Paradox Beyond Nature
An Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Dialogue on the Marian Homilies of Germanos I, Patriarch of Constantinople (715—730)
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In recent years several Roman Catholic scholars have commented on how different the Byzantine theological tradition is from theirs – not in the sense of saying that the conclusion of the Byzantine and Roman Catholic traditions are at odds with each other, but in that the way theology is done is different. Byzantine theological reflection is the subject of this dissertation: specifically, reflection on the person of Mary, the Theotokos, the Mother of God. Brother John Samaha, S.M., in a short article of only eight or so pages asks and answers the question: Is there a Byzantine Mariology? Relying heavily on Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s articles, Bro John crafts an insightful article that asks and answers the question at hand. Father Brian E. Daley, S.J., provides insights into one of the aspects of Byzantine homilies that puzzle many Catholic Mariologists. Fr. Daley comments on the “show” oratory that is so clearly evident in Byzantine homilies. These two Roman Catholic theologians go a long way in explaining why there are often difficulties in understanding between Orthodox and Roman Catholic Mariologists. René Laurentin comments: Oriental thought loves mystery, Western, analytical clarity. Marian thought in the East is contemplative and poetic. Its inventiveness consists in translating the same basic facts into continually renewed symbols which give new brightness to the truth and, now and then, bring out-or suggest some hidden aspect. Latin Marian thought (above all, the most committed) proceeds, on the contrary, by analysis, comparison, reasoning, syllogism. It distinguishes, constructs, forms notions and words answering to the divisions of its rational analysis; it is by choice specialized, systematic, and organized into theses. Finally, it has a way of multiplying juridical notions with which the Orthodox mentality often finds it impossible to cope. The burden of this dissertation is to illustrate some of the aspects of this difficulty: to illustrate an approach to doing Mariology in a Byzantine way that takes into account the uniqueness of the Byzantine experience of doing theology.
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About the Book
Germanos is a source of Mariological reflection for both Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics. Yet paradoxically the two great Marian churches find it difficult to understands each other’s Mariology. Germanos’ homilies provide a common ground on which Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians can meet. Chapters include: Introduction, the life of Germanos, Byzantine rhetorical education, difficulties in understanding eighth-century Byzantine homilies and their use of rhetoric, Orthodox theology and philosophy, introduction to the homilies, a close translation and commentary on each homily from the Greek text. These commentaries include comments drawn from five separate commentators. Additionally there are fourteen commentaries on various themes in the homilies. Finally, a comparison is made employing an article by Tibor Horvath, S.J, and a dissertation by p.Erasmo Perniola with comments from this author in an attempt to establish an example of a mutually constructive conversation. This is done in the hope of establishing a renewed dialogue between these two great and deep Mariological traditions.
About the Author
Gregory E. Roth is an Eastern Orthodox priest in the Metropolis of San Francisco of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. He has studied theology widely from Harvard Divinity School and the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, St. Vladimir's Seminary in New York to the International Marian Research Institute, an affiliate with the Pontifical Theological Faculty Marianum in Rome, Italy. He is a retired United Air Force Chaplain where he worked with clergy of all faiths. He is uniquely qualified to create a dialogue among the Marian scholars of both Eastern and Western Christian traditions.