This subject is most pertinent in our times, due
to the fact that, for some representatives of Russian theological and
philosophical thought, it is tied up with the sophiological ideas concerning a
female presence in God. This results in a singular interpretation of Genesis
1:27: "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created
He him; male and female created He them." Applying the method of
reverse deduction, contrary to the laws of logic, to these Biblical words, some
people find support for the idea of a mysterious "Sophia," as a
female facet in God,.
"What does the word "image" mean?
And how do the male and female coexist in this image, when they are not present
in God as the Primary Image?" —reads the heading of
Chapter 16 in the above-mentioned writing of the saint. We shall relate
the content of this and later chapters in condensed form.
The pagans used to say: "Man is a small
world," consisting of the same elements as the universe. But by using this
great name they did not notice that they honored man with the characteristics
of the mosquito and the mouse…Why is it so important to honor man as the image
and likeness of the world, when the sky and everything in this world passes
away with time? According the church teachings, the greatness of man is not in
his likeness to the physical world, but in his being the image of the Creator
of all.
What does the word "image" mean? Only
Truth itself can relate this clearly. But we, as much as we can, think thus by
conjecture and supposition.
On the one hand, the pathetic poverty of human
essence cannot be compared to the blessed impassivity of Godly life; on the
other hand, — the Word, saying these words about God’s image in man, is not
lying. Why is the Godly essence Blessed, while the
human is calamitous, if in the Holy Writ the latter is considered comparable to
the former? Let us examine the words precisely. It is said: "Let us
make man in Our image, after Our likeness. So God
created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him." The
creation is completed in accordance with God’s image. Then these words are
repeated, saying "male and female created He them," which seems to be
at odds with the usual notion of God. For this reason our nature’s structure
is, in a way, double: one is comparable to the nature of God, and the other is
different, being divided into two sexes… "For I think, that some great and
elevated dogma is being related through the Holy Scriptures through that which
is said, and it is such: the human nature is positioned in the middle of two
extreme natures, the Godly nature — incorporeal, and the wordless life — mute
and beastly; from the Godly — verbiage and reasoning; from the mute — the
physical structure, with the divisions into the male and the female…" " May no one become angry with me for the following
thought. God, by His essence, contains all the good which can possibly be
encompassed by thought, and higher than any good that can be imagined or
comprehended. He creates man only because He is good…, and provides him with no
lack of blessings. And the word of God, unifying all the good given to man,
indicated this succinctly: man was created "in the image of God." If
Godliness is the fullness of blessings, and man is in His image, then we are
capable of everything wonderful, of any virtue and wisdom; and one of these
blessings is freedom, because virtue is something which cannot be subjugated,
but remains free always." All humanity has these excellent qualities,
although called collectively, in the person of the first man, "Adam"
("one taken from earth"). That which is forced and compelled cannot
be virtuous.
The saint answers the following question with
great caution: why has the present method of reproduction been chosen for
humanity, and not one that would "have likened us to angels."
"Our opinion is such," answers he, giving the following reason:
"Inasmuch as Creator saw with His "all-perceiving vision" that
human choice would not lead humanity to its predestined perfection by a
straight path, and therefore it would fall away from near-angelic life, then,
in order that the number of human souls should not remain small by losing that
ability by which the angels grew in number, — the Creator provides humans with
another method of reproduction, one that suits the sinners better, making this
method of succession more beast-like and senseless. It is for this reason, it seems to me, that the great David, pitying the
poverty of man, cries over human nature with the following words: "Man
that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish"
(Psalm 48:20).
"I think, — continues
St. Gregory, — that all passions stem from this source, flooding our entire
life… Love of pleasure, having an animal-like beginning, gained power in human
life through the assistance of thoughts. From this have come revenge, envy,
falsehood, evil intentions, hypocrisy. All this
sprouts from the bad intention of the mind. But in reverse, if reason takes
power over such movements, then each of them turns into a virtue. Thus,
irritability bears courage, timidity — caution, fear — obedience, hatred —
loathing of vice, power of love — desire for the truly dignified, and greatness
of disposition (knowledge of one’s worth) lifts one above passions… Thus the
great Apostle orders us to be continually "setting your affection on
things above" (Col. 3:2). Then the loftiness of thoughts will conform to
the beauty of that, which is in the image of God. Those in whom initial beauty
has not faded are a living confirmation of the truth of what has been said,
that man has been created in resemblance to God."
