[ BACK ] 4. Knowledge of God |
[ BACK ] 4. Knowledge of God |
-You are speaking of the knowledge of God and I take the opportunity to pose a question, said Athanasios. We have been taught from our early age that knowledge of God is studying and learning about God: the more books we study, the more knowledge of God we obtain. What do you say about this?
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[ BACK ] Natural and spiritual knowledge |
-We have already said in the beginning of the conversation that there are two kinds of faith. Faith based on hearing and faith based on theoria. This entails two kinds of knowledge also: natural knowledge which begins by studying, by contemplating nature, the various miracles and signs, by the acceptance of the Revelation of the Saints. There is, also, spiritual knowledge which is begotten by the communion with God. The first knowledge begets faith, the second one is begotten of faith, -of faith based on theoria. When we say that prayer grants us the knowledge of God, we mean, of course, spiritual knowledge which is the fruit of theoria. When one reaches the illumination of nous and unceasing noetic prayer wells up in his heart, one acquires the knowledge of God, which is communion and union with Him. St. Isaac the Syrian teaches that the knowledge which precedes faith is one thing and the knowledge which is begotten of faith is another. The former is called natural knowledge, whereas the latter is called spiritual.
-In your book "Orthodox Psychotherapy", said Fr.Philip, I recall that there is a whole chapter in which you develop the knowledge of God, according to the teaching of St. Isaac the Syrian and St.Gregory Palamas. Could you please mention here, also, certain distinctive views of theirs on this vital subject?
-There is, indeed, in my book a whole chapter, titled "orthodox gnosiology". And I have placed it at the end, because I believe that man acquires knowledge of God according to the extent of his cure and his spiritual state. A beginner in spiritual life experiences the knowledge of God differently from someone who is in the middle of his spiritual path and moreover from someone who is advanced spiritually. Therefore, the knowledge of God which one obtains corresponds to his spiritual state. We should say a few things about the teaching of St. Isaac the Syrian first and then of St.Gregory Palamas.
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[ BACK ] The three kinds of knowledge according to St. Isaac the Syrian |
St. Isaac the Syrian teaches that there are three kinds of knowledge, which correspond to the division: body, soul and spirit. Naturally, this is not the so called tricomposite of man, because the spirit is not a particular energy of man, but it is the Holy Spirit. Just as the soul is the life of the body, so also the Holy Spirit is the life of the soul. Thus there is the bodily knowledge, the knowledge of the soul and the spiritual knowledge.
B o d i l y k n o w l e d g e is closely connected with the study of human wisdom and knowledge; with the desire of the flesh, the satisfaction of the passions of pleasure-loving, greed and ambition. It is human knowledge, because it deals with the invention and cultivation of the arts, sciences and learning. It is the knowledge which characterises all of our education. St. Isaac emphasises that the partial cultivation of this knowledge creates fear and disturbance, sadness and despair, cowardice before men, dependence on reason and the human powers, fear of death and of the demons. It is a knowledge which makes man appear strong, in relation to his fellow-men, but essentially weak in relation to God and even to the devil. It is the knowledge which is also cultivated today and causes anxiety and insecurity, wickedness and obstinacy.
The k n o w l e d g e o f t h e s o u l is granted when man ceases giving great importance to reason and is engaged in the implementation of the commandments of Christ. Fasting, prayer, charity, the reading of the holy Scriptures, the acquisition of virtues, the fight and struggle against passions are all a result of this knowledge. The Holy Spirit perfects this knowledge, but the co-operation of man is also needed for his freedom to be manifest.
S p i r i t u a l k n o w l e d g e is the state of spiritual theoria, when one sees invisibly and hears inaudibly and comprehends incomprehensibly the glory of God. Precisely then comprehension ceases and, what is more, he understands that he does not understand. Within the vision of the uncreated Light man also sees angels and Saints and, in general, he experiences communion with the angels and the Saints. He is then certain that resurrection exists. This is the spiritual knowledge which all the holy Prophets, the Apostles, Martyrs, ascetics and all the Saints of the Church had. The teachings of the Saints are an offspring of this spiritual knowledge. And, naturally, as we said earlier, spiritual knowledge is a fruit of the vision of God.
