The hypostatic principle is central to the theology of Saint Sophrony. Man, created in the image and likeness of God, reaches his perfection when he becomes a person-hypostasis, resembling his Archetype, Christ. The hypostatic principle in man is manifest as a visible reality in the persons of the Saints, who have been assimilated into the Lord Jesus and are bearers of His word. Whenever Saint Sophrony spoke of the concept of personhood, he always sketched the spiritual figure of his Elder, Saint Silouan. Yet, his own figure also revealed the ‘true man’, whom God had in mind before the ages, and what His ‘true work’ is.

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‘What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment?’ (Job 7:7-18)

EnglishHardback Clothbound with Dust JacketEPUB reflowable271 pages20151st editionSee all book details ↓

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Book details

AuthorArchimandrite Zacharias Zacharou

LanguageEnglish

Book coverHardback Clothbound with Dust Jacket

FormatEPUB reflowable

Print length271 pages

PublisherThe Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist

Edition1st edition

Publication year2015

ISBN978-1-918281-37-8

Introduction

THE GOD OF ΟUR FATHERS

1. ‘Am that I Am’: Revelation of the Person of Christ in the Life of Elder Sophrony
2. Personhood: the Fruit of the Vision of the Uncreated Light
3. The Portrait of Personhood in Saint Silouan

CHRIST, THE FATHER OF THE WORLD TO COME

4. Theology as a Spiritual State of the Person
5. The Hypostatic Principle, a Unique Gift of the Triune God
6. The Hypostatic Mode of Being in the Life and Ministry of Elder Sophrony

THOU HAST MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE

7. The Path of the Human Persona
8. Obedience as a Means to Attain to Personhood
9. The Divine Name and Hypostatic Prayer
10. Tears: the Healing of the Person

Epilogue

On Personhood

Index of Biblical References

Book sample

Excerpts (1)

In the theology of Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony, man is the target of divine visitations that serve to make him aware of the image of Christ within him. God created man in His ‘image and likeness’. Although this image has become distorted, the purpose of man’s life in the Church is that it should be perfectly restored. Saint Sophrony referred to the image of God in man as man’s ‘hypostasis’ or ‘personhood’. He taught that this image cannot be realised without the witness of a saint or elder, who demonstrates likeness unto Christ and bears His word. For this reason, he often explained the principle of personhood through reference to the life and writings of Saint Silouan.

In this book, Archimandrite Zacharias, the disciple of Saint Sophrony, likewise presents the principle of personhood through the lives of the elders of his monastery, Saint Silouan and Saint Sophrony. He also examines attributes of personhood in terms of dogma and spiritual practice. Throughout Man, the Target of God, Father Zacharias elaborates on aspects of the theme of personhood which were previously introduced in his doctorate Christ, Our Way and Our Life – A Presentation of the Theology of Saint Sophrony. He developed his thought in a series of lectures in Athens and America, which later became the basis for this book.

— From: Man, the Target of God