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Theurgy ( ancient Greek θεουργία , from θεός “god, deity” + ὄργια “ rite , sacred rite , sacrifice ”) is a magical practice that appeared in the framework of Neo-Platonism [1] ; in antiquity , in pagan cults , aimed at the practical impact on gods , angels , archangels and demons in order to obtain from them help, knowledge or material wealth. Theurgy is carried out with the help of a complex of ritual actions and various prayer formulas. Theurgy is characterized by a desire for a direct, visionary vision of spiritual beings [2] . Subsequently, theurgy developed as a direction of esoteric Christianity [3] .
In the Middle Ages , and then in the New Age , theurgy was adopted by some European representatives of mysticism and in a modified form was used to achieve the state of deification ( Jacob Boehme , Martinez de Pascualis ). Ultimately, the concept of “theurgy” went beyond the scope of magical and mystical practices, was adopted in the context of philosophy: individual tendencies of God-seeking, such as motives of somnambulistic insights in the works of representatives of romanticism, became called theurgic ( F. Schelling [4] , G. G. Schubert et al. [2] ). Theurgic motifs are fundamental in the works of Russian philosophers of the beginning of the 20th century — N. A. Berdyaev , V. S. Soloviev, and others. According to N. A. Berdyaev, theurgy is a “ magic art” of achieving the state of deification , performed through prayers and ceremonies, reunion with God , theurgy is the action of man together with God - divine action, divine-human creativity [5] . In the modern world, the concept of “theurgy” is used by some [6] [7] researchers to denote such aesthetic tendencies as an appeal to Christian traditions and a call to go beyond the limits of art to change the world and people's lives according to aesthetic laws [8] .
Theurgy in Neo-Platonism
Theurgy means "divine work." For the first time this term was used in the second half of the century in the Neoplatonic work “Chaldean Oracles” (Paris, 1971): “ Since the Theurgists (theourgoí) do not refer to the herd, which is ruled by fate ” [9] . The source of Western theurgy can be found in the philosophy of the late Neo-Platonists, especially in Iamblichus [1] . In the late Neo-Platonism, the spiritual universe is represented as sequences of emanations from the One [10] . From the One, the Divine Mind ( Nous ) was emanated , and the Divine Mind, in turn, emanated the Soul of the World (Psyche). The Neo-Platonists insisted that the One was absolutely transcendental, and in the emanations nothing of the higher was lost, and was not transmitted to the lower, which remained unchanged with the help of lower emanations [11] .
Despite the polytheism of the Neoplatonists, monotheism was also characteristic of them.
For Plotinus and the teachers of Iamblich Anatolius and Porfiry , the emanation looks like this:
- - To En ( Greek τό ἕν ), the One : Deity without qualities, sometimes called Good.
- - Nous ( Greek Νοῦς ), Mind : The Universal Consciousness, from which
- - Psychè ( Greek Ψυχή ), Soul : Includes both the individual and the Soul of the World , which ultimately leads to
- - Physis ( Greek Φύσις ), Nature .
Plotinus gave his reasoning for those who would like to practice theurgy, the purpose of which was to reunite with the Divine (the acquisition of Gnosis ). Therefore, his school resembles a school of reflection or meditation. Iamblich Chalkides ( Syria ), a student of Porfiry (who himself was a student of Plotinus ) taught more ritualized methods of theurgy, which included invocations and both religious and magical rituals and ceremonies. Iamblichus believed that theurgy was an imitation of the gods, and in his main work, “On the Egyptian Mysteries,” he described theurgic rituals as “ritualized cosmogony, ” which endows incarnated souls with the divine responsibility of creating and preserving the cosmos . In reasoning about the transcendental, Iamblich concludes that it cannot be grasped by speculative constructions, since the transcendental is incomprehensible. Theurgy is a series of rituals and operations whose purpose is to restore the transcendental essence by re-passing Divine "signatures" through the layers of being. Education is important for understanding the scheme of things as represented by Aristotle , Plato and Pythagoras , as well as the Chaldean oracles . The theurgist’s work is carried out according to the “similar to the similar” rule: on the material level with the help of physical symbols and magic ; on a higher level - with mental and pure spiritual practices and mysticism . Starting from finding the Divine in matter , the theurgist eventually reaches a level where the inner divine part of the soul unites with God [12] .
Theurgy Practice
The practice of theurgy is presented in a wide range of historical sources that have come down to our days [13] . There are signs with spells that have arisen on the Greek and Roman soil; Egyptian demotic papyrus; magic papyrus written in Coptic; Jewish magic textbook; Finally, we have a magnificent collection of Greek magic papyruses from Egypt, in which various practices of challenge and interaction with angels and gods are widely represented [14] .
