What is it about?
First used by the eastern church fathers, the concept of perichoresis offered a way of attempting to express the mutual indwelling or co-inherence in Christ, of the incarnate Λόγος of both human and divine natures. Later, the fathers described the personal triune relationship of Father, Son and Spirit as perichoresis. This concept expressed how the unity and distinction are combined in the persons of the trinity, in the natures of Christ, as well as in creation as reunited with God. The noun περιχώρησις names the dynamic process of making room for another around oneself, or to extend one’s self round about
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Why is it important?
In my own view, it is not Trinitarian, as Moltmann claims (Moltmann, 1997: pp. 15-17) but Christological perichoresis that can be known as a starting point for an ecological doctrine of creation.
Perspectives
This theological idea allows me to respond to ecofeminism from a Christian view realizing Christ’s cosmic role in the salvation of the entire cosmos. I made my case for an Christological perichoresis as an evolutionary step further in the direction of ecofeminist theology. Α main contribution of ecofeminist theologies is that they stretch the limits of Christology and salvation toward ecological responsibility and a vision of cosmic salvation. Since Augustine in the west, theology emphasizes human uniqueness focusing the doctrine of redemption on the salvation of the human soul. Τhe anthropocentric conception of salvation led to the exclusion of non-human creation from the vision of redemption realizing only humans as the object of divine cosmic concern. Ecofeminist theologies challenge the use of Christology as a witness for patriarchal structures in both church and society that keep the domination of one sex over the other and permit exploitation of the ecosystems as well. Christian trinitarianism reveals for Christians and affirms for modern science, the sacred cosmic nature. Our encounter with God in Christ is a transformation and a renewal of ourselves so as to discern the will of God and follow it; a kenosis of our egocentric self so that Christ to be reborn in us. Paul sees the encounter with God as a rebirth, not as intellectually gained knowledge. Christological perichoresis springs from the divinity permeating ineffably through flesh to glorify it. This understanding could have crucial implications for theological anthropology, undercutting ideas of human life apart from creation.
Dr Ioanna Sahinidou
GEC Greek Evangelical Church
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Christological Perichoresis, Open Journal of Philosophy, January 2014, Scientific Research Publishing, Inc,,
DOI: 10.4236/ojpp.2014.44057.
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