Logos and logoi

[Mina Mounir]

Hello , I was just reading this passage of fr. Dumitru Staniloae :

Once drawn into union with God by the sacrificed and risen body of the Lord we , the works of his hands, are also drawn into union among ourselves. our own logoi and the logoi of our existences are attracted to union with the divine Logos, the Word is Whom we find our eternal archetypes and whom our natures yearn as for the fathomless depths of the secret source of that knowledge we crave of the essence of all things. when our wills return to their formity with their own being and their own inner rational purposes and structures logoi , and have rejected the arbitrary dispositions of their irrational and unnatural selfishness, then they are called to be united to the human will of Christ and through it to his divine will which is one with the human will
fr. Dumitru Staniloae , Theology and the Church , SVS Press , p.202-203
what does the logoi mean ? and is there any recommended readings about it ? what is the difference between " our own logoi " and the " logoi of owr existences" ?
thanks in advance

[Rick H.]

There might be something somewhere in this thread for you Mina.


Contemplation of the divine Logos - Monachos.net Discussion Community (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3526&highlight=contemplation+divine+logos)

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Hello , I was just reading this passage of fr. Dumitru Staniloae :

fr. Dumitru Staniloae , Theology and the Church , SVS Press , p.202-203
what does the logoi mean ? and is there any recommended readings about it ? what is the difference between " our own logoi " and the " logoi of owr existences" ?
thanks in advance

I take it that 'our own logoi' refers to the image & likeness as found in human nature. It also involves the dynamic drive of human nature towards the fulfillment of its purpose in Christ.

St Maximus refers to this reality in many of his writings. And reference to this can be found in several works on St Maximus; eg Fr Georges Florovsky; and also Lars Thunberg- Man & the Cosmos (SVS Press). It's often better to start with works on St Maximus by other writers: most of his works range over many different themes in a free way so finding one theme among them is hard work.

I am not sure what distinction Fr Dumitru is making between 'our own logoi' and 'logoi of our existences'. Fr Dumitri's language is very intense at times and tries to convey the context found in his own heart and mind.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Owen Jones]

We need a great simplifier to translate this complicated technical language into common sense terms that everyone can understand.