Theoria (Greek ) is Greek for contemplation or perception of beauty as a moral faculty (OED). From within Eastern Orthodox theology it is "the vision of God" and theoria then also takes on a number of meanings that pertain to union with God (theo-) and holiness, the quintessential goals of Christianity (see the Philokalia). The word has its history in the Greek language as being akin to the word theory, or speculation. The word expresses the idea from a religious gnosiology perspective (rather than say, a scientific or cultural one), that speculation through faith in God (action through faith), leads to truth through man's contemplative faculties^[1]. It is used to express the experience of life as "one who watches a play or activity", the state of "being" is defined as spectator. Hence it means to focus ones attention exclusively to one thing and separate that object (by focus) exclusively. The act of experiencing and or observing is through the nous or "eye of the soul". Matthew 6:22-6:34

False Spiritual Knowledge

The highest theoria is the experience, to the complete person or one's existence, of the vision of God. Rather than being a false or the incomplete spiritual knowledge. That one can arrive at, purely through rational thought (dianoia) or speculation (Stochastic), which is called false gnosis. False gnosis can also be or of an evil origin. False gnosis leads to spiritual delusion (Ru. prelest, Gr. plani) which is the opposite of sobriety or full consciousness and or self realization (enstasis). Theoria is then being beyond self realization and therefore the highest consciousness (mankind's whole person including consciousness united to God is called theosis). Prelest or plani is the closing off or estrangement of the person (including damaging or vilifying the nous) to existence or Objective reality (what is real or truth). This is marked by the symptom of somnolence or awake sleep and then later psychosis. ^[2] Once the stage of true discernment (diakrisis) is reached by the individual to where they are able to tell false from valid gnosis this is referred to as wisdom or sophia. Sophia is cultivated by kenosis against thymos. God is beyond the fallen intuitive mind or nous and or the rational mind (called dianoia which is also part of the nous).

True Spiritual Knowledge

Theoria is beyond knowledge or gnosis^[3]. It is when the mind is (one with) or placed in the heart (kardio) and thought is focused on the of God rather then (freewill and faith) and rather then hindsight (determinism and knowledge). Much as reading about an experience leads to a different set of conclusions and understanding then if one relates to reading about an experience that they have already had. Thus theoria is the understanding of the later as to deeply focus on which now or immediate. Theoria is akin to acting by freewill and by conscious choice rather than deterministically. It states that, one moves through time into the future without knowing, but proceeds by faith (faith is metagnosis or beyond knowledge). Putting the actual experience above memory (Anamnesis) or knowledge of the experience. As a contemplation of now rather the past or future and beyond this, then being the contemplation of three hypostasises of God. The Trinity who, in one nature or essence is incomprehensible, hence three realities of the single God at once. Each reality or hypostasis critical to the ontology of being (ousia) and or existence (hypostasis).

Orthodox theology

Alexandrian tradition

It is the knowledge of God in creation and of sensible things and thus their contemplation intellectually to the Origen or Alexandrian school of thought (150-400AD) (see Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Evagrius Ponticus) which then leads to communion with God akin to Divine Providence.

Cappadocian tradition

To the Cappadocian school of thought (see Saint Basil, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, and Saint Gregory Nazianzus) (350-400AD) theoria is the experience of the highest or absolute truth when one is in complete union with God. It is the penetration of the divine darkness or cloud of unknowning, beyond rational understanding. The Cappadocian fathers going beyond the intellectual contemplation of the Alexandrian fathers. This was to start the beginning of the seminal work the Philokalia, which through hesychasm leads to Phronema and finally theosis which is validated by theoria. Ignorance of gnosis, being faith (metagnosis). Ignorance being how one precedes beyond knowledge and being, this contemplation being theoria. Theoria understanding that the uncreated can not be grasped by the logical or rational mind. But rather can be grasped by the whole person and or perceived by the nous.

