The Sight of God in the Theology of Saint Symeon the New Theologian [7]

Here, parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Our greek font.

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But he uses this expression, not as if talking about a cerebralization of the divine light or as if the divine light were a reality that the mind possesses and scientifically inventories, to say, but in the sense that the mind understands the light on the extent of its illumination by God and knows that the light is of God, that is divine and that it is God’s love for itself.

The symeonian expression want to say, that divine light is not illogical, irrational and ambiguous visual effect, but is the divine energy that illuminates the mind, that reveals the mind, that sanctifies man in his totality, not the man to exhaust it with his mind.

The ecstatic vision is a crystal, clear, bright, clean, simple view^[1]. The adjective trano,j, used by Symeon in the characterization of the divine sight, wants to say that the ecstatic sight prints with the highest acuity in our soul and is received with maximum accuracy.

It is true (avlhqh/) and can be confirmed only by those who live it^[2]. Alongside o`ra,w, Symeon uses and ble,pw^[3], both being the ascertation verbs of the divine sight. Symeon does not want to explain by them the light but affirms the existence of ecstasy in his experience.

The ecstatic vision is a spiritual (pneumatikw/j) sight, is a sight with mind’s eyes (toi/j noeroi/j o`rw/n o`fqalmoi/j)^[4].

The divine light is, in the same time, true (avlhqino.n) but and unreached (a;duton)^[5]. It is unreached for those who are spiritually blind, that is for those who have not ever seen it.

The theme of the blind from birth (tuflo.j evk geneth/j) is at Saint Symeon the paradigm of the blind of the light, of the ignorant in the sphere of the mystical experiences, the one who does not want the light because he did not saw it and did not know it^[6].

Symeon puts the knowledge (gnwsi,a)^[7] and the unpassion (avpaqei,a)^[8] in direct connection with divine light.

For him, knowledge is a direct result of divine views and the sight keeps to the unpassion.

He who has no experience of the light will imagine about those described by Symeon only „the false manufactures” (avnapla,smata yeudh/)^[9].

Light, the spiritual knowledge (gained as result of the sight of light) and the unpassion are at Symeon those that make the faithful to fill the state of qe,wsij (deification)^[10].

Our Father uses and the verb qeopoie,w (to make a god)^[11] to indicate the state of deification and the derivatives of tele,w, as for example on h` teleio,th (perfection)^[12], but and the compound substantive qewqei,sh (deification)^[13].

The grace is, in the spiritual man, as a divine fire that puts demons to flight^[14]. Those who are in grace live „the liberty of the Ghost” (th.n evleuqeri,an tou/ Pneu,matoj)^[15] and have boldness (parrhsi,an) to God^[16].

The symeonian soteriology, as a inner sensation^[17], conscious of grace, is the direct consequence of divine light vision.

The substantive ovptasi,a appears also in the symeonian theology with an ecstatic qualification^[18].

Those of the divine light were designated, sometimes, as goodies/ eternal and invisible assets (tw/n aivwni,wn kai. avora,twn…avgaqw/n)^[19] by Symeon or as the glory (do,xa) of God^[20].

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[1] Idem, Chapters, I, 39, p. 51 / Ibidem.

To see and SC 51, Chapters, I, 77, p. 63: „fwto.j…kaqarou/”; II, 3, p. 72 : „tw/n aivsqh,sewn tranw/j kai. kaqarw/j”; II, 8, p. 73; II, 17, p. 75: „evn avplw|/…qei,w fwti,”; SC 156, Hymns, VII, 16, p. 210; XII, 15, p. 244; XV, 2, p. 276; SC 174, Hymns, XX, 14, p. 110.

[2] Idem, Chapters, I, 40, p. 51 / Ibidem.

[3] Ibidem / Ibidem. A se vedea şi Idem, Chapters, I, 50, p. 54; I, 51, p. 54; I, 52, p. 54; I, 101, p. 70; II, 6, p. 72; II, 8, p. 73; SC 156, Hymns, I, 159, p. 170; I, 160, p. 170; I, 161, p. 170; II, 18, p. 178; IV, 45, p. 194; VII, 1, p. 208; VII, 20, p. 210; XI, 47, p. 236; XI, 88, p. 238; XIII, 65, p. 262; XV, 8, p. 276; XV, 17, p. 292; SC 174, Hymns, XX, 39, p. 112; XXI, 18, p. 132; XXI, 105, p. 138; XXII, 68, p. 176; XXII, 162, 165, p. 182; XXIII, 112, 116, 119, p. 196; XXIII, 243, 244, 245,  248^**, 250, 251, p. 204; XXIII, 295^**, p. 208; XXIII, 388, p. 214; XXIII, 425,427, 429, p. 216; XXIII, 501, p. 220; XXIV, 6, p. 226; XXVI, 22, p. 270; XXVII, 163, p. 290; XXVIII, 16^**, p. 294; XXVIII, 17, 18^**, 19, p. 296; XXIX, 79, p. 318; XXIX, 117, p. 322; XXIX, 210, p. 328; XXIX, 226, p. 330; XXX, 414^**, 415, p. 368; XXXII, 12, p. 400; XXXIX, 44, p. 480; XXXIX, 51^**, p. 480; SC 196, Hymns, XLI, 102, p. 18; XLII, 75^**, p. 42; XLII, 85,  87, p. 44; XLIV, 21, p. 72; XLIV, 117, p. 78; XLV, 97, p. 110.

