Orthodox Catechetical Vocabulary

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Objectives:

• Christian psychology
• Christian epistemology
• Christian anthropology
• Christian ethics

Man: (Greek: ἄνθρωπος) A creature of God consisting of a body with a rational soul. Man is the intersection between the physical and the spiritual. He is the crowning jewel of God’s creation (Genesis 1:31).

Body: (Greek: σῶμα) The visible part of man’s existence which universally has its beginning from the dust of the ground with Adam and particularly has a beginning from the conception of each human. The body is a vessel of good or evil and carries man towards his eternal destination whether it be blessedness or damnation. Originally, bodies created by God were in a state of incorruption (i.e. they were lighter, less dense, and without liquids) and could choose immortality.

Soul: (Greek: ψυχή) The invisible part of man’s existence that originally had its beginning from the breath of life from God after He formed the body from the dust of the ground and for each of us has a beginning from our conception. “Soul” is often used broadly. The soul is simple and is the life of the body. While man can kill the body, only the devil can kill the soul. The soul receives energy either from good or from evil. According to the Lord, one soul is worth more than the whole world (Matthew16:26). The soul is meant to govern the body. It has been compared to arider and his horse (with horse being the body) and the artist using his instrument (with instrument being the body). The soul consists of two aspects: the intelligent and passible, also various powers which is how the body is moved.

Nous: (Greek: νοῦς) The “eye of the soul.” Matthew 6:22-23; Romans 12:2. The nous is the purest part of the soul giving spiritual understanding, knowledge of God (communion), and knowledge of the essence or underlying reality of men, creatures, and things. The nous is our spiritual attention and is meant to be in the heart. Our nous is darkened (meaning without the Holy Spirit, the distinctly operating nous and logoi became identical) and this is why people do not realize they have one.

Logos: (Greek: λόγος; also Logoi/Logiki/Logismoi;Latin: Ratio/Rationes) John 1: 1-5; Colossians 1:16. In English, we do not have an acceptable word to use for translation; however, it is often translated “Word.” For us to understand it fully and in reality we use “logos”, untranslated. Logoi, specifically for man, is his reason (from the Latin “ratio” we derive our English word “rational”). Generally, for creation, logoi is the creative and sustaining energy of God. In Scripture, logos are called divine wills. Logoi is the inner principle unique to a creature or part of creation that is a deposit of the uncreated energy of God. Logos is a portion of God (specifically Christ) in creation. A rock’s logoi is the power from God that gives it existence, it gets its existence from God. For a tree, its logoi is the power to exist and live, it gets its existence and life from God. For man, our logoi is the power to exist, to live, and to have a mind, which all come from God. Our ability to know or apply knowledge is “logiki” and the functioning of our logoi, in English we call this intelligence. The products of our logoi are “logismoi”, or in English “thoughts.” The logoi was created in man to be subservient to the nous and receive all input from the nous. The corruption of the logoi is when it receives knowledge not from God via the nous but from creation through the senses.

Spirit: (Greek: πνεῦμα; literally breath) Genesis 2:7 and John 20:22. Giver of Life or energy. There is the Spirit of God (uncreated) and the spirit of man (created). Each provide energy to whatever they join to themselves. The spirit gives and directs energy of the soul towards God. In man, the spirit is sometimes called “noetic love.” When the Holy Spirit comes from God to man it moves our created spirit in a manner in accordance to their natural condition. The human spirit is extremely weak against the pressures of Satan when not with the Holy Spirit.

Heart: Psalm 39:8; 118:11; Proverbs 2:2; Romans 6:17. The intersection between soul and body. It is thecontrol center for the powers of the soul. In the heart is where we have our union with God. The nous is to be collected here receiving divine, uncreated energy. Its immediate perceptions guide the use of the logos (reason).

Mind: Sometimes understood as both the nous and logos together. Sometimes a synonym for our Intelligent Aspect.

Intelligent Aspect: (Greek: λογιστικόν) The place of the nous, logos. It also includes the processing of the senses, imagination/memory, and conscience.

Passible Aspect: The place of feelings or emotions. These powers are easily corrupted. In a healthy man, the intelligent aspect has complete rule over the passible aspect. In a corrupt and unhealthy man, the passible aspect gains control over the intelligent aspect. A critical task of man in this life is to transform this aspect of our soul back to a healthy state. The transformation of the passible part of the soul is done by use of the body. The passible aspect consists of our appetitive and incensive powers.

