Gnomic will () is an
Eastern Christian
Eastern Christianity comprises Christianity, Christian traditions and Christian denomination, church families that originally developed during Classical antiquity, classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations fu ...
theological notion meaning spontaneous individual aspiration and movement of the mind.
[ Basil Lourié]
«История византийской философии» / III. Ранневизантийское богословие / Богословский синтез VII века: святой Максим Исповедник и его эпоха / 4. Богословие святого Максима Исповедника / 4.2 Тропос существования и энергия природы / 4.2.6 Теория волевого акта: воля природная и воля гномическая / p. 395
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Overview
This notion belongs to Maximus the Confessor
Maximus the Confessor (), also spelled Maximos, otherwise known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople ( – 13 August 662), was a Christianity, Christian monk, theologian, and scholar.
In his early life, Maximus was a civil se ...
.
The term ''gnomic'' derives from the Greek ''gnome'', meaning “inclination” or “intention”. Within Orthodox theology, ''gnomic'' willing is contrasted with ''natural'' willing. Natural willing designates the movement of a creature in accordance with the principle (''logos'' ()) of its nature towards the fulfilment (''telos'' (), ''stasis'' ()) of its being. Gnomic willing, on the other hand, designates that form of willing in which a person engages in a process of deliberation, culminating in a decision.
Within the theology of St. Maximus, which was endorsed by the Sixth Ecumenical Council
The Third Council of Constantinople, counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical and ...
in condemning monothelitism
Monothelitism, or monotheletism was a theological doctrine in Christianity that was proposed in the 7th century, but was ultimately rejected by the sixth ecumenical council. It held Christ as having only one will and was thus contrary to dyoth ...
, Jesus Christ
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
possessed no gnomic will. St. Maximus developed this claim, particularly in his ''Dialogue with Pyrrhus''. According to St. Maximus, the process of gnomic willing presupposes that a person does not know what they want, so they must deliberate and choose between a range of choices. However, Jesus Christ, as both man and the second Person of the Trinity
The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
, possessed complete congruence of his two wills: the divine and the human. Therefore, St. Maximus reasoned that Jesus was never in a state of ignorance regarding what he wanted, and so he never engaged in gnomic willing.
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
, a major philosophical influence on Maximus, in comparing the works of ''Nature'' with those of a human worker, had also declared that any process of deliberation, far from indicating superior intellect, is a sign of our weakness.
See also
*Christian anthropology
In the context of Christian theology, Christian anthropology is the study of the human (anthropos) as it relates to God. It differs from the social science of anthropology, which primarily deals with the comparative study of the physical and soc ...
*Deliberation
Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, for example prior to voting. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and reason as opposed to power-struggle, creativity, or dialogue. Group decision-making, Group decisions are general ...
* Eastern Orthodox theology
* Neo-Chalcedonism
*''Prohairesis
Prohairesis or proairesis (; variously translated as "moral character", "will", "volition", "choice", "intention", or "moral choice") is a fundamental concept in the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus. It represents the choice involved in giving or wi ...
''
References
Sources
* John Meyendorff
«Ecumenical World of Orthodox Civilization: Russia and Orthodoxy: Essays in Honor of Georges Florovsky» ed. A. Blane. The Hague; R: Mouton, 1973. Vol. 3./ P. 71–75
Мейендорф И., прот. «Свободная воля (γνώμη) у преподобного Максима Исповедника»/ Разбивка страниц настоящей электронной статьи сделана по: протопресвитер Иоанн Мейендорф, «Пасхальная тайна. Статьи по богословию.», М., 2013.
David Bradshaw, Ph.D. «St. Maximus the Confessor on the Will—Natural and Gnomic». Posted on 3 August 2016
* [https://usqr.utsnyc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Blowers.pdf Paul M. Blowers. «Maximus the Confessor and John of Damascus on Gnomic Will (γνώμη) in Christ: Clarity and Ambiguity» / Emmanuel Christian Seminary / Johnson City, Tennessee]
* Basil Lourié
«История византийской философии» / III. Ранневизантийское богословие / Богословский синтез VII века: святой Максим Исповедник и его эпоха / 4. Богословие святого Максима Исповедника / 4.2 Тропос существования и энергия природы / 4.2.6 Теория волевого акта: воля природная и воля гномическая
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gnomic Will
Eastern Orthodox theology