[b-greek] Re: oikonomia as "incarnation"?

From: James Ernest (jernest@hendrickson.com)
Date: Wed Nov 01 2000 - 09:50:31 EST


Karen,
This thread is old now--but I've been busy and haven't been able to keep
current with the list.

I think "incarnation" is simply correct here, as SP explained. I recall
reading various 5th-century discussions in which theologia and oikonomia are
the two headings under which Christ is discussed: i.e., the Word considered
with regard to deity and the Word considered with regard to the incarnation.
I'm sorry references don't pop into my head, but I imagine standard
histories and anthologies of the Christological and Trinitarian
controversies would turn them up quickly enough. The usage (oikonimia =
incarnation) goes back at least into the fourth century; e.g., these two
texts from Athanasius, De decretis:

De decretis 1.5

de/on to\ e)/mpalin au)tou\s le/gein: diati/ su\ qeo\s w)\n a)/nqrwpos
ge/gonas; ta\ ga\r e)/rga qeo\n au)to\n e)dei/knuen, i(/na th\n me\n
a)gaqo/thta tou= patro\s proskunh/swsi, th\n de\ di' h(ma=s au)tou=
oi)konomi/an qauma/swsi.

De decretis 25.3

Dionu/sios de\ o( geno/menos e)pi/skopos th=s )A|lecandrei/as kata\
Sabelli/ou gra/fwn th/n te kata\ sa/rka oi)konomi/an tou= swth=ros dia\
pleio/nwn e)chgou/menos kai\ e)c au)th=s diele/gxwn tou\s Sabelli/zontas,
o(/ti mh\ o( path/r e)stin o( geno/menos sa/rc, a)ll' o( tou/tou lo/gos, w(s
ei)=pen o( )Iwa/nnhs...

To SP's note I would add that another commonly used term for the incarnation
was enanqrwpesis (inhominization). For fuller documentation, Lampe is
always also a good idea, as SP suggested.

James

------------------------------------------------------
James D. Ernest
Acquisitions Editor, Hendrickson Publishers
Ph.D. cand., Boston College
S-MAIL: Hendrickson Publishers, 140 Summit Street, P. O. Box 3473
  Peabody, MA 01961-3473 USA
FAX: 978/573-8243
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E-MAIL: ernest@bc.edu (accessible to me anywhere)
E-MAIL: jernest@hendrickson.com (accessible to me in the office)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Puluka [mailto:spuluka@hotmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 7:53 PM
To: Biblical Greek
Subject: [b-greek] Re: oikonomia as "incarnation"?


----- Original Message -----
From: "Karen Mendez" <karen_mendez@gotmail.com>
> "John, the most reverend bishop and legate of the Eastern high priests
> said: This heresy is the worst of all heresies. Woe to the iconoclasts! It
is
> the worst of heresies, as it subverts the incarnation (oikonomian) of our
> Saviour."
>
> I don't have access to the Greek text, but I wonder whether the
translation
> "incarnation" for "oikonomia" is usual and I would
> appreciate if someone could suggest an alternative translation.

Karen,

OIKONOMIA is the Greek term taken over by the Patristic writers for the
actions of God in the world. Economy, as we render it in English, pertains
to anything where God acts in the physical world. The chief example being
God becoming man in the person of Jesus. But the concept also applies to
the actions of the Spirit as well. In the passage above the incarnation is
the particular type of economy in question.

The iconoclasts destroyed Icons in the Churches based on the ten commandant
order to make no images of God. The use of Icons prevailed at this council
based on the argument that the incarnation brought God to a visable form
that could be depicted. By not allowing Icons of Christ, the iconoclasts
were denying the true Divinity of Christ

SARKWSIS is the word typically used in Patristic Greek for the incarnation
itself.

For a brief discussion on the Divine Economy see Vladimir Lossky's "The
Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" St. Vladimir Seminary Press, 1976.
Chapter 7 covers the Economy of the Son and Chapter 8 the Economy of the
Spirit.

No doubt Lampe's Patristic Greek Lexicon would also yield further
information and references for you, but I don't have access to that work
handy.

Steve Puluka
Chair of the Adult Education Committee
Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh

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