The Chora of God : Approaching the Outskirts of Mariology in the Akathistos
(2021) In Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies 4(2). p.127-149- Abstract
- This article explores the more-than-human characterization of the Theotokos in the famous Akathistos Hymn. The Mother of God emerged as an intercessional figure in the Christian imagination during late antiquity, but the formative period of mariology is still partly uncharted territory to modern scholarship. Reflecting on its rich landscape imagery and chora language, the article argues that the Akathistos minimizes the human traits of the Theotokos, rendering her more as a spatial phenomenon. In the hymn, we may glimpse traces of Marian ideas less developed during subsequent periods, ideas which gesture toward what we may call a "dark mariology." The Logos incarnates into more than human flesh, and the womb has a close affinity with the... (More)
- This article explores the more-than-human characterization of the Theotokos in the famous Akathistos Hymn. The Mother of God emerged as an intercessional figure in the Christian imagination during late antiquity, but the formative period of mariology is still partly uncharted territory to modern scholarship. Reflecting on its rich landscape imagery and chora language, the article argues that the Akathistos minimizes the human traits of the Theotokos, rendering her more as a spatial phenomenon. In the hymn, we may glimpse traces of Marian ideas less developed during subsequent periods, ideas which gesture toward what we may call a "dark mariology." The Logos incarnates into more than human flesh, and the womb has a close affinity with the landscape. The Akathistos evokes the vision of a wider nonhuman participation in the incarnation rooted in the natural landscape of the Theotokos. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- The article explores the more-than-human characterization of the Theotokos in the famous Akathistos Hymn. The Mother of God emerged as an intercessional figure in the Christian imagination during late antiquity, but the formative period of mariology is still partly uncharted territory to modern scholarship. Reflecting on its rich landscape imagery and chora language, the article argues that the Akathistos minimizes the human traits of the Theotokos, rendering her more as a spatial phenomenon. In the hymn, we may glimpse traces of Marian ideas less developed during subsequent periods, ideas which gesture toward what I call a "dark mariology." The Logos incarnates into more than human flesh, and the womb has a close affinity with the... (More)
- The article explores the more-than-human characterization of the Theotokos in the famous Akathistos Hymn. The Mother of God emerged as an intercessional figure in the Christian imagination during late antiquity, but the formative period of mariology is still partly uncharted territory to modern scholarship. Reflecting on its rich landscape imagery and chora language, the article argues that the Akathistos minimizes the human traits of the Theotokos, rendering her more as a spatial phenomenon. In the hymn, we may glimpse traces of Marian ideas less developed during subsequent periods, ideas which gesture toward what I call a "dark mariology." The Logos incarnates into more than human flesh, and the womb has a close affinity with the landscape. The Akathistos evokes the vision of a wider nonhuman participation in the incarnation rooted in the natural landscape of the Theotokos. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1aa38a83-6069-4ff4-9603-2fa061473e65
- author
- Arentzen, Thomas LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Akathistos, deep incarnation, Ecocriticism, khora, chora, dark mariology, LANDSCAPE, dark mariology, Akathistos hymn, landscape, chora/khora, Ecocriticism, deep incarnation
- in
- Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies
- volume
- 4
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 23 pages
- publisher
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- ISSN
- 2574-4968
- DOI
- 10.1353/joc.2021.0011
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 1aa38a83-6069-4ff4-9603-2fa061473e65
- date added to LUP
- 2022-04-22 17:29:46
- date last changed
- 2022-04-25 13:43:43
@article{1aa38a83-6069-4ff4-9603-2fa061473e65,
abstract = {{This article explores the more-than-human characterization of the Theotokos in the famous Akathistos Hymn. The Mother of God emerged as an intercessional figure in the Christian imagination during late antiquity, but the formative period of mariology is still partly uncharted territory to modern scholarship. Reflecting on its rich landscape imagery and chora language, the article argues that the Akathistos minimizes the human traits of the Theotokos, rendering her more as a spatial phenomenon. In the hymn, we may glimpse traces of Marian ideas less developed during subsequent periods, ideas which gesture toward what we may call a "dark mariology." The Logos incarnates into more than human flesh, and the womb has a close affinity with the landscape. The Akathistos evokes the vision of a wider nonhuman participation in the incarnation rooted in the natural landscape of the Theotokos.}},
author = {{Arentzen, Thomas}},
issn = {{2574-4968}},
keywords = {{Akathistos; deep incarnation; Ecocriticism; khora; chora; dark mariology; LANDSCAPE; dark mariology; Akathistos hymn; landscape; chora/khora; Ecocriticism; deep incarnation}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{127--149}},
publisher = {{Johns Hopkins University Press}},
series = {{Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies}},
title = {{The Chora of God : Approaching the Outskirts of Mariology in the Akathistos}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/joc.2021.0011}},
doi = {{10.1353/joc.2021.0011}},
volume = {{4}},
year = {{2021}},
}