-You mentioned previously that St. Isaac distinguishes natural knowledge from spiritual knowledge. He accepts, therefore, two kinds of knowledge. A little while ago you analysed the three kinds of knowledge again according to St. Isaac. Do not you see a contradiction at this point?
-It is only a superficial contradiction. In fact there is no contradiction. For, when St. Isaac speaks of natural knowledge he means the knowledge of the soul which is the acceptance of the Revelation of the Saints and simultaneously the realisation of the works this acceptance entails, i.e. faith based on hearing. In other words, when man accepts the teaching of Christ and keeps it in his life, the knowledge of the soul is begotten. Spiritual knowledge however is associated with theoria. St. Isaac, then, simply adds the bodily knowledge to his second analysis concerning knowledge. Thus, his two distinctions of knowledge are connected and identified at their two points.
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[ BACK ] Knowledge according to St.Gregory Palamas |
-Now we can turn to the teaching of St.Gregory Palamas on this vital subject of knowledge, said Constantine.
-St.Gregory does not have a particular and different teaching than that of St. Isaac the Syrian, but speaking of the knowledge of God he means, primarily, spiritual knowledge, the knowledge based on theoria. The cause which made St.Gregory deal with the topic of knowledge was Barlaam. Barlaam adopted the western teaching on the knowledge of God. He claimed that the knowledge of God is a development of the reason; a fruit of rational concepts about God; the evolution of philosophy. For this reason he taught that it was the philosophers who obtained the knowledge of God more than anybody else. Comparing philosophers with the Apostles and the Prophets, Barlaam said that the former are superior to the latter. Comparing philosophy with the vision of the uncreated Light, he argued that philosophy is superior to the vision of God. For, as he maintained, theoria of God is an external vision, whereas philosophy is an inner evolution, that is, a fruit of the intellect, which God gave us. There was a great danger for Orthodox theology to be secularised. The Church spoke then through its great Father, St.Gregory Palamas. St.Gregory had personal spiritual experience, and, therefore, he spoke with authenticity on these issues. He said that the uncreated Light is not inferior to the intellect, but incomparably superior. The Apostles were not inferior to the philosophers, but superior to them, because they accepted the truth through the Revelation of God and not through their reason. If it were otherwise, then the philosophers would be able to find the truth about God and the salvation of man, and Christ would not have to incarnate. Yet, precisely the opposite happens.
-What is the specific teaching of St.Gregory Palamas on the knowledge of God?
-Since we have began this subject we cannot close it abruptly. St. Gregory teaches that the vision of God -the theoria of God- does not occur outwardly, but inwardly. Man reaches the point of seeing the uncreated Light through theosis, and not simply through an external vision. Man sees the uncreated Light through his inner noetic sense, which has been already purified; he even sees it through his physical senses, which, however, have been transformed so as to be able to accept theoria. Thus, man sees God through theosis. Each Prophet attains to theosis and through theosis he beholds the uncreated Light. However a person's theosis is in fact his union and communion with God. Theosis is not an external power, but communion with God. It is participation in God and in the deifying communion. When man reaches to the union and communion with God, he acquires the knowledge of God. Again, knowledge of God is the fruit of man's union with God. And this knowledge of God is above any human knowledge. It surpasses not only human knowledge but also the learning of the holy Scriptures. The vision of the uncreated Light is beyond sense and according to the sense, since, as we said before, the bodily senses are also transformed and, so, man is granted to see God. Not only is this knowledge beyond any human knowledge, but it is also above virtue. Thus, St.Gregory Palamas associates the knowledge of God with the vision of the uncreated Light, with man's theosis and his communion with God. All these are closely linked.
-You speak of the knowledge of God and I recall a troparion which is taken from the Old Testament in which God is called "God of knowledges," said Fr. Philip. Is the knowledge of God one or manifold?
-God is one, but man acquires the knowledge of God in analogy to his spiritual state. The more he is cleansed, illumined and deified, the more his spiritual knowledge is increased. For this reason we can say what the mother of the Prophet Samuel said: God is "the God of knowledges". God reveals Himself in accordance with man's spiritual state.
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[ BACK ] Theoria-vision of God |
-You said that the vision of God is a result of God's favour to him who has previously been purified and illumined, said Basil. How can it be explained that the Apostle Paul saw Christ whilst being at that time a persecutor of Christ?
-The case of the Apostle Paul needs particular attention. One must examine it carefully. If I may stress a few points, I would say the following. God is not prevented by anything from revealing Himself, even to His opponents. And, indeed, we see this in many cases, but mainly in the case of the Apostle Paul. God can make man a beholder of His uncreated glory even before his baptism.
-How can this happen prior to baptism?
-We have specific examples in the Holy Scriptures. The Most Holy Mother of God reached theosis before the visit of the angel and its greeting "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee" (Luke 1,35). She attained to theosis, even before she received the Holy Spirit through Which she conceived the Word of God. Also the three Apostles, before they were yet baptised on the day of Pentecost, saw upon Tabor the glory of the Godhead. They heard the voice of the Father and saw the Holy Spirit -the brilliant cloud which overshadowed them. Thus they attained to theosis even before the Cross, the Resurrection of the Lord and Pentecost. The Prophets reached the vision of Christ before His incarnation.
-In other words, did theosis and theoria occur before the incarnation and the Resurrection of Christ?
-Yes, indeed. Vision-theoria of God presupposes man's theosis. But the theosis of the Prophets was temporal and death was not ontologically abolished, that is why they went to Hades. We have real theosis in the case of the three Apostles on Mount Tabor, because they saw the glory of God through theosis. Yet while they were seeing the uncreated Light through theosis, that is internally, they themselves were outside the Theanthropic Body of Christ. The Theanthropic Body, which is the source of the uncreated glory due to the hypostastic union, was outside the disciples. Later, on the day of Pentecost the disciples became Body of Christ -members of the Body of Christ- and thus they saw the glory of God internally, through theosis, but also within the Theanthropic Body. This is the difference between the theoria of the disciples before Pentecost and after Pentecost, and what St.Gregory Palamas teaches.
-What was the case with the Apostle Paul?
-He saw Christ in His glory and he was outside the Theanthropic Body. As St.Gregory the Theologian says, the Apostle Paul could not endure the glory of Christ and was blinded, precisely because he was still before baptism. It was a noetic but also a physical blindness. Moreover it must be observed that the Apostle Paul was not a persecutor out of impiety, but out of great piety. He had been taught that God is one, that is Yahweh who reveals Himself to the Prophets in the Old Testament. So, when he would hear Christ saying about Himself that He is the Son of God, and furthermore: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob", he could not stand it, given the religious and theological knowledge of his time. He considered it impiety. For this reason he fought Christ and the Christians. But Christ revealed Himself to him just outside Damascus saying: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 9,4). The Apostle Paul received then the great Revelation that Yahweh of the Old Testament, who was manifested to the Prophets, is Christ. He identified the Revealed God of the Old Testament with Christ of the New Testament. In the Old Testament He was revealed without flesh, whereas in the New Testament He was manifested in the flesh. This was the great Revelation. That is why the Apostle Paul later confirmed that he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ and he identified Yahweh with Christ in his teaching. Also, in Damascus he received the great Revelation that Christ is the Head of the Church and the Church is the Body of Christ. For, while he was persecuting the Christians, Christ asked him: "why persecutest Thou me?" (Acts 9,4). Thus, the theology of the Apostle Paul that the Church is the blessed Body of Christ is a result of this great experience.
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[ BACK ] Degrees of theoria |
-A few days ago you mentioned that theoria has many degrees; noetic prayer is only one of its first stages and there is always an evolution. Can you analyse this more for us?
