The Sight of God in the Theology of Saint Symeon the New Theologian [14]

Here, parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

Our greek font.

***

And the third discourse has as center of its problematizations the unity of the Trinity, without thereby Symeon looks the triadology in a substantialist mode. But he emphasizes in preponderant mode the triadologic details that  his opponent has required from him.

Here, Symeon speaks about the theology of Trinity as about a knowledge in that we were introduced by the Ghost and affirms the fact, that the Trinity’s persons are unmixed (avsugcu,touj) and undivided (avdiaire,touj) in Their divine, common nature[1].

For we talk about God, we must confess Him to be in three persons and the one after nature[2].The revelation brought by the incarnated Son essentialized this triadological doctrine[3].

Triadology must be received through faith[4], says Simeon. We must keep and confess only those who have been revealed and we must not seek to understand more than that[5].

We do not know the being of God, concludes and the third discourse, but we know that those around of God, those that come from God and those who are in God are one light[6].

In III, 142-157, Symeon puts the equal sign between all nominations that the Scripture gave of God’s works that come to us, saying that all are not something else than the divine light[7].

The light is of the Trinity and each person of Trinity is in relation with us through the uncreated light that we see.

The third theological discourse ends in the positive note of the impartation of light, as a consequence of the relation of the believer with the trinitarian God.

Found scattered in the three theological discourses and a number of the ascetic qualities for to be proper the light.

Symeon shows in the first Discourse, that triadology is a medicament given to us for we not sickened of atheism and that must make us doxological and not full of the boldness, that we can understand rational on those suprarational of the Trinity[8].

Reporting knowledge of God at our faith, entering thus in the perimeter of the spiritual experience, Symeon shows that God gives us, at all, in His love of people, th.n peri. Auvtou/ gnw/sin (those about His knowledge)[9].

Our Father speaks of a knowledge of God being in relation with Him and not about a knowledge gained, in exclusive mode, from reading the theological books. For this reason, he sees the measure of our knowledge as being direct proportional with the measure of faith which we have it[10]. Because he puts at base of the theological knowledge, of gnw,sewj, on pi,stewj, the personal faith.


[1] SC 122, The Theological Discourses, III, 30-33, p. 156 / Ică jr. 1, p. 102.

To see and Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 81-84, p. 160.

[2] Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 84-85, p. 160 / Idem, p. 103.

[3] Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 86-97, p. 160 / Ibidem.

[4] Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 130, p. 164 / Idem, p. 105.

[5] Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 129-132, p. 162-165 / Idem, p. 104-105.

[6] Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 133-135, p. 164 / Idem, p. 105.

[7] Idem, The Theological Discourses, III, 142-157, p. 164 / Ibidem.

Saint Symeon says here, that life, immortality, the fountain of life, living water, love, peace, the truth, the Kingdom of Heavens, the bridal chamber, the bed, the Paradise, delight, the land of the meeks​​, the crowns, the clothes of the Saints, the pearl, the grain of mustard, the true vine, lump, hope and faith are not than the different expressions of the reality of divine light, of the glory of the Trinity.

[8] Idem, The Theological Discourses, I, 141-155, p. 106-108 / Idem, p. 80.

About suprarational of the triadological dogma to see Rev. Prof. D.Th. Dumitru Stăniloae, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology [Teologia Dogmatică Ortodoxă], ed. II, vol. 1, Ed. IBMBOR, Bucharest, 1996, p. 199: „The effort towards the understanding of the singledistinct constitution of reality helps us ascend to the suprarational paradox of the perfect unity of the three distinct Persons, which is represented by the unity of being of the three divine Persons”.

[9] Idem, The Theological Discourses, I, 185-196, p. 110 / Idem, p. 81.

[10] Idem, The Theological Discourses, I, 189-190, p. 110 / Ibidem.

Lasă un răspuns

Adresa ta de email nu va fi publicată. Câmpurile obligatorii sunt marcate cu *