Perichoresis and Personhood: God Christ and Salvation in John of Damascus: 216 (Princeton Theological Monograph)

Perichoresis (mutual indwelling) is a concept used extensively in the so-called Trinitarian revival; and yet no book-length study in English exists probing how the term actually developed in the classical period of Christian doctrine and how it was carefully deployed in relation to Christian dogma. Consequently perichoresis is often used in imprecise and even careless ways. This path-breaking study aims at placing our understanding of the term on firmer footing clarifying its actual usage in relation to doctrines of God Christ and salvation in the thought of John of Damascus the eighth-century theologian monk and hymn writer who gave it its historically influential application. Since John summed up a whole theological tradition this work provides not only an introduction to his theological vision but also to the key themes of Greek patristic thought generally and thereby lays an essential foundation for those who would dig deeper into the present-day usefulness of perichoresis. Those who have delved deep in the resources of patristic theology for the sake of theological renewal have long seen the concept of perichoresis as a vein of gold. But few have explored to sufficient degree the terms complexity and versatility. Twomblys book shows us how much potential treasure lies hidden by offering an extended meditation on the most fundamental structures of John Damascenes perichoretic theology. His study is greatly to be welcomed and offers much to any student of early Christian thought. --Lewis Ayres Professor of Historical Theology Durham University Durham UK I recently set out looking for a reliable guide to the concept of perichoresis in the thought of John of Damascus only to discover with surprise and disappointment that such a book seemed not to exist. How could that be given the concepts popularity and Johns undisputed importance in its shaping? I still have no answer to that question so far as the past is concerned but I am delighted to report that on this score the future is brighter. There is a sure-footed intelligent and thorough guide on this topic. You are holding it in your hands. --Kendall Soulen Professor of Systematic Theology Wesley Theological Semimary Washington D.C. Perichoresis is an inexhaustibly attractive idea invoked in Trinitarian revivals and essential some believe to an understanding of the divine fellowship for which we humans were made. In this wonderfully lucid study of John Damascene Charles Twombly provides what is most needed to ground contemporary reflection: a discerning account of what perichoresis has historically meant not only to this last of the Fathers but to the cumulative tradition he bequeathed to Christendom East and West. --Carol Zaleski Professor of World Religions Smith College Northampton MA St. John Damascene famously said I shall say nothing of my own and much modern scholarship has taken him at his word. Yet as Charles Twombly shows John Damascene was a truly original theologian. His notion of perichoresis co-inherence though it has precedents in earlier Fathers becomes in his theology a golden thread drawing together his understanding of the Trinity the incarnation and our union with God our deification. This lucid and profound study makes a major contribution to our understanding of John and his enduring significance. --Andrew Louth Professor emeritus of Patristic and Byzantine Studies Durham University Darlington UK For a long time now the looser sort of constructive theology has been afflicted with a bad case of galloping perichoresis and it has become trendy to say that just about anything mutually indwells just about anything else--perichoretically. This book recovers the witness of John of Damascus to help restore a great theological category to its proper place. Equal parts historical reconstruction and dogmatic clarification Twomblys book celebrates the vast systematic scope of