The meaning of 'perichoresis'

[Eleonora Klein]

I have been asked about the meaning of the word περιχώριση which would be in Russian Соприкосновени.
I could not find out anything by my myself (and I tried hard).
So please, if anyone of the scolars here could help me.

Thank you

Eleonora

[Grace Singh]

Perichoresis on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perichoresis)

Discussion Thread on Perichoresis from Monachos (http://www.monachos.net/forum/showthread.php?5486-Perichoresis-in-the-Trinity)

[Owen Jones]

There is a lot of good definitional info in the two links, but experientially, periochoresis is an inkling of something that we all seek and aspire to, whether we realize it or not. So while the term in its most rigorous theological context applies only to God, the fact that we can even speak of such a thing suggests a link that we all have to God's Essence. That is to say, it is not an abstract doctrine. Although I think it is uniquely Christian. And the doctrine has changed the whole world. Placed the whole world in a different mode of existence if you will, with people trying to experience this reality in all sorts of distorted ways: Woodstock for example. Or in modern political ideology.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

There is a lot of good definitional info in the two links, but experientially, periochoresis is an inkling of something that we all seek and aspire to, whether we realize it or not. So while the term in its most rigorous theological context applies only to God, the fact that we can even speak of such a thing suggests a link that we all have to God's Essence. That is to say, it is not an abstract doctrine. Although I think it is uniquely Christian. And the doctrine has changed the whole world. Placed the whole world in a different mode of existence if you will, with people trying to experience this reality in all sorts of distorted ways: Woodstock for example. Or in modern political ideology.

For about ten years seeing as how my background at university was in history, and reading history is still one of my favourite hobbies (especially in terms of history of culture), I was involved in tracking down the roots of the great Schism and separation of the west from Orthodoxy. I gave this up as an ongoing project a number of years ago. But one thing I came to is that most all interpretations- that basically the whole story is that the west simply lost track of Orthodoxy- leave something essential out. After all, in many societies Orthodoxy was completely absent and there was little to no trace of the markers of western society- a very particular dynamic drive; ideology; periodic millennialism (these all have similarities in temperament). Pondering this I eventually came to the sense that the schism cannot be explained only in terms of departure from Orthodoxy (unless meant in a purely negative sense of division rather than in the sense of what it actually led to in the west); there also must be a necessary reference to some sort of dynamic force not found in other societies.

Here the only conclusion could be Christianity; or rather Christianity shedding its Orthodoxy (ie being properly lived out on a Patristic basis). There is no need here to deny that Christianity and aspects of an Orthodoxy continued well past the Middle Ages and into our own times. But the main point is that having been the driving force of western society for so long (1000 years is quite a long time) that incredible driving force towards culmination in the perfect found in Christianity still remained. Again there is no need to fail to recognize that this desire for union was manifested in religious form towards Christ and still is. But what is striking is that this drive towards perfection can operate in a completely secular fashion & without Christ due to its inherent attraction. The danger however is that this drive turns back on itself since perfection outside of God and Christ easily becomes its exact opposite settling either on the insignificant as significant (just for the feeling of it) or of engaging in what can be only temporal or even truly evil and mistaking it for the doorway to paradise and the culmination of history.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[David Puline]

Hello All. I know this is very late but I found an old article on perichoresis that I printed out some years ago from the Baxter site...as he defined it as "to dance". The above imput was helpful in my study. Blessings for 2011.

[Edith M. Humphrey]

David, I am having trouble posting this late response, but will try again.


The etymology of perichōrēsis (verb perichōreō, not the verb perichoreuō) does not come from the root noun choros (meaning “chorus,” as in Greek tragedy, or “dance”) but chōra (meaning “place”). Though the preposition peri often has the connotation of “around,” so that the noun can mean “rotation,” peri also means “about, near, by, above, beyond”, and so perichōrēsis also takes on the meaning of “going beyond one’s place” or “making room for.” The ancient theologians used the word to refer to the reciprocity, alternation and interpenetration of the persons of the Trinity; in Latin, both the words circumincessiō (interpenetration) and circuminsessiō (mutual indwelling) were necessary to approximate the dynamic Greek. The point is that the term does not evoke anything so frivolous as a dance, but is used to describe the great mystery by which Persons of the holy Trinity occupy the same “space,” yet are “near and towards” each other, in their distinctness. (By the way, in one ancient text, the cherubim are said to “dance” –perichoreuō—but never the Trinity).


This matters because of the very loose talk that there is these days, especially in Western Churches (cf. Lord of the Dance song) about our entering into the round dance of the Trinity. We need to approach this carefully, as we do the mystery of the Eucharist: "Holy things are for the holy. One is holy..." There is a graciousness as God, by Jesus, calls us to the mystery--but God remains God, and there is that between Father, Son and Holy Spirit that is theirs alone!

Your late-responding sister,
Edith

[Owen Jones]

fantastic!