Differences between theurgy and magic
The Martinist tradition tends to distinguish theurgy from magic [15] . According to the Martinist doctrine, both of them imply ritual practice to one degree or another. Both of them use certain words or mental images to achieve the intended goal. However, according to the adherents of the Martinist orders, magic and theurgy are not one and the same [16] . The main difference between them is in the place allotted to the action of the will . In magic, rituals, mental images and words are used to enrich and strengthen the personal “ Ego ” and his will. In theurgy, rituals, mental images and words are used to merge the personal Ego with the will of God [17] . This fusion in the original Martinist tradition is called the “Path of the Heart” [18] . Hence the conclusion that the main difference between theurgy and magic lies in the place of the will in the process of achieving the intended goal. This distinction is based on the position of man as a creator in the world created by God [17] .
Being engaged in theurgy, [...], the dedicated theurgist , who knows this secret, uses the method of perfect merging of his personal will with God's Will, so that this strong-willed unity will surely bring about the desired result, for God's Will will come true however. According to the laws of ancient and true theurgy, as taught in the Martinist Order of the Rose + Cross, the Perfect Lord's Vision immeasurably surpasses the human imperfect vision, for "the ways of the Lord are straight." Does this statement relate to the concept of karma? Of course! And this is good karma, because nothing but good can be the result of the realization of God's Will. This is the true meaning of our Master's commandment: “Therefore, be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew, 5:48). -
Rectificus, S ::: I ::: I :::, XI / V, Elder of Circle No 8, Martinist Order of the Rose + Cross [15] [19] .
Nevertheless, there are other opinions about the ratio of theurgy and magic, presenting the first as the development of the second. The practice of theurgy is similar to magic in the practice of invoking the gods. Theurgy oracles combined with the magic of Greek magic papyrus from Egypt, with representations of Hermeticism. [20] .
Theurgy and Christianity
Official Christian denominations are critical of theurgy as a way to achieve or contemplate the divine world. Some Christian thinkers spoke rather sharply about theurgic practices, such as Augustine the Blessed , who wrote in " On the City of God ":
“Such and many other miracles like them (it would take too much time to talk about all of them) were performed to glorify the veneration of the one God and to ban the cult of many gods! And they were accomplished by the power of simple, united with the pious hope of faith, and not by magic and divination, made according to the rules of science, invented by unholy curiosity, science known either under the name of magic, or under the more vile name of goetia, or under the name more honorable - theurgy . Such names give this science those who try to make a distinction in this kind of things, and of people who are faithful to unauthorized arts, some are considered condemnable, namely, those who are considered devotees to goethies and whom the people simply call: villains; while others want to present those deserving of praise, namely those who are engaged in theurgy; although both those and others are equally devoted to the deceitful rites of demons, marry as angels " [21]
Theurgy of Esoteric Christianity
Esoteric Christianity perceives theurgy as a tradition that complements it with great benefit. The main achievement of esoteric Christianity is to comprehend the “mystery” of God (See Raziel ), as well as to ascend to a higher level of consciousness, while theurgy within esoteric Christianity uses this knowledge to elevate the “spiritual nature” of the Theurgist [3] . Usually, in esoteric Christianity, theurgy is a practice aimed at trying to obtain knowledge and communication of a person from his higher self, or inner “divine part,” so that he can receive spiritual truths and wisdom from God, which is impossible to learn from another person (See Alchemy , Kabbalah and Theosophy ). If a follower of esoteric Christianity, or Rosicrucian , or the Theosophist practices theurgy, then he or she is considered a “ Magician ” or “adept”, unless he is elevated by theurgy to a sufficient degree to qualify for such a name [22] . In the traditional and magical sense, theurgy is opposed to Goetheia , even with numerous assertions that they overlap each other [23] . Some organizations, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn , claim to teach a kind of theurgy that will allow everyone to rise spiritually, as well as to understand the true nature of man and his relationship to the divine and the Universe , and that the ancient prescriptions are followed [24] ; however, as is well known, in antiquity, however, as in the Middle Ages , and in modern times, the theurgists remained in solitude and sought only the “divine light” through ritual and internal balancing [25] .
Theurgy in mystical thought
In the Middle Ages , and then in modern times , the theory and practice of esoteric Christian theurgy was developed. The theory and practice of Christian theurgy became the most widespread among the Rosicrucians [26] [27] , and subsequently finalized into an integral system by Martinez de Pascualle , as the central doctrine of his Order of the Cohen Selected [26] .
