The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor

This paper examines the impact of Proclus’ notion of divine descent, i.e., κατάβασις, on the formation of core theological doctrines in Pseudo-Dionysius and Maximus the Confessor. The notion of κατάβασις was originally employed by pagan Proclus to explain the downward providence of gods toward human...

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Autor principal:	Kyeongyoon Woo
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	MDPI AG 2021
Materias:	Proclus Pseudo-Dionysius Maximus the Confessor Κατάβασις providence ecstatic love Religions. Mythology. Rationalism BL1-2790
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/a5a63fc9e29346f0ab3783c2a3d65729
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:a5a63fc9e29346f0ab3783c2a3d657292021-11-25T18:52:41ZThe Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor10.3390/rel121109362077-1444https://doaj.org/article/a5a63fc9e29346f0ab3783c2a3d657292021-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/11/936https://doaj.org/toc/2077-1444This paper examines the impact of Proclus’ notion of divine descent, i.e., κατάβασις, on the formation of core theological doctrines in Pseudo-Dionysius and Maximus the Confessor. The notion of κατάβασις was originally employed by pagan Proclus to explain the downward providence of gods toward humans, emphasizing the dominant role of gods for human perfection. In his exegesis on <i>Alcibiades I</i>, Proclus identified Socrates as the incarnation of divine providence, a divinely inspired lover in charge of Alcibiades’ conversion to philosophical life. Pseudo-Dionysius adapted the Proclean notion of κατάβασις by supplementing it with the Christian notion of God’s ecstatic love, understood as God’s providential act toward His creation. In the Celestial Hierarchy and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, Dionysius endeavored to reveal the reciprocal-ecstatic union between God and humans made possible by His ecstatic κατάβασις during the liturgy. Maximus adapted and further developed the Dionysian notion of κατάβασις. While stressing the crucial role of the κατάβασις for human salvation, he gave it a new meaning by synthesizing it in the context of his anthropology, which stressed the holistic transformation of the human body and soul as a result of the divine descent.Kyeongyoon WooMDPI AGarticleProclusPseudo-DionysiusMaximus the ConfessorΚατάβασιςprovidenceecstatic loveReligions. Mythology. RationalismBL1-2790ENReligions, Vol 12, Iss 936, p 936 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Proclus Pseudo-Dionysius Maximus the Confessor Κατάβασις providence ecstatic love Religions. Mythology. Rationalism BL1-2790
spellingShingle	Proclus Pseudo-Dionysius Maximus the Confessor Κατάβασις providence ecstatic love Religions. Mythology. Rationalism BL1-2790 Kyeongyoon Woo The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor
description	This paper examines the impact of Proclus’ notion of divine descent, i.e., κατάβασις, on the formation of core theological doctrines in Pseudo-Dionysius and Maximus the Confessor. The notion of κατάβασις was originally employed by pagan Proclus to explain the downward providence of gods toward humans, emphasizing the dominant role of gods for human perfection. In his exegesis on <i>Alcibiades I</i>, Proclus identified Socrates as the incarnation of divine providence, a divinely inspired lover in charge of Alcibiades’ conversion to philosophical life. Pseudo-Dionysius adapted the Proclean notion of κατάβασις by supplementing it with the Christian notion of God’s ecstatic love, understood as God’s providential act toward His creation. In the Celestial Hierarchy and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, Dionysius endeavored to reveal the reciprocal-ecstatic union between God and humans made possible by His ecstatic κατάβασις during the liturgy. Maximus adapted and further developed the Dionysian notion of κατάβασις. While stressing the crucial role of the κατάβασις for human salvation, he gave it a new meaning by synthesizing it in the context of his anthropology, which stressed the holistic transformation of the human body and soul as a result of the divine descent.
format	article
author	Kyeongyoon Woo
author_facet	Kyeongyoon Woo
author_sort	Kyeongyoon Woo
title	The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor
title_short	The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor
title_full	The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor
title_fullStr	The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor
title_full_unstemmed	The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor
title_sort	adaptation and development of the proclean notion of κατάβασις: from proclus to maximus the confessor
publisher	MDPI AG
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/a5a63fc9e29346f0ab3783c2a3d65729
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The Adaptation and Development of the Proclean Notion of Κατάβασις: From Proclus to Maximus the Confessor

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