FAITH IN THE GREAT CANON THEOLOGY OF ST. ANDREW OF CRETE

Wojciech SŁOMSKI

professor, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, Okopowa 59, 01-043 Warszawa, Poland, e-mail: slomski@autograf.pl, 0048 609 003 199, ORCID: 0000-0003-1532-0341

Abstract

The article considers the theological aspects of faith in the Great Canon of Andrew of Crete. The purpose is to identify St. Andrew’s theological conception of faith and its characteristics in the context of the Great Canon theology through the analysis of traditional Orthodox exegesis of some Old Testament stories, mentioned in the Canon. Three biblical plots are examined in detail: leaving his native land Haran by Abraham, sacrificing Isaac by Abraham, Babylonian pandemonium. The traditional exegesis treats the first two stories as examples of solid faith, the last one is an illustration of unbelief and disobedience. The interpretations and opinions of Philo of Alexandria, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyon, Ambrose of Milan, Antony the Great, Titus Flavius Josephus, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Didymus the Blind, John Cassian, Abba Paphnutius, Cyril of Alexandria, Caesarius of Arles, Thalassius of Libya, Serapion of Thmuis, Maximus the Confessor, John Climacus, John Chrysostom, Ephraim the Syrian are referred to in the article in order to substantiate St. Andrew’s interpretation of the three biblical stories. The theological conception of faith in exegetics is represented in a deeply symbolic, allegorical form. Eastern Orthodox Church Fathers, especially the representatives of Alexandrian Theological School (Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Anthony the Great, Cyril of Alexandria, Didymus the Blind) extensively used allegories for exegesis. The author of the Great Canon thinks faith to be a process. Faith accompanies the human soul in its way of repentance, which is the main topic of the Canon sometimes called ‘Penitential’. The penitent human soul swings to and from Abraham’s steadfast faith. Its different states are allegorically illustrated by biblical stories.

Keywords

Andrew of Crete, Faith, liturgical theology, the Great Canon

SUMMARY

As can be seen, few interpreters of the Holy Scripture addressed the story of the Babylonian pandemonium before the Great Canon. Nevertheless, on the basis of the works of Philo of Alexandria and Maximus the Confessor, some conclusions can be drawn regarding the significance of the image of the Babylonian pandemonium in the liturgical work of St. Andrew. A story from the beginning of the 11th chapter of the book of Genesis for an allegorical description of the activities of a sinner, while St. Andrew is not so close to the text of the Bible, since he leaves the city out of interpretation, in place of which he adds a stronghold. Further, in the Great Canon, the tower is meant as a symbol of defiance to God and confidence in impunity, which coincides with Philo’s understanding of it. According to St. Maxim, the tower is a symbol of sinful life and state, similarly to St. Andrew in relation to the stronghold. Different terms are used to designate the sins symbolized by bricks: Philo and St. Maxima τόπάθος (passion) and ἡ κακία (vice), and in St. Andrew ἡ ἐπιθυμία (“passion” in the meaning of “attraction”, “desire”). Finally, the Old Testament “confused” tongue is interpreted by Andrew as intentions and plans (ἡβουλή), while for Maxim it is care (ἡ μελέτη). There is reason to believe that St. Andrew draws on a rich tradition of ascetic exegesis and allegorical interpretation of Old Testament texts. At the same time, the unbelief in God of the builders of the Tower is opposed to the faith of Abraham.
The Great Canon does not represent an explicit theological doctrine of faith as, for example, John Climacus does in his “Ladder of Divine Ascent”. Faith is one of the highest steps in his Ladder together with hope and love. According to St. John, repentance precedes faith in the way of soul upstairs. The way of soul in the Great Canon is not an ascension, it is rather the swing of the pendulum: from the edge of desperation to the confidence in God’s mercy and forgiveness. The succession of odes, troparia and irmoses are gradually shifting from the despair to the confidence through a number of swings. In a similar way, faith varies from the unbelief demonstrated by the builders of the Tower of Babel to Abraham’s unconditional faith and obedience.

(Language: english)

full text

Back on content