• Appetitive Power: (Greek: ἐπιθυμητικόν) Matthew 4:4; 5:6; I Peter 2:2. The energy of our soul dealing with deep desires(eg. hunger, lust, etc.). It can turn into an addicting energy when not properly controlled.
• Incensive Power: (Greek: θυμοειδές) Matthew 5:5; Ephesians 4:26; James 1:20. The energy dealing with anger (originally), later came to mean spirited or strength of spirit, zeal. Properly used to stop negative energy and movements that corrupt us and instead we make it a forceful energy to pursue God.

Genesis 1:26-28

Image of God: The specific language of Scripture and the Fathers is important concerning Image of God. Christ is the only Image of God (II Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15). According to our Tradition, Man is “in the Image of God.” In. God possesses uncreated essence and uncreated energy; so too, the soul of Man possesses created essence and created energy. We are in the Image of God because we have a nous, a logoi, and a spirit and God is Nous, Logos, and Spirit. Our nous is a portal to know God, our logos has its origin and resting place in the Logos (Christ), and we have spirit which gives life to the whole body and directs the soul. Being in the Image of God, man has the potential to become god by grace (St. Athanasius of Alexandria, De Incarnatione, I). Likeness of God: There is an impetus in man to advance from the Image of God to the Likeness of God. When man has the likeness of God he actualizes his godliness and becomes a real person. At this point, man (with his own cooperation and initiative) is filled with the Holy Spirit and the Spirit guides, orders, and deifies man. He is filled with the divine energies of God to reveal the Glory of God in his body and soul. He becomes “by grace what God is by nature” (St. Athanasius of Alexandria, De Incarnatione, I). We become like God to a finitely infinite degree, we never stop becoming!

Revelation 22:13; Ephesians 1:9-12

Αρχή: (transliteration: arche) Beginning or Source. The beginning, source, active cause, purpose, and origin of the logos for all created things. Since a logoi is a deposit of God in creation, that deposit comes from somewhere. This somewhere is given the name arche. This arche from God sets the natural order and movements of the soul.Τέλος: (transliteration: telos)End / Destiny. The end (but not in the sense of termination but of destination), aim, result, and destiny of the logos for all created things. The understanding from ancient times is that things move and are dynamic and not in a static existence.This movement of our soul and logos naturally goes to the resting place from which it came (its arche), i.e. the Logos, Christ. However, by choice we can move it away from its natural destiny but this only gives us difficulty and suffering. Grace: (χάρις–where we get charisma) Genesis 6:8; II Corinthians 12:9; Galatians 2:9; Ephesians 3:7; Colossians 3:16. This is much more than God’s positive disposition toward man. It is more than favor or acceptance from God. This is a real substance we were created to receive. A substance that has an organic effect on our souls and bodies. It is uncreated energy from God. Along with receiving this substance is a relational aspect, which is man’s ability, influence, or his own power to attract the same (ability, influence, and power) from the one he is beseeching. It is a real and shared thing. There are numerous references to this energy and power throughout the Sacred Scriptures...
Synonyms:

• Mercy: (Greek: ἔλεος) Exodus 25:17-22; Psalm 135; Hosea 10:12; Matthew 17:15; II Corinthians 4:1
• Divine Power: Luke 5:17; 6:19; 8:45-46
• Glory of God: (Greek: Δόξα του Θεού) Exodus 24:16-17; 40:34-35; Deuteronomy 5:24; III Kingdoms 8:11; II Chronicles 7:1-3; Isaiah 6:3; 60:1-2,19
• Uncreated Light: Daniel 12:3; Matthew 17:2; John 8:12; II Corinthians 4:4-7; II Peter 1:19
• Uncreated Energy (used by the Fathers to combine all these meanings)

These can be related in this way: Mercy is the cause of energy we supplicate God for His energy and the act of providing energy is mercy. Grace is the energy itself. Power is the effect this energy has. Glory and Light is the manifestation of this energy either sensibly or noetically.