Dionysius the Areopagite apophatism

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With the tradition of St Dionysus the Areopagite theoria is the lifting up of the individual out of time and space and created being while the Triune God reaches down (or condescends) to the hesychast. The individual being brought into the presents of the hypostasises of God, this place being called the 8th day. One cultivates the highest form of contemplation and the experience of the 8th day by attending the Orthodox liturgical services. The services being the applications of the sacriments. This experience which is the only way to attain the true knowledge of the living God, by the living person. This experience is the vision of God or theoria to the apophatic theology of the St. Dionysian tradition within Eastern Orthodoxy. ^[4]

St Macarius of Egpyt

In the theological tradition of St Macarius of Egypt (ca. 300-391AD), theoria is the point of interaction between God and Man in the heart of man, which is beyond experience or rationalistic contemplation. The highest form of contemplation (agape) originates in the heart, a form of contemplation that is higher than that of the intellectual mind. ^[5] What is consistent is the concept that Theoria is alloted to each unique individual by their capacity to comprehend God. This also being the tradition of theoria as taught by St Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022AD) that one can not be a theologian unless one sees the hypostasis of God or the uncreated light which would be to have theoria. For both Saints such an experience cultivates humility and meekness in people and most of all the love of mankind that the Triune God has (hence like God or Godlike, theosis). This burning love for mankind is manifest in an absolute kindness and love for mankind as neighbor and brother akin to altruism growing from kenosis and Epiclesis. This love being what is the essence of Orthodoxy.^[6]

The Hesychast controversy

Under St Gregory Palamas (1296 - 1359AD) the different traditions of theoria where synthesized into theoria meaning that one through baptism receives the Holy Spirit. Through the sacraments of the church and works of faith cultivates a relationship with God. If one then through kenosis is devotional (humility) akin to the Theotokos and proceeds in faith past the point of rational contemplation one can experience God. Palamas stated that this way was not a mechanized process and each person was again unique but that the apodictic way that one experienced the uncreated light or God was through contemplative prayer called hesychasm. Theoria being cultivated through each of the steps of the growing process of theosis. It is important to note that Palamas taught that the truth is a person (Jesus Christ) which means a form of objective reality. In order for Christianity to be authentic one must experience the truth or Christ, as a reality and or person (see hypostasis). Each person individually. The only true way to discover Christ, according to Palamas, was the Eastern Orthodox faith. Once a person discovers Christ (through the Orthodox church) they begin the process of theosis which is the gradual submission of the individual to the truth or God (see kenosis and asceticism) in order to be deified (theosis). Theoria then being to see or experience God hypostatically (in person). Since God is unknowable in essence (God's essence is not obtained in truth by gnosis) thus the incomprehensibility or essence of God can not be accessed, expressed and or experienced. Vladimir Lossky expressed theoria as an experience of God as it happens to the whole person not just the mind or body, in contrast to an experience of God that is drawn from memory or the mind i.e. gnosis.^[7] Gnosis here as experience knowledge, theoria as the actual experience (vision or to see God) itself.^[8]

Eastern Orthodox tradition

Theoria appears in a variety of contexts.

• "The Lord considered the chief good to reside in theoria alone." http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/theoria.html
• Jesus, referred to here as "the Lord", states in the Gospels that "None is good but God alone" (Luke 18:19). Theoria is not God per se but is rather the union we hope to attain with God — the term is used relationally here, otherwise the sentence would say "reside in God alone". Theoria marks a relational and noetic understanding.
• "[T]he other virtues, although we consider them necessary and useful and good, are to [be] accounted secondary because they are all practiced for the purpose of obtaining this one thing: theoria" (ibid).
• Here the term is used to mark that which we hope to obtain or attain, for which all practice of faith is carried out. Theoria is a marker for the goal of union with God.
• "We accept faith by hearing it not so that we can understand it rationally, but so that we can cleanse our hearts, attain to faith by theoria and experience the Revelation of God." http://www.orthodoxfaith.com/spirituality_difference.html
• This may be a less clear use of the term, but it refers to the idea that faith is a gift, not purely a rational act. The gift of faith is from God, and here the word theoria indicates that special provenance.
• "In the Holy Scripture it appears that faith comes by hearing the Word and by experiencing theoria (the vision of God)" (ibid).
• In this example, theoria is indicated to be an experience and a vision of God. Vision of God often implies advanced mystical experience, not given to all and not necessary for salvation, but in the foregoing examples theoria is used to mark the onset of faith and the source of faith. Theoria is, then, a broad term.
• "[T]he disciples of Christ acquired the knowledge of the Triune God in theoria (vision of God) and by revelation" (ibid).
• Here the term clearly refers to advanced mystical experiences some disciples had in the company of Jesus.
• "[T]heoria, vision and theosis are closely connected. Theoria has various degrees. There is illumination, vision of God, and constant vision (for hours, days, weeks, even months)" (ibid).
• Here we see clearly that the term has broad application. The onset of faith as well as more advanced experiences are referred to as theoria. The term, then, implies a source of religious experience from onset to advanced stages, and suffuses the understanding of religious knowledge with a contemplative essence.
• "They Latin and Protestant] are influenced by the philosophical dialectic, which has been surpassed by the Revelation of God" (ibid).
• Orthodox sources maintain that the meanings implied in theoria are fundamentally absent from western traditions, which they consider to have been misguided by scholasticism to the point that they abandon the faith of the Church Fathers and all hope of being therapeutically relevant to followers.
• "St. Gregory the Theologian says that theoria and praxis are beneficial because theoria ... guides him to the holy of holies and restores him to his original nature; whereas praxis receives and serves Christ and tests love with actions. Clearly, theoria is the vision of God.... [P]raxis is whatever deeds it takes to lead to this love." http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b15.en.orthodox_spirituality.02.htm
• Theoria is the source or means of growth toward union with God, praxis is the faith practiced along the way, theosis is the overall path or journey, and phronema is the understanding of Christian faith that guides the follower of Christ.

Theoria in western traditions

Theoria covers a broad range of inherent Western Christian concepts that are treated separately in Catholic tradition. These concepts include:

• God is the source wherein is the chief good
• The hope for the union with God to which all Christians are called, which they are to pursue through contemplation and action
• There is a connection between incipient faith and advanced prayer life
• The redemption by Jesus is (for the faithful) a restoration of supernatural goods lost through sin
• Theology is not, and cannot be divorced from prayer

There is no inclusive term in common use for all these things considered together in the Western tradition, but like the Eastern tradition they are founded in the universal Christian understanding that Jesus lives in us and that we participate in the life of Jesus.

See also

• Apotheosis
• Theophany
• sobornost
• Aseity
• Praxis
• Archimandrite Sophrony
• Father John Meyendorff
• Transfiguration of Christ
• Saint Ambrose of Optina

Quotes

'We ought at all times to wait for the enlightenment that comes from above before we speak with a faith energized by love; for the illumination which will enable us to speak. For there is nothing so destitute as a mind philosophising about God, when it is without Him'." Of "Spiritual Knowledge" Discourse number 7 Philokalia volume 1 pg 254 — St Diadochos of Photiki

Bibliography

• The Vision of God by Vladimir Lossky, SVS Press, 1997. (ISBN 0-913836-19-2)
• The Spirituality of the Christian East: A systematic handbook by Tomas Spidlik, Cistercian Publications Inc Kalamazoo Michigan 1986 (ISBN 0-87907-879-0)
• The Macarian Legacy: The Place of Macarius-Symeon in the Eastern Christian Tradition (Oxford Theological Monographs 2004) by Marcus Plested ()

References

External links

• Eastern Orthodoxy - OCA
• Eastern Orthodoxy - GOA
• Differences between Orthodoxy and other religions

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