Maximal perichoresis

Perichoresis was originally a Christological notion, describing the mutual penetration-without-mixture of the divine and human natures in Christ. It of course became primarily a concept in Trinitarian theology, but, according to Verna Harrison, in Maximus it was understood as an anthropological and cosmic pattern. Harrison writes,

“Maximus, however, places special emphasis on the anthropological and cosmic consequences of the incarnation, as the passage we have quoted indicates. Elsewhere, in a text incorporating Stoic language and concepts, he speaks of a union of opposites in the cosmos and particularly in the human body whose parts are preserved in unity through an interpntration of opposites into each other in accordance with the mixture [citing Ambigua 17] . . . .This passage clearly locates perichoresis in the context of Stoic mixture theory . . . . it also suggests a parallel between the mutual interpntration built into the structure of the created natural world and the mutual interpenetration between God and divinized creationthat occurs through grace.”In Maximus, this cosmic coinherence “appears to characterize realities at every level,” but it does so Christologically: “Christ is at the center, but the effects of the hypostatic union in him between Creator and creation extend throughout the universe” (59).

At the end of her article, she concludes:

“In regard to the created world, Maximus’ understanding of perichoresis is particularly suggestive. He sees it first of all as a kind of interconnectedness and commingling among created things themselves. Added to this is the mutual indwelling of God and the saints, who, in an ever-active repose that is both static and dynamic, become identical to him in energy as far as is possible. By extension, life in the Kingdom can perhaps be envisaged as a mutual interchange of energies, i.e., of the free and conscious personal life and self-manifestation of all who participate in it. There is, in other words, a radical giving of one’s own being to God and to all other persons, as far as is possible, and a receiving of theirs in return. This perichoresis of love is the created likeness and manifestation of the Holy Trinity, and it ultimately extends through glorified angelic and human persons to include all varieties of created beings in a coinherence with God and with each other” (65).

This conclusion is based in part of this passage from Maximus:”The soul’s salvation is the consummation of faith. This consummation is the revelation of what has been believed. Revelation is the inexpressible interpenetration ( perichoresis ) of the believer with (or toward, pros ) the object of belief and takes place according to each believer’s degree of faith. Through that interpntration the believer finally returns to his origin. The return is the fulfillment of desire. Fulfillment of desire is ever-active repose in the object of desire. Such repose is eternal uninterrupted enjoyment of this object. Enjoyment of this kind entails participation in supranatural divine realities. This participation consists in the participant becoming like that in which he participates. Such likeness involves, so far as this is possible, an identity with respect to energy between the participant and that in which he participates by virtue of the likeness. This identity withrespect to energy constitutes the deification of the saints” (58-59).

Verna Harrison, “Perichoresis in the Greek Fathers,” St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 35 (1991) 53-65.