Virtue: The virtues are found in God, they are part of God’s uncreated energy. Man has his own energy. The Spirit of God unites the energy of God as virtue to man’s energy thereby manifesting virtues in himself. Man’s energy is virtue when healthy and powered by the Holy Spirit. Virtue is man’s energy, behaving naturally towards God and his fellow man in god-like manner. Man is unhealthy when these energies are used in selfish ways. Philippians 4:8.
Examples:

• Mother of all Virtues – Humility.
• Cardinal Virtues – Prudence, Justice / Righteousness, Temperance, Courage
• Theological Virtues – Faith, Hope, Love

Genesis 3; Romans 5:12

Fall: The moment of disobedience when man ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. With the Fall, man lost the glory of God as part of their human existence. With this loss, all the gifts that come from God went from actual gifts to potential gifts, i.e. we no longer had the likeness of God and instead possess a corrupted image of Him and we no longer had true human personhood but subhuman and animal-like existence (given skin). At the Fall of Man, some Fathers distinguish two falls that occurred. The spiritual fall was the darkening of the nous which led to the physical fall which was the introduction of corruption, sin, and death.
Consequences:

• Corruption: When our first parents turned their attention (the energy of their nous) from communion with God and obedience to His commandments their nous became darkened. It could no longer receive grace, divine energy. The powers of the soul became distorted and perverted. This corruption that resulted in man’s disobedience is properly understood as sickness and disease. Man, as the crowning jewel of creation, means he was the point of contact between the energy from God to sustain creation and the distribution of that energy. When man cut off his nous from this energy it subsequently cut off this energy to creation. Thus, when man became corrupt, the rest of creation followed him into corruption. Instead of being immutable, like God, everything became subject to change. Corruption is the process of deterioration, aging, and death.
  Two types:

  • oΦθορά (phthora): change, sickness, suffering, etc.
  • oΔιαφθορά (diaphthora): decomposition, dissolution, decay, etc.

• Death: This is an unnatural event for man. While it is unnatural, God generally allows it so that corruption and immorality do not continue on indefinitely. The Fathers who see two falls which occurred with our first parents, also see two deaths. The first fall caused an immediate death in man, a spiritual death which was the darkening of the nous, resulting in the stripping of grace and separation of the soul from God. There is also a physical death following later as a result of prolonged corruption. Physical death should primarily be understood as the separation of the soul from the body. Hebrews 2:15.

• Sin/Passion: (ex. Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Envy, & Anger)Romans 3:23. A result from the fear of death. Sin literally means “missing the mark” (Greek: ἁμαρτία). All our energies, our nous, our logoi, our spirit, our appetitive and incensive energies, are to be directed toward God. When these energies are not aimed towards God then they miss the mark, virtue ceases, and we sin. Passion (Greek:πάθος) means suffering. Passion is the disposition towards a certain sin and weakness of will to often repeat it. At the Fall, the powers of our soul decayed and became infected with passion. When man has a passion, he falls into sin with little or no struggle and is easily provoked. A sin becomes a passion when man goes beyond habitually committing it but suffers under its tyranny. James 1:14-15.

• Pleasure/Pain: Before the Fall, there was a noetic pleasure that man experienced that was a means of bringing him to God. The act of disobedience was the devil succeeding in bringing man’s attention via pleasure from God to the created object itself (this is the origins of sensual pleasure). After the Fall and with the establishment of the curse, sensual pleasure was completely linked with pain as a “chastising force” to correct man when his attention from pleasure is misplaced away from God. Now, man maniacally pursues pleasure then questions why he experiences pain; he finds himself trapped.

• Ancestral Sin: The name the Church gives to Adam and Eve’s sin at the Fall. In the West it is called “original sin.” The ancestral sin is a disease which first infected Adam and Eve and by the power of death passes to all their children by conception from a carnal union. The children organically inherit a condition of corrupted humanity.

Hebrews 2:3

Salvation: (Greek: σῴζω; literally “healing”) To be cured from the effects of the fall and restored to true humanity in communion with the living God. We are saved from:

1. The fear of death and the slavery which results from it.
2. The corruption of sin (the passion’s driving force to pursue pleasure above everything else)
3. The tyranny of Satan over our spirit which draws us away from our Creator and God.

