The Mystery of Christ in St Maximus the Confessor’s Mystagogia

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Abstract:

The paper aims to show that the theme of the Mystery of Christ as foreordained Incarnation of Logos from eternity is not limited only to Maximus‘ work Ad Thalassium 60, but it may be encountered in his other works, esspecially in his Mystagogia. Drawing on the studies of Athanasios Yevtich and Bogdan Bucur, who argued for the fordeined Incarnation in both biblical and early Christian tradition, the paper attempts to prove that Maximus understands Incarnation of Christ independently of Adam‘s fall and that the original structure of planned deification is preserved in his interpretation of liturgical moments. The liturgical moments from the entrance of the bishop in the temple to the reading of the Gospel recapitulate according to Maximus, the history of salvation from Incarnation untill the Second coming of Christ, taking in consideration Adam‘s fall. However, Maximus interpretation of the liturgical moments from the closing of the doors of the church until the Holy Communion mantains the original plan of deification, undisturbed by the fall of Adam. Thus, the Incarnation of Logos is seen rather as an expression of unconditional divine love, than as the response to human fall.

Keywords:

Maximus the Confessor, Mystagogy, The Mystery of Christ, Ecclesiology, foreordained Incarnation, Interpretation of the Divine Liturgy, Eschatology.

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