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Religious Paradox and Aporia
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Abstract: Focusing on religious or metaphysical paradox, which is, strangely, a neglected subject, this paper surveys well-known and little known instances in ancient Greek literature and early Christian sources. Religious paradox is highlighted in texts ranging from Hesiod, Archilochus, Heraclitus, and Euripides’ Bacchae to the Gospel of St John, St Paul, and the 6th century Akathistos Hymnos in honour of the Virgin Mary. Aporia in the wake of religious paradox confirms human limitation and points to the transcendence of the divine. Christianity, the religion of paradox par excellence, acknowledges the impossibility of offering philosophical “solutions” to the paradoxes and aporiai of dogma, and resorts to oxymoron and paradox as the only adequate form of expression. The only recourse before the estranging dislocation of order and logic provoked by contact with the divine is “ignorance”, for paradoxically ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ γὰρ γίνεται γνωστὸς ὁ Θεός (“God becomes known/knowable through ignorance”), as St Dionysius the Areopagite states.
Keywords: Paradox; aporia; oxymoron; atopon, thaumazein; mirabilia; religious paradox; Homer; Hesiod; Archilochus; Heraclitus; Plato; Euripides Bacchae; ancient mysteries; Zeno of Elea; the Gospel of St John; Akathistos Hymnos; Virgin Birth.
Resumo: Abordando o paradoxo religioso e metafísico – assunto, aliás, estranhamente bastante negligenciado –, este artigo investiga exemplos em fontes da literatura grega antiga e do início do Cristianismo, alguns bem conhecidos; outros menos. O paradoxo religioso é destacado em textos que vão de Hesíodo, Arquíloco, Heráclito e as Bacantes, de Eurípides, ao Evangelho de São João, São Paulo e Akathistos Hymnos, do século VI, em honra à Virgem Maria. Aporia, na esteira do paradoxo religioso, confirma a limitação humana e aponta para a transcendência do divino. O Cristianismo, a religião, por excelência, do paradoxo, reconhece a impossibilidade de oferecer “soluções” filosóficas para os paradoxos e aporias do dogma e recorre ao oximoro e paradoxo como a única forma adequada de expressão. O único recurso diante do estranho deslocamento da ordem e da lógica provocado pelo contato com o divino é a “ignorância”, pois, paradoxalmente, ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ γὰρ γίνεται γνωστὸς ὁ Θεός (“Deus se torna conhecido/conhecível por meio da ignorância”), como afirma São Dionísio Aeropagita.
Palavras-chave: Paradoxo; aporia; oximoro; atopon, thaumazein; mirabilia; paradoxo religioso; Homero; Hesíodo; Arquíloco; Heráclito; Platão; Eurípides Bacantes; mistérios antigos; Zenão de Eléia; São Paulo, São Dionísio Aeropagita; Akathistos Hymnos; Nascimento virginal.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17851/1983-3636.13.2.39-57
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Direitos autorais 2018 Ioannis Petropoulos
Este obra está licenciado com uma Licença Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional.
Nuntius Antiquus
ISSN 2179-7064 (impressa) / ISSN 1983-3636 (eletrônica)
Esta obra está licenciada com uma Licença Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional.