Maximus the Confessor’s theology of the two wills of Christ as a hintto understanding the relationship of nature and grace
Jan Wojciechowski
Papieski Wydział Teologiczny w Warszawie, Collegium Joanneum (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4332-3956
Abstract
In present article I’m looking into ontology of the acts of knowing and willing as they are conceived by Maximus the Confessor. The main focus is laid upon the change of proportions of activity and passivity according to different objects of these acts: whether they concern natural or supernatural objects or God Himself. The main conclusion reached in this article is that the ontological aspect of the acts at stake are characterized by opposing pattern of that proportion. While cognitive aspect proceeds from higher comlexity and activity to its simplification and culminates in passivity in undergoing divine action, the volitive aspect is governed by a law of continuous increment of synergy between divine and contingent operations. Key insights are collected from Maximus’ description of the working of the Hypostatic Union. The discovered pattern of proportions of action and passion provides a hint for understanding relation holding between nature and grace, or better,
a possible explanation why the supernatural is properly a super-natural.
Keywords:
Maximus the Confessor, nature-grace, Hipostatic Union, divinizationReferences
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Authors
Jan WojciechowskiPapieski Wydział Teologiczny w Warszawie, Collegium Joanneum Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4332-3956
Ks. mgr lic. Jan WOJCIECHOWSKI – kapłan Archidiecezji Warszawskiej. W 2010 r. obronił pracę magisterską z teologii dogmatycznej poświęconą historii rozumienia terminu „osoba” w teologii katolickiej, w ujęciu J. Ratzingera. W 2012 r. rozpoczął studia specjalistyczne z teologii dogmatycznej na Papieskim Uniwersytecie Gregorianum w Rzymie, a w 2014 napisał pracę licencjacką The theological language of st. Thomas Aquinas. Obecnie przygotowuje się do obrony doktoratu pod tytułem: Palamas’ Implicit Epistemology as a Key to Understanding his Doctrine concerning the Distinction between Essence and Energies in God. Zainteresowania: teoria poznania i semantyka w kontekście teologii dogmatycznej i teorii duchowości.
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