God’s salvation heals our broken humanity. Salvation restores the powers of the soul (Intellectual, Appetitive, and Incensive); it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; it is the Image of God restored and the Likeness of God achieved; it is our destined union from the One from whom we receive our origin and being; it is NOT a“get out of jail free” card. Salvation means something different depending on whether it is referencing the past, present or future. Salvation, in a past tense, means through the death and resurrection of Christ we have been saved from death and its power of sin (II Timothy 1:8-10). Salvation, in a present tense, means we must also actively participate through faith towards our union with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12). Salvation, in a future tense, means the final victory against death at His glorious Second Coming (Revelation20:10-14).

Theanthropos: (Greek: Θεανθρωπος, Theos (God) + Anthropos (man) = Theanthroposor Godman) This is the Messiah prophesied to visit the world in a historical period of time and accomplishes the salvation of men. He is the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 9:6.

Repentance: (Greek: μετάνοια; meta (after, beyond) + noia (nous or the intellectual aspect) = Metanoia or Repentance) To change our mind about how we live and turning from our sin towards a commitment to Christ. In repentance, the disposition of the powers of attention and thoughtgo beyond this corrupt world to the source life, i.e. God. Repent from its Latin origins means to regret or make sorry. This is the initial act of repentance but the word metanoia means more than regret. It is a way of life to allow one to attract the glory of God and make oneself under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to sense his power.

Asceticism: (Greek: άσκηση; like exercise) Ascesis is the effort to conform the powers of the soul and the actions of the body to the strict fulfillment of the commandments of Jesus Christ. The commandments wash and clean our nous. It is not for the sake of formalism or legalism, to qualify for God’s favor. It’s purpose is to create an environment in the soul and collect the energy of the nous for receiving grace, divine energy in order to transform the passions into virtues once again, clean a place for the visitation of God, and restore us to the likeness of God. This is our salvation. This is why we are to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling...” It requires great effort. I Corinthians 9:24-27.
Consisting of:

• Prayer: Matthew 6:5-8; Luke 11:9-13
• Fasting: Matthew 6:16-18; Psalm 69:10; Joel 2:12
• Almsgiving: Matthew 6:1-4; Luke 21:1-4

John 4:20-26

Worship:

• Λατρεία: (transliteration: latria) Sacrificial service. Hebrews 9:14. This is properly offered to God alone. It is an internal action; an offering of the nous on the altar of the heart. It also involves sacrifice and we only offer this act of sacrifice to God in Holy Communion. The ancient Israelites offered it to God by eating the meat of the sacrifices offered to God, but this was only foreshadowing what occurs during the Divine Liturgy.The action offered to anyone or anything other than God is called idolatry.
• Προσκύνησις: (transliteration: proskenesis; literally: to bow down and/or kiss) Veneration. Matthew 28:9. This word is used with anyone to whom is due honor. It is an external and physical action. We offer it to God, the Theotokos, the Angels, and Saints, when we kiss icons, sing hymns, or pray to them; it can even be offered to the earth. When we offer it to the Saints or the earth, we actually offer it to God through them. The Saints are icons of Christ, the earth belongs to God the Creator and is His footstool and His handiwork. What is done to the image is passed to the prototype.

2 Additional Points:

• “in spirit and in truth”: The Truth is Jesus Christ, the Logos of God. He brings more than understanding of truth but as a Person is Truth itself; we have a relationship with Truth. Truth of Christ and His Faith is absolutely necessary for proper worship of God. Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The spirit brings healing to man’s brokenness and makes us clean vessels for the coming of Christ into our heart. This occurs in cooperation with our ascetical effort. Worship in spirt and truth is the pursuit and reception of God. Galatians 4:6.
• “Kingdom of God”: (Greek: Βασιλεία τοῦΘεοῦ) Luke 17:21. The term “kingdom of God” does not appear in the New Testament. The proper translation is “reign of God.” The problem with “kingdom of God” is that kingdom is a creation of God. The reign of God is an uncreated energy. Fr. John Romanides says:

“Vaticanians, Protestants, and even many Orthodox today do not see that the promise of Christ to His apostles in Mt. 16:28, Lk. 9:27, and Mk. 9:1, i.e. that they will see God’s ruling power, was fulfilled during the Transfiguration which immediately follows in the above three gospels.”

