and that

bestows upon us His salvation through Christ,

Who

is

its

pioneer, our

of one origin with us in His humanity.

of our flesh and blood:

He

He

Lord Jesus

He partakes

does this so that through His

own

He might destroy death and him who had power over death,

death

the devil. In this

way Christ delivers

all

those who, through fear of

death, were subject to a lifelong bondage to

siri,

corruption, and

death.

To understand the

saving work of Christ,

let's

look more closely

at the theology evident in the above pericope from the Epistle to

the Hebrews. ative

Man

is

God through His Son (the Creof God - that is, in order for man to

created

Logos) for the glory

participate in the glory of

by

God. The Greek

theosis to express this reality

fathers use the

term

of "sharing in the divine nature" (2

Man is created in the image of God with the potential of becoming like God. Man can obtain one of the most characteristic properties of God, that of immortality. Man is created for immortality, for eternal life with God. Man as a whole, body and soul, is Pet. 1:4).

called to this

life

of immortality in communion with the Immortal

One, the only one immortal by

nature.

Man

too can become im-

The Theology and Experience of Salvation

117

mortal by grace, by participating in the divine energies of God. 4 Yet, man's venture

as

is

well known, as described in the

of the book of Genesis.

ters

much and as

a

"god without God." This was his

when he abandoned

Man's

real nature

is

God. However, when a result, man's is

in

called

life

failing:

he tried in-

was death.

created to be dependent

man rejected God, this

upon the grace of

ceased to be true.

As

own nature became deteriorated. This state of decay

by the Greek fathers the darkening of the image of God

man. What

ers, his

chap-

God. What he found

to find life outside of the source of life,

stead

first

could become a "god by grace,"

he was in communion with God. Instead, he

far as

become

tried to

Man

darkening entails

this

pow-

that man's "natural"

is

reason and freedom, are weakened:

man cannot think right

anymore; his freedom becomes a freedom of choice between good

and

evil,

(yvoajiixov 6e^r)[ia) with a propensity towards

law of the

flesh takes over in

man. Through man's

introduced within nature in general and within

As

well.

described by Saint

Maximos

human

real oppositions instead

overcome by Adam:

men

opposed

The harmony hands was

is

opposed to earth;

and created nature

to invisible;

The

that

God

is

nature as

is

of being thus they

opposed to

visible creature

is

opposed

to uncreated nature.

created in nature as

it

state

of separation from

wage of Adam's the

God.

God

in

which

own

came out of His

Adam puts

nature:

sin.

The

death -

cause of Adam's rejection of God

same kind of pride which led Satan

Man

devil's.

6

lost.

himself spiritual

then physical, and finally eternal and eschatological -

first,

led

women and

opposed

has as a result the decay of Adam's

It is

to

a threat to each other; earthly paradise

oecumene; heaven

The

the Confessor, the distinc-

became

become

5

sin, division is

tions within nature

are

evil.

The

is

is

the

pride.

to his revolt against

identified with Satan in identifying his will with the devil also tried to

become

a

"god without God." This

Adam under the devil's dominion. Man's freedom was changed

to slavery to death

and

to the master of death.

Death

is

this lie,

invented by the devil, this parasite which enters God's creation, invented by the created

will.

Man

cannot liberate himself from

In the Image of God

118

this state

the

of slavery. Only the

work of Christ:

God

in order for

God-Man

to eliminate

man

to

all

7

obstacles separating

go back to

pose of his creation - theosis,

is

man from

his Creator, to reach the pur-

God,

in

life

can liberate him. This

participation in the glory

of God.

Holy

Salvation in Christ and the

Through His

incarnation and His

life

Spirit

in the flesh, the

God-

Man destroys one by one all obstacles that separate man from God. He not only allows man to return to his original state of innocence, but above and beyond this, He achieves the purpose of man's creation: theosis, sharing in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4)

communion with God, even Christ, the Incarnate

in

life

Word

the

human

life

in

abundance (Jn 10:10).

of God, destroys the obstacle of

nature through His incarnation: true state of being in

and

He

restores

man

to being, to his

communion with God. In the incarnate Logos

nature which the creative Logos creates and assumes

is

united with the divinity from the very beginning of its existence.