God, who rules over everything, also foresaw that
the human race would sometime achieve a certain
fullness, and then this method of human regeneration will end. Time will end as
well, and the entire universe will be renewed. With this change, humanity will
pass from finite and earthly to passion-free and eternal life when the trumpet
of resurrection will sound.
Thus, though man does sin after his fall from
heaven, yet he keeps the image of God. His mind still has the traits of its
Original Image. "Inasmuch as God is the most wonderful and superior to all
possible good, the mind is decorated with the likeness of the prototype beauty,
like a mirror reflecting that which is before it. Then the entire spiritual
nature adheres to the mind and is itself beautified by similar beauty, becoming
like a mirror reflecting another mirror; in this way one’s material side is
also protected and upheld. Thus, "while one holds to the other, true
beauty is commensurately reflected in everything; that which decorates the
higher immediately beautifies the lesser. But when this good union is annulled,
or when the higher follows the lower, then, when this lower matter departs from
its norm, its non-imagery is revealed (because matter itself alone has no image
and no structure). Then, through this lack of image, the beauty of one’s
nature, previously enhanced by the mind, is spoiled. Then the impurity is
transferred to the mind itself, so that the image of God can no longer be seen
in the features of the creation (man). The mind, in itself remaining an image
of goodness, now, like a crooked mirror, does not reflect the beautiful
features of goodness, but reflects the ugliness of matter. Thus, through the
deletion of the adorable, the evil is introduced."
"We, on the other hand, fearing such a
disastrous result," —concludes the saint, — "hearing the call of the
Apostle Paul: "Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of
Him that created him" (Col. 3:9-10), — let us return to that God-like
goodness, with which God created man in the beginning, saying: "Let Us
make man in Our image, after Our likeness."
When we familiarize ourselves with the works of
the holy fathers, particularly those of the 4th and the 5th
century, we can only bow down before the manner in which the fathers of the
Church perfectly knew and employed their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. On
the other hand, one can only marvel what great knowledge of the sciences of
their time they possessed, including history, natural sciences (as in the
example above), philosophy and even pagan mythology (like St. Gregory the
Theologian), to the extent that it assisted to the formation of a Christian
worldly view. The given short excerpt from the works of St. Gregory of Nys, of
course, does not show in what detail he examined the anatomical structure of
the human organism and of all its organs, corresponding to the knowledge of his
time. He did this in order to show what favorable conditions one has to fulfill
his calling "to be a friend of God," as the prophet Moses is called
in Genesis, and to keep his regal position on earth.
The present is very different. Modern directors of
human consciousness approach the psychic of a person in the same way that
nature is treated nowadays - with a practical and business-like mind. Its
present state is accepted as the required, perfect norm, capable only of
deviation to one side or another. Modern experimental psychology focuses on the
study of various deviations, abnormal and, perhaps, artificial spiritual
states. Hence the study of the psychology of the
subconscious, its dark sources, shadowy spheres, expressed in dreams or
half-conscious psychosomatic tendencies. There is no mention of
psychology as an educational tool for the moral elevation of humans. History
has kept the memory of human geniuses, providing a wealth of material for
psychology, as well as for analyzing and clarifying the good or bad conditions
for the spiritual perfection of a person. A link of modern psychology to
religion would be even less likely to exist. Modern artistic literature is
leading down the same decadent path.
Our epoch has fully revealed itself already. Will
not a new one, coming soon, reveal spiritual powers in order to reinstate the
union of scientific knowledge and Christian faith, in order to create a unified
world view, the first steps to which were made by the Church fathers? Or will
faith and science continue on their separate ways?
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