Mark 8:27-9:9; Romans 8:13-18

Praxis/Purification: (Greek: πρᾶξις) Action; ascetic practice. Sometimes called practical philosophy. The practice of ascetical struggle and exercise of virtue instead of passion. The work of purification begins externally and with continued work it becomes internal. Involves being steadfast in one’s acceptance of the faith. One starts with the moral life of the Church according to commandments of Christ.Then one reaches a point of clearing all thoughts from the nous except one, the thought (remembrance) of God which takes place in the heart and not the head. Praxis is informed by theoria. Praxis also orients manto theoria.

Nepsis: Watchfulness. The kind of sober-minded vigilance that characterizes the ascetic life.The watchfulness is for the energy and attacks of the demons when the ascetic engages in hesychia.

Hesychia: Stillness. The practice of stillness, rest, and silence in the presence of God. The withdrawal of the nous from sensible and created things and its entry into the heart (its natural location) to acquire peace.

Theoria: (Greek: θεωρία) Contemplation; union with and vision of God. In theoria, man is filled with ecstaticlove of God Who is intimately dwelling in his heart. Theoria isthe dynamic perfectionand end (Τέλος) of man.This is a complete transformation of a sub-human to a normal human, as God created him. Theoria is not something we accomplish on our own but is a gift from the work of purification given by the will of God. Faith no longer becomes a matter of hearing and acceptance but reaches a new phase of understanding beyond words and created categories. In theoria, grace is seen as light and glory.

• Illumination: (also Sanctification). Visitation by the Holy Spirit.This illumination is of the nous and the heart. The accomplishment of clearing thoughts from the nous is a detachment of the rational and noetic faculties (I Corinthians14:15) where the Holy Spirit descends into the heart to for Him to illuminate by the grace of God and pray without ceasing, called noetic prayer(I Thessalonians 5:17). This is when we become actual temples of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). Illumination is an observable part of our inward life. Since this grace is the uncreated light, we become a light to other (Matthew 5:14). We become a bearer of divine Tradition which, at its core, is the passing of the torch (i.e. to become a shining light to illumine others). An illumined person can see the energy of God as light in all of creation.

• Theosis: (Greek: θέωσις; also Deification / Glorification) Participation in glory and vision of God. Matthew 5:48; John 10:34 (c.f. Psalm 82:6); II Corinthians 12:2-4; II Peter 1:3-4; I John 3:2. See “likeness of God” above. We possess the uncreated Divine Light and actually see physically and noetically the Glory of God.“God became man so that man might become god” (St. Athanasius of Alexandria, De Incarnatione, LIV, 3).Anorganic, ontological, and real union with God’s glory, in the same way iron unites with fire (a common analogy in the Church).In theosis, prayer, words, theology stops and divine vision is taking place instead. At the end of an episode in theosis, prayer of the heart resumes and theology begins (I Corinthians 13:8-10). The participation in glory is not limited to the soul, but through the soul, it also reaches the body. This is why we have miracle-working relics in the Church. This is the experience of Pentecost and Pentecost is a continuing experience for those in theosis (while in the Old Testament, theosis was different and more difficult since the Christ had not yet conquered the power of death at His resurrection).

Φρόνημα: (transliteration: phronima ) Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos says phronima is “the whole atmosphere which distinguishes a man, his particular way of life...” A man’s phronima is his worldview; the particular context in which he views and lives his life.

Saint: (Greek: άγιος) Holy. Those who share in the illuminating and glorifying energies of God. Saints are not just nice people who only believe words in the Bible (moralism or pietism) but have fulfilled all the commandments of Christ and live in theoria. Simply put, a human being who is cured of the effects of the Fall.

Galatians 1:8-12

Orthodox: (Greek Ορθόδοξος; literally: “straight glory”) Oftentimes translated as “correct belief.” The way of life that involves body, soul, heart, and mind—the whole man.“Glory” meaning the energies that direct one’s soul and life (God has uncreated energy, we have created energy); “straight” meaning those energies go straight to God and do not “miss the mark.” How is this come to be translated as correct belief? “Orthodox” as correct belief means truth arrives from theoria after the praxis of ascetical effort in which we straighten our glory (energy) into virtue instead of passion.

Heresy: False teaching or deviating from the dogmas of the Church. Since theoria and praxis are inseparable then a false theory will create a false practice. Dogma comes from those in theosis for the purpose of leading the Faithful who practice their instruction to theoria. If a theoretical teaching blocks a path towards successfully practicing one’s path towards healing and communion with God, then the Church calls this a heresy. Heresies rely and often come from philosophy.