Dialogue of a scholastic with Simeon

The authorship of the small polemical work “Dialogue of the Scholastic with Simeon” is attributed to St. Simeon the New Theologian, as well as St. Diadochus of Photicus and St. Mark the Ascetic. The treatise takes the form of questions and answers between a certain “scholastic” (scientist, intellectual) and St. Simeon. The text contains a teaching about the incomprehensibility of God in His essence and comprehensibility in His energies (grace and light), and raises questions about the nature of God, His relationship to the world and man, as well as the possibility and methods of knowing God, especially through the personal experience of Divine light. The dialogue begins with questions about what happened before the creation of the world, and how the world existed “in God” even before its formation. St. Simeon replies that the world existed in the plan of God and His energy, not yet brought into existence. The paradox of God's presence in all creation (immanence) and His simultaneous complete separation from it (transcendence) by nature, essence and other properties is examined in detail. An analogy is used with the human mind, which is present in the body but not limited by it. St. Simeon teaches that although God is “everywhere and fulfills everything,” He is “nowhere” in the sense of spatial or limited existence. No one, not even the angels, knows where or what God is in His essence, but only that He exists. This is the cornerstone of the negative theology of St. Simeon, emphasizing the incomprehensibility of the Divine essence. True knowledge of God belongs only to the Persons of the Holy Trinity. The vision of God is not a vision of His essence, but a vision of His uncreated glory and light. The author, referring to Christ’s words about “many mansions,” confirms that there are many paths to salvation. All of them are based on repentance, almsgiving and other good deeds. This work * is an attempt at a “mirror” translation of the works of St. Simeon the New Theologian. I used the principle of the “gospel” translation of St. Cyril and Methodius and translations of liturgical Church Slavonic texts: when knowing the exact meanings of Greek words, as a rule, preserving the number and, if possible, the order of the corresponding Russian words, so that the reader listened not to the reteller of thoughts, but to St. Simeon himself. St. Simeon the New Theologian (949–1022) was born in Galatia (Asia Minor) into a noble family. In his youth, he was taken to the capital of Constantinople to continue his studies and enter service at the court. But this path did not captivate Simeon and, with some delay, he accepted monasticism. While still in the world, he meets Saint Simeon the Reverent, who became his mentor. In the monastery, having distinguished himself by strictness in his monastic work, Simeon aroused displeasure among the brethren and was forced to leave it. Having moved to a small monastery located nearby, three years later he becomes abbot. Having spent twenty-five years in this position, St. Simeon retired, and seventeen years later he reposed in the Lord, leaving behind many wonderful spiritual works and the honorary title “New Theologian.” Dialogue of a scholastic with Simeon Question: What was in the world before the world was? Answer: God, who created the world. Question: When there was no world yet, how was He in the world? Answer: And before becoming, as if being entirely in God, there was a world, and people who had not yet been brought into the world were as if already born of God. He has already composed, for He is in Himself everything, even what has not yet been created, although it is not comprehended by us. Question: So, if, as you say, there was God in the world before the world came from Him, what did God become when this world came? Has He really separated from the world? Or is He still in the world? Answer: God, who created them, was not separated from His creations by any place. Where, for, everywhere and all His fulfilling Divinity will move? By nature and essence, and hypostasis, and other properties, the Creator of All lies above nature, and He is separated immeasurably and incomprehensibly. Question: How, not in a place separately, but everywhere, as you say, present, having retreated from everything, He is? Answer: It’s a difficult question to understand, but not difficult to say. Nothing is impossible for God. Therefore He is able to confirm you regarding this. But listen with understanding. Just as our mind, humans, is neither possessed by walls, nor limited by a place, but the body “in the house” is enclosed and contracted by “shackles,” while it itself is outside of them and is freely present everywhere, neither moving away from the body, nor being far from the house, but, as it were, co-present with them, moving away, and withdrew, uniting with them. So God is everywhere and in everything, and outside everything, and nowhere - by nature and essence, and glory. Indescribable, because... Question: So, indescribable - how does he perform everything? Fulfilling everything, as indescribable and nowhere to be found? Answer: So, it is confessed that He is God everywhere and fulfills everything, not being mixed at all with what is visible, but being divided in the same way as we said. He is nowhere for us. Nobody, for that matter, knows, not even the angels, where God is. For if you hear “to appear,” then it is to the throne of glory. And unable to look at the emanating radiance, they cover their faces with fear and, in amazement, silently always lift up the divine song. For, amazed by the intolerance of glory, they cannot reason or think where the Lord is or what He is. For if they are not able to look the shining radiance directly in the face, how can they want to do anything more in vain? So, that there is God and He is everywhere, and He fulfills everything, both the angels and the saints who have purified themselves, illuminated and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, know. Where or how and what He is, no one knows, unless it is the Father of the Son and the Son of the Father, and the Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son, as co-essential with Them and consubstantial. For this is a Trinity, existing as one, and They know each other and are known by each other. As God and the Son of God Himself said by nature, “no one knows the things of man, but only the spirit of man living in him.” Likewise, no one knows the things of God, but only the Spirit of God. And, again: “no one knows the Father, but only the Son, and no one knows the Son, but only the Father, and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal it” (Matthew 11:27). Question: And as Christ says, “let not despise one of these little ones... For... Their angels always see the face of My Father... in heaven” (Matthew 18:10) and, again: “blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). You say that even the angels do not know what and where God is? Answer: Just as when the sun shines at noon, we clearly see the light emitting from it, but we cannot somehow see it and study it, but just look at it, truly, we say, so the angels and saints, looking at the shining glory of the Spirit, see in it both the Son and the Father - truly sinless and not unclean. Those, for, are likened to the blind and insensitive. Just as the blind do not see the bright light of the sensual sun, so, precisely, they do not see the divine light, ever revealed, nor, indeed, feel its warmth. Question: So, what do those who have purified their mind and heart see? Answer: Because God is light, and the ultimate light, those who see him see nothing else, but only light. And this is clear from those who saw the shining face of Christ like the sun, and His robe was like light. And from Paul, the apostle, who saw the light of God, and who turned to His knowledge, and from thousands of other saints. Question: So, how is God seen by everyone as an eternal and always shining light? Answer: Since God truly decreed from the beginning that there should be no communion, neither darkness with light, nor judiciary, nor profane with the holy and pure, therefore, it is as if a great abyss and a wall separates us from God with our sins. More evil are our lusts and vain thoughts, which, precisely, become like a high wall and separate us from the light of true life. For God is light and there is life. Therefore, those who are deprived of it are dead in soul, and are joint heirs and participants in the eternal fire and darkness. Question: And it is impossible for those (saints) who have not reached the measure to receive salvation? Answer: When the Lord said: “My Father has many mansions” (John 14:2), He fully informed that there are many ways of salvation. Yet they are accomplished in a single path of repentance through putting aside evil and giving alms to those asking, and wandering, and performing all other good deeds, the best achievement. You might be interested in: