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Divine Breath and the Process of Creation. The Allusions to Gen 2:7 in the Catechetical Rhetoric of Cyril of Jerusalem

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Huovinen H.

Vox Patrum

2024

vol. 89

69-84

Previous scholarship inadequately acknowledged the diverse ways in which Cyril of Jerusalem employed the breath-related vocabulary related to or derived from Gen 2:7. A systematic analysis of Cyril’s catechetical homilies revealed that in his rhetoric, this vocabulary was utilized in several distinct contexts. First, it was used to describe the creation of humans as living beings. Secondly, the vocabulary depicted a pre-Pentecost mediation of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit could be interpreted as another form of “breathing.” Fourthly, breath-related vocabulary was employed in reference to three ecclesiastical rites of initiation, indicating their pneumatological significance. This collective utilization of Biblical accounts of breathing, alongside depictions of post-Biblical ecclesiastical rites, formed a coherent narrative aimed at instructing catechetical audiences about the historical sequence of human creation. This narrative encompassed the divine vivification of the tangible body and postlapsarian revivification through the Holy Spirit. Simultaneously, it became evident that Cyril’s use of this vocabulary aligned with his overall allusionary approach to employing Scripture in catechesis.

Linear, Cyclical, and Spiral? History in Fourth-Century Greek Catechists

100%

Huovinen H.

Vox Patrum

2024

vol. 91

235-263

This article delves into the previously underexplored conceptualizations of history articulated in the initiatory homilies of late fourth-century Greek catechists Cyril of Jerusalem and John Chrysostom. Grounded in their interpretation of the (Judeo-)Christian tradition, both authors conceive history as a divine narrative, constituting a coherent “history of salvation”. Metaphorically, their historical understanding can be illustrated as a spatial entity characterized through geometric imagery. A systematic analysis of their catecheses reveals that, fundamentally, both authors maintain a linear perspective on history, emphasizing divine beginning in creation and continuing through the present toward an eschatological consummation. Nonetheless, Cyril introduces more nuanced models, including cyclical depictions, notably a four-staged vision of paradise intertwined with a spiral-like conception of history. Owing seemingly to their primary objective of guiding audiences toward robust engagement with the Christian tradition and ecclesial participation, both authors refrain from addressing themes that might provoke unwarranted speculation. By presenting these insights, this article offers a novel contribution to the scholarship on late fourth-century theology of history, concurrently paving the way for historiographical exploration in modern scholarship of late antique Christian sources.

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2 Vox Patrum

2 Huovinen H.

2 2024

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Divine Breath and the Process of Creation. The Allusions to Gen 2:7 in the Catechetical Rhetoric of Cyril of Jerusalem

Linear, Cyclical, and Spiral? History in Fourth-Century Greek Catechists