This humanity does not have an independent existence since

human person; it who became flesh.

does not have a

Word

of God

is

the humanity of

it

God, of the

Christ destroys the obstacle of sin through His cross, thereby restoring

man

to well-being. Christ does not only

wash away our

He does not only give up His life "as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45, Mt 20:28). He does not only become the sacrisin

by the

ficial

cross;

lamb which "carries away the

above

all,

sin

of the world" (Jn 1:29). But

own blood to man of the fallen

Christ offers His

blood of the old man, the blood in order to effect

a

replace the poisoned nature.

He

offers

His

kind of "blood transfusion," to "wash

away the poison of the serpent" (Troparion of Great Vespers, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross).

dry bones of Adam, whose

was found under the

cross

By doing

skull,

this Christ revivifies the

according to a pious tradition,

of the Lord on Golgotha (the "Place of

the Skull").

The way on the

cross

in is

which the Christian East understands the

sacrifice

very different from the legalistic understanding of

The Theology and Experience of Salvation

Anselm, which fied.

God's offended justice had to be

God's "immense justice" does not need to be

"immense it.

states that

God

sacrifice

119

of an immense person,"

as

"satisfied"

satis-

by an

Anselm would have

sends His Son to die for us so that we might

live;

He does

out of love, not in order to satisfy His offended justice. This

this

legalistic

view of the

sacrifice

on the

cross

was rejected quite

early

by Saint Gregory the Theologian: But

if

the price

be done? captives.

It is

Moreover,

Son be acceptable accept Isaac,

why

paid to the Father,

is

not the Father

why

who

should the blood of His only

to the Father,

when Abraham

who

offered

did not wish to

Him

human

burnt-offering, but replace the

the sacrifice of a ram?

should that

has held us as His

his son as a

sacrifice

with

8

God only tolerates the death of His Son in His flesh, a death which the Son willingly accepts, although He is immortal even in His human nature since He is the Only One to be without sin, the cause of death.

Through His descent into Hades, Christ ties up and takes away his

power;

He

his vessels

offers

(Mk

freedom

He

3:27).

the strong

man

destroys the devil and

to captives, liberating those serving

the lifelong bondage of sin and death under the devil, the master

of death and corruption. Christ destroys death by death. With His Resurrection, Christ restores humanity to eternal being. life

beyond death and corruption

the Lord.

human

Out of the

existence

grave comes

which

is

is

new

bestowed upon humanity by

life

- the

life

of a spiritualized

that of the Risen Lord's humanity.

cross continues to be a scandal for the

the Greeks, especially since the cross tion. Resurrection for the

A

is

Jews and

The

a foolishness for

the door to the Resurrec-

Greeks would mean a prolongation of

the soul's captivity in the prison of the body; for this reason they

make fun of Saint Paul who preaches the Lord's Resurrection to them (Acts 17:23). Yet, for us Christians, the Resurrection faith is essential to our belief and Christian hope (1 Cor 15:17). The process

of the fallen nature's restoration in Christ does not stop with

the cross.

The

Resurrection and Ascension into heaven are the

In the Image of God

120

apex of this restoration: our glory to which right

hand

destined; Christ, one of us,

is

sitting at the

in the glory of God the Father.

deification in

-

nature achieves theosis and the

Spirit of God

The ture

it is

human

comes to apply the work of our salvation and Christ a work already realized in our human na-

human

to each

person individually 9

seal the

work of Christ and

applies

and

event and

is

seals Pascha.

also to lead

The

it

The

Spirit

comes

to

to perfection. Pentecost

Spirit event conditions the Christ

also necessary for our salvation.

- the economy of the Son of God and the event of the Holy Spirit - are interdependent. They presuppose

The two

"events"

each other. Thus, the Spirit comes not only in the

"He is

but also as a free agent:

but

He

also acts

name of Christ,

sent to apply our salvation in Christ,

on His own authority" (ajtooTeX^exai

oixovourxoog, evegyel be auxe^onaiooc;).

fxev

10

When the work of the Holy Spirit is thus seen in relation to the work of Christ, cluded.