As a theurgic tradition, originally martinism developed as a central practice in the system of higher degrees established by Martinez de Pascualles (Pasqualis) around 1740 in France , and then developed in two different forms by his students Louis Claude de Saint-Martin and Jean-Baptiste Willermose [28 ] [29] [30] .
Theurgy, as a special way of the “chosen priest,” or “priest,” (Cohen), is a secret technique of a series of consecutive operations consisting of complex ceremonies, secret prayers, and operator training methods [31] . It was also prescribed to choose a special time for those or other ceremonies, or practices of a less ritualistic nature. It was in this way that the theurgic tradition was presented in the Order of the Selected Coens Martínez de Pasqually. The philosophical and theological rationale for this practice is given in the only book written by Martinez de Pascualle "Treatise on the reintegration of creatures in their original qualities and powers, spiritual and divine" [32] .
Martinez de Pasqually’s teaching itself can be described as gnostic : God as the original Unity wanted to “ emanate ” beings from his own essence, but Lucifer , who was striving to exercise his creative power, fell victim to his own misbehavior, being captivated along with other main fallen spirits in a place that God prepared for them as a prison. Then God sent a man in his androgynous body, endowing him with great powers to keep the rebels under constant control and promote their reconciliation. But Adam retreated from his duties, and he himself fell into prison, which he was instructed to contain. He has become a material and mortal being, and now he must make every effort to save both himself and the whole of the original creation. This can be achieved through Jesus Christ through internal self-improvement, as well as the “theurgic operations” that Martinez de Pascualli taught to the “People of Desire”, which he found worthy of initiation. Through these operations, the student must enter into relations with the angelic entities, which in the theurgic operations are "passages." Most often, they are in their characteristic forms or hieroglyphic symbols of the spirits, which the operator called for, to prove that he is on the right path to “reintegration” [33] .
Theurgy in Russian Philosophy
Within the aesthetics of symbolism, Vladimir Solovyov introduced the religious-mystical concept of “free theurgy” as a qualitative and active transformation of creativity with the help of divine forces to create a positive, true unity - the highest form of Beauty. Solov'ev formulated it as follows: “Artists and poets must again become priests and prophets, but in a different, more important and sublime sense: not only the religious idea will own them, but they themselves will own it and consciously control its earthly incarnations " [34] .
In the Russian philosophy of the aesthetics of the early 20th century, the term theurgy was again defined by Berdyaev
“Theurgy is an art that creates a different world, a different being, a different life, beauty as real. Theurgy overcomes the tragedy of creativity, directs the creative energy to a new life ... Theurgy is the action of man together with God - divine action, God-human creativity. " [35]
Theurgy in Marxism
In Soviet Marxism, theurgic ideas aimed at society as a deity were developed by A. V. Lunacharsky [36] with the participation of members of the Forward faction group . The parallels between religious and social practice were strongly condemned by Lenin [37] , but both during his life and after his death, they were persistently implemented by Lunacharsky with varying degrees of disguise. Lunacharsky was well acquainted with the ideas of Vladimir Solovyov , personally acquainted with Nikolai Berdyaev from gymnasium times and from the most influential mystical and philosophical circles of his time, therefore his understanding of theurgy lies in the general course of the development of Russian philosophy of the Silver Age .
Criticism of theurgy
According to Immanuel KantIn the new drops, it is sharply. I. Kant calls theurgy “a fanatical fallacy that other supersensible creature can be felt and influenced by them” [38] .
See also
- Martinism
- Magic
- Mysteries
- Gnosticism
- Theosophy
- Occultism
- Esotericism
- Religious syncretism
Additional links
- Berdyaev N.A. Creativity and beauty. Art and Theurgy
- Plotinus Ennead - Russian
- Iamblichus Theurgy or "On the Egyptian Mysteries" - Russian.
- Petrov Andrei Valentinovich: "Theurgy: the socio-cultural aspects of the emergence of philosophically interpreted magic in antiquity"
- Theurgy, Iamblichus and Gnosis - English.
- Two speeches of the Emperor Julian - English.
- "Theurgy" from the book of Robert Ambelen
- The article “Magic vs. Theurgy
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Losev, A.F., “A History of Ancient Philosophy in the Summary,” § 2. SYRIAN AND PERGAM NEPLATONISM; M., Chero, 1998
- ↑ 1 2 Ogurtsov A.P. Theurgy // New Philosophical Encyclopedia / Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences ; Nat Society-nauch. fund; Preds. scientific ed. Council V.S. Stepin , deputy representatives .: A. A. Guseinov , G. Yu. Semigin , uch. sec A.P. Ogurtsov . - 2nd ed., Corr. and add. - M .: Thought , 2010. - ISBN 978-5-244-01115-9 .
