Definition of Hypostatization

[davidoffinland]

From Finland.

Roger Haight, Jesuit scholar, explains, "Hypostatization means making an idea or a concept into a real thing...the symbols Wisdom, Word, and Spirit, which are found in the Jewish scriptures and refer to God, are not hypostatizations but personifications....A major development occurred when a personification became transformed into hypostatization." (Jesus, Smbol of God, p. 257)

Hummm....

Shalom, David.

 

[ArnautDaniel]

A "hypostasis" is anything which exists independently by itself without any dependence on anything else for its existence.

The point of the three members of the trinity being "hypostases" is that they are self-subsisting entities not existing because some other thing prior to them exists.

The use of "persons" for the trinity derives from the Latin "persona" which refers to the mask an actor wore in the theater. The English word "persona" basically still carries the right feel.

Of course this says there is some prior thing, God, which gives life to the three personas.

So the Latins were saying God had three personas through which he interacted with the world, which is basically modalism. But theology and philosophy weren't as highly developed in the Latin world at the time so no one really caught on.

I think the jesuit scholar in question doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

[davidoffinland]

From Finland.

If you read about 1st Ct Judaism, with all their varieties, the Jesuit scholar premise fits in perfectively. It all started when Jewish sages & rabbis try to figure out how G-D related to this world after the time of Malachi the prophet. There are too many books and links to list, start out by googling.

Shalom, David.