The Practical Christology of Philoxenus of Mabbug by David A. Michelson (review)
- Autores: Daniel King
- Localización: Journal of early Christian studies: Journal of the North American Patristic Society, ISSN 1067-6341, Nº. 3, 2017, págs. 472-475
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
For those readers of early Christian literature who are more familiar with the renowned theologian-poets of the Syriac tradition such as Ephrem or Jacob of Sarug, it may come as a surprise to discover that the Syriac author whose extant writings are the most extensive among early Syriac authors is the fifth/sixth-century bishop of Mabbug, Philoxenus.The illuminating third chapter attempts to uncover the principal influences on Philoxenus's notions of divine knowledge and its acquisition, which according to Michelson are to be located above all in Ephrem, who offered an "anti-speculative theology of wonder"; in Basil, whose anti-Eunomian works in particular provided "exhortations to theological humility"; and in Evagrius, whose controversial work is co-opted to explain not just the ascetical theory of the Syrian bishop (a long recognized line of tradition) but even his theological epistemology and hence Christology too (27).Michelson shows us that Philoxenus's reception of Evagrius was not all positive-indeed, his ideas are often quoted without direct attribution, while specific mention of his name is used rather in the context of warning against extremist speculative theologies.[...]we need to understand better the role that Philoxenus himself played in this reception process.
