What is a Hypostasis?

[Nathaniel Red]

I've realized through prayer that I've essentially been treating Gods persons as though they are divine energies, and now I'm not sure how to understand them, and its become hard to pray properly. How is a person different from their attributes, different from their will and emotions and body and and actions and nature as a kind of sum total? How can you describe personhood as separate from any of these things?

I know that if personhood and energies are the same it leads to contradiction and heresy, since God is love itself, then it would mean that a person who loves me would be the same as their love and thus be God himself, and have monism. But I don't understand how personhood is defined as anything meaningful without energies. Also, I've heard that unlike Catholics, for Orthodox personhood is seen as a more fundamental reality than the essence, that the personhood of the father is the most fundamental reality, but I don't see how that is possible when the essence is beyond all description and experience while the personhood isn't.

And I know that hypostasis means personhood, that is not what I am asking, I am asking what it is. It isn't the mind, since God has one mind. It isn't the will since God has one will. So what is it?

 

[Justin-H.S.]

 

[ArmyMatt]

generally speaking it’s a mystery, but we can say that which is general is according to nature (will, energies, essence, etc) and that which is specific is according to hypostasis (unbegotten, begotten, procession, etc).

 

[Lukaris]

I am speaking specifically of American Orthodoxy.

The average American Orthodox should be able and want to articulate their faith in a basic way upon chrismation. Interestingly, I think, one can draw a major example from St. John Climacus in the Ladder of Divine Ascent in it’s very first couple pages.


Step 1
On renunciation of the world…….



21. Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate any one; be sure you go to church; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness;3 and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven

I believe the rest of the Divine Ladder is where we spend the 10 years ( & basically the rest of life, may it be many years) trying to grow in grace. This is so we can attend to & understanding the basic & ultimate Gospel truth St. John tells the average layperson.

 

[Nathaniel Red]

I am speaking specifically of American Orthodoxy.

The average American Orthodox should be able and want to articulate their faith in a basic way upon chrismation. Interestingly, I think, one can draw a major example from St. John Climacus in the Ladder of Divine Ascent in it’s very first couple pages.


Step 1
On renunciation of the world…….



21. Some people living carelessly in the world have asked me: ‘We have wives and are beset with social cares, and how can we lead the solitary life?’ I replied to them: ‘Do all the good you can; do not speak evil of anyone; do not steal from anyone; do not lie to anyone; do not be arrogant towards anyone; do not hate any one; be sure you go to church; be compassionate to the needy; do not offend anyone; do not wreck another man’s domestic happiness;3 and be content with what your own wives can give you. If you behave in this way you will not be far from the Kingdom of Heaven

I believe the rest of the Divine Ladder is where we spend the 10 years ( & basically the rest of life, may it be many years) trying to grow in grace. This is so we can attend to & understanding the basic & ultimate Gospel truth St. John tells the average layperson.

I'm sorry, how does this explain hypostasis?

 

[Lukaris]

I'm sorry, how does this explain hypostasis?

I posted this in the wrong thread. Sorry about that.

 

[ArmyMatt]

in all seriousness, check out the Cappadocians, because they dealt with this issue.