[4] Idem, Chapters, I, 41, p. 51 / Ibidem.

[5] Ibidem / Ibidem. See and SC 174, Hymns, XXVII, 42, p. 282; XXVII, 66, p. 284.

[6] Ibidem / Ibidem. See and SC 51, Chapters, I, 50, p. 54; I, 51, p. 54; I, 53, p. 54; I, 98, p. 69; III, 23, p. 87.

[7] See SC 51, Chapters, I, 65, p. 58; II, 10, p. 74; II, 14, p. 75; SC 174, Hymns, XIX, 33, p. 96; XIX, 70, p. 100.

[8] SC 51, Chapters, I, 98, p.69 / Ică jr. 3, p. 388. See about unpassion and in SC 51, Chapters, III, 33, p. 89.

[9] Idem, Chapters, I, 100, p. 70 / Idem, p. 389.

[10] SC 174, Hymns, XXIV, 269, p. 246.

[11] Idem, Hymns, XXII, 40, p. 174 / Ică jr. 3, p. 140. To see and Idem, Hymns, XXX, 360, p. 364.

[12] Idem, Hymns, XXIII, 413, p. 214.

[13] Idem, Hymns, XXIX, 286, p. 334.

[14] SC 51, Chapters, I, 68, p. 59 / Idem, p. 380.

[15] Idem, Chapters, I, 78, p. 63 / Idem, p. 384.

[16] Idem, Chapters, I, 101, p. 70 / Idem, p. 389.

[17] SC 174, Hymns, XXVI, 19, p. 270.

[18] SC 51, Chapters, I, 85, p. 66 / Ică jr. 3, p. 386.

[19] Idem, Chapters, I, 88, p. 67/ Ibidem. To see and SC 51, Chapters, II, 18, p. 76; III, 50, p. 95; III, 78, p. 104; XXVIII, 213, p. 310; XXX, 357, p. 364.

[20] Idem, Chapters, I, 89, p. 67/ Ibidem. To see and SC 51, Chapters, II, 11, p. 74; SC 156, Hymns, I, 151, p. 168; I, 178, p. 170; I, 188, p. 172; II, 89, p. 182; II, 110, p. 184; VII, 5, p. 208; XI, 88, p. 238; XII, 12, p. 242; XII, 129, p. 254, XII, 138, p. 254; XV, 2, p. 276; XV, 25, p. 278; XV, 59, p. 282; XV, 78, p. 282; XV, 85, p. 284; XV, 53, p. 288; XV, 187, p. 292; SC 174, Hymns, XVI, 20, p. 12; XVI, 31, p. 12; XVII, 34, p. 16; XVIII, 7, p. 74; XVIII, 15, p. 76; SC 174, Hymns, XIX, 10, p. 94; XIX, 57, p. 98; XIX, 149, p. 106; XX, 36, p. 112; XX, 47, p. 114; XXI, 276, p. 152; XXI, 277, p. 152 (glory of the glory: th/j do,xhj do,xan); XXI, 495, p. 168; XXII, 68, p. 176 (glory of the glory); XXIII, 4, 190 bis, XXIV, 14, p. 228;  XXIV, 268, p. 246 (height of the glory: u[yoj do,xhj); XXIV, 272, p. 246; XXIV, 368, p. 252; XXV, 35, 36, p. 256; XXV, 66, p. 260; XXVI, 19, p. 270; XXVIII, 187^**, p. 308; XXVIII, 213, p. 310 (the eternal glory: aivwni,ou do,xhj); XXIX, 164, p. 326; XXX, 266 (the divine glory), 274, p. 358; XXX, 284-285, p. 360 (the divine glory); XXXI, 49, p. 388; XXXII, 90-91, p. 408 (the divine glory); XXXII, 112, p. 410; XXXV, 52, p. 444; XXXIX, 51 (the divine glory); 57, 63, p. 480. SC 196, Hymns, XLI, 104, p. 18; XLII, 77, p. 42; XLII, 193, p. 52; XLIII, 73, p. 62; XLVII, 46, 54, p. 124; XLVIII, 21, p. 132; XLVIII, 110, p. 138; LVIII, 100, p. 286.