-St.Gregory Palamas distinguishes illumination, theoria-vision of God and constant theoria of God, which may last for a few hours, days or even weeks. St.Maximos the Confessor teaches that the knowledge of the causes of beings -which occurs at the stage of illumination consists in the theoria of the uncreated providential energy of God. Many Fathers, also, say that repentance is inspired by the Comforter. It is only through repentance that we are granted to see our spiritual desolation, our passions, and start struggling against them. At this point I would like to refer to the eight levels of spiritual theoria, according to St.Peter Damascene.
The f i r s t theoria is the knowledge of the afflictions and temptations of life. It is when man realises the beneficial presence of God and His blessedness in temptations. The s e c o n d theoria is the knowledge of the benefactions of God and the awareness of our sins and passions. The t h i r d theoria is the knowledge of the sufferings awaiting for us before and after death. The f o u r t h theoria is the understanding of the life of Christ before the Passions and of the Resurrection as well as the real knowledge of the words and deeds of all the Saints and martyrs. The f i f t h theoria is the knowledge of the nature and flux of things. The s i x t h theoria is the theoria of beings. It is the knowledge of the uncreated providential energy of God which maintains and enlivens creatures. The s e v e n t h theoria is perceiving the angels which are the noetic creatures of God. Finally the e i g h t h theoria is the theoria-vision of God, the knowledge of God which is called theology. St.Peter Damascene says that the first three theoriae are of the man of praxis (action), that is, of him who is at the stage of purification. The other five are theoriae of man who is at the illumination of the nous. The eighth is the theoria of the age to come and belongs actually to the age to come, but some people are granted to enjoy it in betrothal even in this life.
-Therefore, theoria develops. The more man progresses in his spiritual life, the more he ascends the stages of spiritual perfection, the more he obtains higher theoria of God and, consequently, knowledge of God, said Irene. Does this evolution ever cease?
-Spiritual life is not static, but dynamic. St.Maximos speaks of the "ever-moving cessation" and the "standing motion". St.Gregory of Nyssa teaches that virtue has no limit. And naturally, when he speaks of virtues he does not mean human deeds, which are natural virtues, but the fruits of the Most Holy Spirit, which are the result of man's communion with God. Perfection, says St.Gregory of Nyssa, has no boundaries. For virtue has only one condition, that it has no limits. Man is continually perfected and there is no end to this perfection. This will also continue in the life to come. There will be continuous progress for the man who has entered the stage of purification and illumination. St.Gregory of Nyssa points out that participation in the divine good becomes richer and fuller and it continually increases "him who is fed by it and this increase never ceases". St.Gregory the Sinaite says that in the age to come the angels and Saints "shall not ever cease advancing in grace". St.John the Sinaite teaches the same thing. He says that the good workers progress from the power of practical life (i.e. stage of purification) to the power of theoria and since love never ends its limit is unlimited. The progress of the good workers shall never cease, "receiving Light upon Light". St.Gregory brings as an example the noetic angelic powers, who always receive glory upon glory and knowledge in addition to their knowledge. This ceaseless perfection takes place not only in the present life, but also in the age to come. Asking whether the Saints will infinitely advance in theoria in the future age, St.Gregory Palamas gives himself the answer: "It is obvious that they infinitely will". Thus, the people of God constantly develop. They grow in spiritual life. There is never an end to this development and theoria. Man can never reach the perfection of Christ. This is evident even in the terms which are used in the Holy Scripture: The term "in the image" signifies something static, whereas a continuous evolution is implied by the phrase "in the likeness". When we live in the Orthodox tradition, we cannot ever come to a stand still, because this leads us to pietism. The knowledge and experience of tradition begets humility, but also progress in spiritual life.
-However, why has all of this tradition, which you develop for us here, been lost? asked Basil. Why have we come to be unaware of essential elements in our Christian life? Why is this "maternal language" of our Church not spoken today? Why have we lost the living patristic word? I understand, as the time goes by and the conversation unfolds, that this is the real Orthodox life. Only in this way can we understand that the Church is not a religious organisation, but a living organism, which enlivens man and makes him a member of the Body of Christ. Thus we realise that Christ is the life of people. Christ is the life of the world and of people, because He heals man and helps him pass the stages of perfection. Why, I repeat, have we lost this tradition?
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