Eastern Theological Jornal

Christ as Life-giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45) in Ancient Christian Reception

Riemer Roukema — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In Paul’s chapter on the resurrection of the dead we read, “Thus it is written, «the first human, Adam, became a living being»; the last Adam became life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor 15:45, my trans.). This paper deals with the reception of the last words of this text in ancient Christianity. Generally, they were understood to regard the spiritual vivification of human beings who had come to believe in Christ, so that he, as life-giving Spirit, brought about this regeneration. Several authors relate this clause also, or in the first place, to the final resurrection. Moreover, Origen and Didymus apply it to believers who became a “lifegiving spirit” themselves. 1 Cor 15:45c was also quoted in the Christological debates as a proof text either of Christ’s humanity (Adam) and his divinity (Spirit), or of his humanity, without downplaying his divinity, or of his divinity without denying his humanity, or of his divinity exclusively (Apollinaris). Theodore of Mopsuestia conceives it as a reference to Christ’s own resurrection. To several ancient authors this rare expression must have been puzzling.

La triplice via alla conoscenza di Dio nel trattato De Trinitate di Ilario di Poitiers

Miren A. Aroztegi Esnaola — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Threefold Way of Knowing God in Hilarius of Poitiers’ De Trinitate: For Hilary, the mystery of God transcends human intelligence in such a way that it cannot be reached by human efforts alone. Our author develops an apophatic theology that emphasises this inability of human intelligence to comprehend the divine essence. Within this theological development, he distinguishes a triple path in man’s knowledge of God: the via negationis, the via analogiae and the via eminentiae. In this way, he offers a way forward, a profectus, through which man can always grow in cognitio Dei. Ultimately, even if it is not possible to understand God with reason alone, He can be reached and understood through faith, which is infinite and allows man to know God through the Son, who transcends him as much as the Father.

Dall’amicizia dei filosofi all’amicizia cristiana: alcune riflessioni a partire dall’insegnamento di Clemente Alessandrino

Miklós Gyurkovics — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

From the Friendship of Philosophers to Christian Friendship: Some Reflections Based on the Teachings of Clement of Alexandria: This study examines the philosophical foundations of Clement of Alexandria’s teaching on friendship and considers how the Christian perspective reshapes the conclusions inherited from earlier traditions. The comparison between the ancient philosophers—especially Plato and Aristotle—and Clement becomes particularly meaningful when these sources are read through the interpretive lens associated with the Tübingen School. It is also possible that Clement’s engagement with the topic was motivated by the need to respond to Valentinus’s homily on friendship. Drawing on Gen 1:26, Clement articulates not only the “divine image” of the human being but also the principle of participation in the divine life. He maintains that all people who come into the world are invited to become similar to God and in this likeness to become God’s friends. This universal call to deification, which implies a doctrine of the general redemption of humanity, carries clear anti-Gnostic implications. At the same time, the philosophical consequences for practical life can be compared with the Christian ideal of friendship as it took shape in the late second century, within a community that welcomed even those marginalized by society. The model for this ideal is not the fellowship of philosophers or the noble guardians of Plato’s Republic, but the mutual love of the Father and the Son and the compassionate love of God for human weakness. Through this divine love, human beings may become friends, children, and similar to God.

Variable Celebrant Prayers in the Medieval Coptic Eucharist: A Bohairic Manuscripts-Based Inventory and Introduction

Arsany Paul — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The medieval Bohairic Eucharist emerges as a constellation of overlapping local practices shaped by scribal discretion and evolving liturgical memory. That plurality comes into focus through the manuscript tradition itself. Surveying approximately 375 euchologia codices from the 13th to 20th centuries, this article identifies twenty-four alternate celebrant prayers across nine liturgical units from the raising of incense to communion, fourteen of which are entirely absent from the received printed edition of 1902. Beyond offering the first systematic inventory of variable celebrant prayers, the study shows that many prayers preserved in manuscripts never entered the received euchologion, while others privileged in print remained historically marginal. Together, these findings attest to enduring regional diversity despite repeated efforts toward standardization. The analysis further uncovers relationships between three previously unexamined manuscripts that preserve distinctive repertoires of alternate prayers, suggesting regional and exemplar-based liturgical families. By recovering this diverse liturgical landscape, the study positions variable prayers as a central feature of the Bohairic eucharistic tradition and a lens for understanding its historical development among the Copts and in relation to other Eastern liturgies.

Il valore del sensus fidei in una Chiesa sinodale

István Seszták — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The value of the sensus fidei in a synodal Church: The concept of the synodal Church is a defining image of contemporary ecclesiology, especially in the theological vision of Pope Francis, who argued that this was what God expected of the Church today. This theological approach—among many other— is extremely helpful in rediscovering the sensus fidei (sense of the faith) and recovering its original meaning. The sensus fidei is not, in itself, the articulation of a specific truth; rather, it is an experienced and lived reality. It is like a fertile soil in which the mystery of God becomes present to such an extent that it is almost tangible and experiential. In this way, the believer can identify with it so deeply that within it they discover Light, Truth, and ultimately the Meaning of their life. This is a possibility open to every baptized person created in the image of God: to awaken within the Church to the truth of God that brings inner peace (LG 12).

Verantwortung als Theosis? Emmanuel Lévinas’ Ethik und die Theologie der Ikon

Attila Tóth — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Responsibility as Theosis? Emmanuel Lévinas’ Ethics and the Theology of the Icon: This study explores a surprising dialogue between Emmanuel Lévinas’ philosophy of the face and the Byzantine theology of the icon. For Lévinas, the face of the Other is not a mere physical appearance but the epiphany of the Infinite, calling forth an unconditional responsibility “older than freedom”. In Eastern Christian tradition, the icon—especially the face of Christ—is likewise more than representation: it is a theophanic presence, a “window to heaven”, grounded in the Incarnation. Both perspectives resist reducing the face to an object, instead seeing it as the site of revelation, presence through absence, and ethical summons. While Lévinas frames this in a philosophical-ethical register and icon theology in a theological-liturgical one, each affirms that encountering the face—human or divine opens the horizon of transcendence and calls for transformation. This convergence suggests a shared anthropology where ethics and contemplation meet in the lived experience of responsibility.

Review of M. David Litwa, Early Christianity in Alexandria: From its Beginnings to the Late Second Century, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK 2024, 223 pp.

Attila Jakab — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Review of Andrew Newberg, Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us about Spirituality, Columbia University Press, New York 2018, 321 pp.

Wang Lijin — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000