The Shepherd, May 2008
III. Theological Analysis
1. ORTHODOX theology regards the Latin/Western type, vis-à-vis the representation of the Resurrection,
“as unhistorical, simply impressionistic, and essentially unorthodox,”18
and characterizes its adoption as
“a compromise to the detriment of the Orthodox Tradition of worship and doctrine,” which “[is] in no way permissible,” since it leads “to artistic syncretism.”19
2. THE ORTHODOX Icon of the Resurrection is a dogmatic Icon, that is, it expresses a dogmatic truth, the real meaning of the event and, as such, transcends the historical place and the temporal moment at which it occurred:
“The quality of theological tradition is reflected in the Icon of the Resurrection, which requires a purely mystical interpretation of this event.”20
3. This dogmatic Icon of the Resurrection highlights, with truly exceptional emphasis, not an individual historical event (the bodily Resurrection of the Savior), nor an historical moment (the Savior’s egress from the Tomb), but, rather, the dogma of the abolition of Hades and death as well as the Resurrection of humanity.
a. “The Resurrection of Christ is simultaneously also the Resurrection of humanity”; “the Resurrection is not only the Resurrection of Christ,” but a majestic universal event, a “cosmic event”;21 “Christ does not come out of the tomb but out from ‘among the dead,’ ek nekron, ‘coming up out of devastated Hades as from a nuptial palace.’”22
• One way or another, “Christ could not have come out of the tomb, since, in descending into Hades, He ascends again to the Father, followed by liberated slaves”;23 Christ was not raised alone, but together with humanity.
b. The Resurrection, according to the Western type, “portrays a historical moment,” that is, it essentially “starts from Christ’s egress from the tomb,”24 whereas according to the Orthodox type,
“it reveals, that is, makes manifest the victory of the Cross”; “the Descent into Hades is already a Resurrection”; “the great triduum mortis constitutes the mystical days in which the Resurrection is accomplished.”25
c. “Hades does not exist as a particular place; it is a symbol,”26 which hints at the dominion of death and the Devil, and, consequently, a lack of communion with God.
• “In the Orthodox Tradition, Hades is not simply a particular place, but the dominion of death and the Devil. We say that the souls of people who are in the power of the Devil and death exist in Hades.”27
• “It is in this sense that we should regard the teaching of the Church about the Descent of Christ into Hades, that is, that Christ entered the realm of death and consented to die, whereupon by the power of His Divinity He conquered death, rendering it completely impotent and feeble, and gave every person the possibility, by His own power and authority, to escape the dominion, the sway, and the power of death and the Devil.”28
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