11

If,

the possibility of sacramental determinism

is

ex-

however, Augustine's view of the Spirit as an "agent of

the Son" were true, then this sacramental determinism could not

be avoided. If this were

so,

once a person were baptized the grace

of Christ would work automatically in him even without his consent. If grace

salvation

of the

man

were "sacramentally determined" and automatic,

would be accomplished without or even

human

offers to

against the will

agent, without real "synergy," the cooperation that

God

in subordination to the divine will.

The Experience of

Holy Spirit in the Sacramental Life and Practice of the Church It is through this "cooperation" that takes place between human Salvation in Christ and the

freedom and God's grace

in the

Holy

Spirit that salvation

and

theosis take place.

Faith

is

necessary in order for

the grace of the the very

life

Holy

Spirit in

man

him

to accept the

so that the deifying energies,

of God Himself, "energize" and make

operating through love: there

faith

is

faith

and works

as

workings of

is

man alive. This

no way we can oppose

two separate means through which we can ob-

The Theology and Experience of Salvation

Works

tain salvation.

are the fruits

through

far as this faith "operates

This saving

ments and

is

faith, a gift

of the

of saving faith

love."

as

121

much and

as

12

Spirit,

both leads to the sacra-

nourished and strengthened by them. Sacraments are

13 signs or "symbols" of the saving grace, the uncreated energy and

life

of God. The main sacraments are baptism and Eucharist, both

of which "come out of the open side of the Lord." 14 Blood and

water thus symbolize baptism and Eucharist.

Baptism

is

the sacrament of rebirth and regeneration. It

restoration of the

image of God

humanity and newness of life

in us, the restoration

in Christ.

Baptism

is

is

of the

the

new

each Christian's

personal Pascha; in our baptism through a triple immersion and

ascension from the water

we become partakers of the

Lord's death

and Resurrection (Rom 6:3-11). This sacrament of our Christian initiation

the

Holy

is

not completed unless sealed by the "seal of the gift of

Spirit," the

Sacrament of Confirmation

((3£[3aiooaic;)

"Chrismation" (chrisma, anointment). In this sacrament, which

or is

combined with the Sacrament of Baptism, the newly baptized not only becomes a partaker of Christ's new, risen humanity, but he also

becomes anointed with the same

Christ's humanity. Christ

(Lk 4:18-19; at

Is 61:1-2).

our Chrismation. Eucharist

is

Spirit

of God which anoints

anointed with the Holy Spirit of God

is

We

are also anointed

by

this

same

Spirit

15

the sacrament of our Christian growth. It

is

the

supper of the Lord, as celebrated at the Last Supper and as completed by the last events in Christ's earthly life: His sacrificial death

and Resurrection. The Risen Lord comes to us

in the Eucharist in

known only by Him. Following His order, "we do this in remembrance of Him" (Lk 22:19). Yet, this "remembrance" or "memory" is not a mere "memorial" in the moda mysterious

way which

ern sense of the word:

is

it is

a

"memorial" according to the Jewish

usage during the Lord's time which understood memorial to be the present actualization and participation in a past event. In this

way

the Lord's Supper

is

the present continuation and actualiza-

tion of Christ's mystery.

The

eucharistic elements participate in a sacramental double

In the Image of God

122

reality;

through the action of the Holy

Spirit, the

bread and wine

as the Lord's Body and Blood, "becoming" the sacramental Body and Blood of the Lord in a mysterious way The mystery is experienced only through faith. If we ask for a theological expla-

double

nation, the doctrine of the energies of

God

can offer us an

approximation in understanding the mysterious presence of the

Lord gies

in the consecrated species

which

of bread and wine: the same ener-

are present in the Lord's glorious

these elements,

body which

sits at

the newness of life which is

are present in

physical

the right hand in the glory of God the Father.

In receiving this sacramental Body, our

Worship

Body

making them an extension of the Lord's

is

lives

become extensions of

in the Lord.

not attributed to the consecrated elements since the

purpose of their consecration

is

the sanctification of the faithful

through communion of the Lord's Body and Blood.

Orthodoxy speaks of other sacraments which involve the same type of "double

The number

reality,"

seven

is

thus becoming "means of grace" for us.

a symbolic

number which indicates the permany more sacraments, such as

fection of grace. Actually there are

the "word of God"

Among the

which

calls

us to the newness of life in Christ.

traditional sacraments

of sins (penance) which

is

is

the sacrament of forgiveness

based on the Lord's explicit order that

the disciples forgive sins (Jn 20:22-23). The sacrament of the priest-

hood, or the laying on of hands for the installation of the Apostles' successors, guarantees the continuity of apostolic leadership in the

Church without repeating personal infallibility, which is unrepeatable in the apostolic office. The Sacrament of Unction for the sick

is

based on the order given by Saint James to pray over

the sick, anointing

them with

oil (Jas 5:14).

Marriage

is

the sacra-

ment which reflects the union that exists between Christ and the Church (Eph 5:32) and is given for the sake of the theosis of men and

women and

the expansion of God's kingdom. Besides these

sacraments, the Orthodox Tradition also counts as sacraments the

taking of monastic vows, the funeral service, and the blessing of water. In life

of

all

of these sacraments the one grace of

God communicated

to

human beings -

God -

takes

the one

up various

The Theology and Experience of Salvation shapes and manifestations as

gives

it

life

123

to us, a "life in

abun-

dance" (Jn 10:10).

As

Christians, this sacramental grace nourishes our activities

and permeates our whole

lives as

we

strive to

overcome

sin

and

aspire to achieve theosis and "share in the life of God" (2 Pet 1:4). The abundance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are bestowed upon us Christians, who prove ourselves to be "charismatics" when we become aware of the presence of these gifts in us. The highest gift is

love (1

Spirit

of

Cor

13:13). Love, poured into our hearts through the

God (Rom

5:5),

the characteristic of Christians (Jn

is

13:35), the proper attitude of members of the is

only through the practice of

kingdom of God.

this unselfish love,

It

an energy of

God which comes to us from God, that we are in communion with God Himself and in communion with our brothers and sisters. It is

through the practice of love that

of our creation, salvation and

we

achieve the purpose

theosis.

Conclusion Orthodoxy believes that ality, as it is

corruption, as

created

man

and

his

is

not

dominion of sin, death, and

communion with God. Human beings communion with God are "less than human." God

it is life

are not in

devil

much a negative reso much to be freed

not so

is

a positive one: salvation

from the bondage of the

who

salvation

for

His

munion with God

in

life. is

Man's

failure to stay in this life

of com-

reversed by God's initiative to save

through Christ and in the Holy

Spirit.

Through

its

him

sacramental

and fullness of messianic gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit, the Church becomes the "ark of salvation" and the "inaugurated" king-

life

dom

of God.

The kingdom

contain the whole world.

We

is

in progression;

are involved

this struggle against "principalities, this

with

it is

expanding to

this process,

with

powers, masters of darkness of

world" (Eph 6:12). With the grace of God we are working not

only towards our personal salvation, but towards the salvation of the whole world. This life

our responsibility too, since

it is

for the

of the whole world that the Lord gave up His

life.

Let us

is

accept this challenge, "for the creation awaits with eager longing

In the Image of God

124

for the revealing of the sons of God: for the creation

of its

to futility, not it

was subjected

own will but by the will of him who

in hope; because the creation itself will

be

set free

from

subjected its

bond-

age to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God"

(Rom

9:19-21).

Endnotes 1

Published in The Greek Orthodox Theological Review, 22 (1977): 405-415.

2

The

great Tradition of the

Orthodox Church distinguishes between

A prooftext of this

sence and energies in the one reality of God.

es-

distinction in

New Testament is 2 Pet 1:4, where Christians are said to "share in the divine

the

nature." This sharing in the divine nature cannot be sharing in the essence of

God, yet

it is

a real sharing in the divine reality.

man

shared by

called the energies of

is

God

The

divine reality

which can be

in the theological language of the

East. 3

Vladimir Lossky, "Redemption and Deification" in In the Image and Like-

NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1974), p. 97. George Florovsky, "Immortality of the Soul" in Creation and Redemption (Belmont, Ma: Nordland Publishing Company, 1967), pp. 216-219. ness

of God (Crestwood,

4

5

Vladimir Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church (Cambridge,

1968),

p.

125.

6

Lossky, Mystical Theology, pp. 109-110.

7

Nicholas Cabasilas,T#