In the chapter 10 of the “Expositio Rectae Fidei” Theodoret argued that the Logos entered the Virgin’s womb as a “theios sporos” (divine seed) and created a temple for himself. The union of the Logos and humanity is described as “utter unity”. Yet, in the next chapter Theodoret fervently argued that in the union the united natures retained their identities, and Christ was both God and man. When describing the result of the incarnation, Theodoret often speaks of the Logos indwelling a man. One is puzzled whether by this expression Theodoret suggested that the incarnation was a process in which the Logos entered and took possession of a rational human being, or is it an appropriation of impersonal human nature by the Logos?
Theodoret’s anthropology set the tone to his Christology, with its sharp distinction of the divine and human nature in Christ after the Incarnation. Theodoret believed that humans do not begin their lives at conception, but the animating (and rational) soul enters the fetus at a later stage of its life (see Quest. Oct. 48). Thus, according to this theory, a part of humanity pre-exists the beginning of life of the person.
However, this partial humanity is not personal; without soul the fetus has no rational faculties. It is in this sense that we should understand Theodoret’s insistence on the Logos’ indwelling of humanity. Theodoret’s doctrine of the indwelling does not necessarily imply sharp division of the subject of incarnation into two separate entities: a divine and a human. Rather, Theodoret’s dynamic of incarnation is explained by his anthropology, i.e. the personal Logos enters into the womb and creates an impersonal developing human fetus, which is later supplemented with a rational soul. Thus, the Logos performs the function of seed – He is the subject of the incarnation. This is why Theodoret could accept the title “Theotokos” (Birth-giver of God) with the necessary qualifications.
No comments:
Post a Comment