ST. ANASTASIUS OF SINAI AND ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS: CONTINUITY IN CHRISTOLOGICAL TERMINOLOGY

Abstract

The article examines the continuity in the formulation of Christological terminology between two Orthodox Fathers of the Church — St. Anastasius of Sinai (7th century) and St. John of Damascus (8th century). The definition, etymology, relationship and use of these fathers of the most important terms in Christology are investigated: “nature”, “essence”, “hypostasis”, “person”, “property”, “energy”, “will” and “enhypostaton”. The origins of theological terminology in ancient philosophy are traced — in Aristotle and his commentators, in Stoics and in Neoplatonism; the implementation of the great Cappadocians in triadology and its transfer to the Christology of St. Maximus the Confessor, Leontius of Byzantium, presbyter John the Grammarian of Caesarea, St. Sophronius of Jerusalem and other Orthodox theologians. St. Anastasius of Sinai shows strict adherence to the Orthodox Christology expressed at the Council of Chalcedon. According to the Sinaite, the Christology of heretics contradicts patristic Tradition and therefore they fall under the anathemas of the first three Ecumenical Councils. The Holy Father actively uses the developments of Neo-Chalcedonian theology. At the same time, he uses not only the achievements of the Orthodox theologians who preceded him and systematizes them, but also brings original arguments into the polemic with heretics, which allows him to more fully sanctify the Christological teaching of the Church. Most of the Christological teaching of St. John of Damascus, as well as of St. Anastasius of Sinai, has a polemical orientation. To successfully conduct a polemic, it is necessary first of all to determine the basic concepts on which the parties will rely, or to point out specific terminological errors of the opponents. Both components are widely represented in the works of Damascene. The result of the study is the statement of a great contribution to the development and systematization of the Christological terminology of the Orthodox Church by St. Anastasius, who is the predecessor of St. John with his “Source of Knowledge”. He worked out the most developed terminological theological and philosophical system for the period of the 8th century.

Keywords

• patrology
• patristics
• christology
• theological terminology
• christological terminology
• anastasius the sinait
• john of damascus
• orthodoxy
• chalcedon council
• monophysitism
• monothelitism
• nestorianism
• “nature”
• “essence”
• “hypostasis”
• “person”
• “property”
• “energy”
• “will”
• “enhypostaton”