- 2 1 2 Christian Mysticism: Kevin Magill, Bradley B. Onishi, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2009, pages 109-110.
- ↑ SHELLING AND RUSSIAN SYMBOLISM .
- ↑ N. A. Berdyaev (Collected Works, Vol. 2, P., 1985, p. 283)
- ↑ A.N. SKRYABIN'S THEURISTIC AESTHETICS AS A REPRESENTATION OF NEW ART .
- ↑ Bychkov V.V. Russian theurgic aesthetics .
- Review of the book Bychkov "Russian theurgic aesthetics" .
- ↑ Cf. “Lewy”> Lewy, Hans, Chaldaean Oracles and Theurgy, Cairo 1956, pp. 421-466 (mostly consulted and edited by Michel Tardieu, Revue des Études Augustiniennes 58 (1978)).
- ↑ MOSCOW SPIRITUAL ACADEMY, Department of the History of Russian Religious Thought, Eliseev Sergey, “GNOSEOLOGICAL AND METAPHYSICAL BACKGROUND OF THE PRINCIPLE THEODIES OF THE PRINTER Ye. N. TRUBETSKY”; Sergiev Posad, 1999.
- ↑ Frederick Copleston History of Philosophy. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. T. II
- ↑ Cf. Shaw> Shaw, Gregory, Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus, Penn State Press, 1971, page 115.
- ↑ Nock AD Essays on religion and the ancient world .. - V. 1-2. Cambridge. - 1972. - p. 176 - 194 ..
- ↑ Petrov A.V. Theurgy: the socio-cultural aspects of the emergence of philosophically interpreted magic in antiquity .
- ↑ 1 2 Baader, Franz von Ensignement secrets de Martinez de Pasqually
- ↑ Serge Caillet. La Franc-Maḉonnerie Egyptienne de Memphis-Misraḯm. - ISBN 2-84454-215-8 , Serge Kaye, Egyptian Freemasonry of the Memphis-Mizraim Charter, translated from French ISBN 978-5-98882-146-5 , page 232
- ↑ 1 2 Petrov Andrei Valentinovich: “Theurgy: the socio-cultural aspects of the emergence of philosophically interpreted magic in antiquity”. The monograph was compiled on the basis of a thesis for the degree of candidate of historical sciences. Specialty 07.00.03 - General History (History of Ancient Rome / Ancient Greece), defended at the Faculty of History of St. Petersburg University in 1997 © 2001 A.V. Petrov; © 2001. Center for Antiquity, St. Petersburg State University.
- ↑ Papus: "The Path of the Heart"
- The article “Magic vs. Theurgy
- ↑ Petrov A.V. Theurgy: the socio-cultural aspects of the emergence of philosophically interpreted magic in antiquity .
- ↑ Augustine the Blessed . About the city of God . - Mn. , M .: Harvest : AST, 1905. - p. 118. - 1296 p.
- ↑ Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires By: Aaron Leitch pgs. 241-278 (chapter 8)
- "Woman in Religion and Philosophy in Antiquity", Astarte, Issue I. Cultural Studies from the History of the Ancient World and the Middle Ages: Problems of Femininity / Ed. MF Albedil and A.V. Tsyba. SPb., 1999, pp. 95-112
- Chic Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn tradition: Chic and Tabatha Cicero, Chapter 1
- Israel Tree Tree Life Tab Israel Israel: ath Reg Tab ath Israel Israel Israel Israel Israel Israel
- ↑ 1 2 “Le défi magique”, Authors: Jean-Baptiste Martin, François Laplantine, Massimo Introvigne, page: 66; Presses Universitaires de Lyon, 1994–364 pages. ISBN 2-7297-0496-5 , ISBN 978-2-7297-0496-4
- Arthur Edward Waite, "The Real History of the Rosicrucians", Publisher: "Forgotten Books", ISBN 1-60506-512-9 , ISBN 978-1-60506-512-0 ; quote:
"It was a chain of policemen of the first Christian centuries; they were alchemists of divine magic. Their disciples, the Rosicrucians, followed, and the claims of the Fama and Confessio,
- ↑ "Le défi magique", Authors: Jean-Baptiste Martin, François Laplantine, Massimo Introvigne, page: 70; Presses Universitaires de Lyon, 1994–364 pages. ISBN 2-7297-0496-5 , ISBN 978-2-7297-0496-4
- Ff Raffaella Faggionato A Rosicrucian Utopia in Eighteenth-Century Russia Springer, the Netherlands 1997
- ↑ Pierre Noël, De la Stricte Observance au Rite Ecossais Rectifié, Acta Macionica vol. 5 (1995) (Francé-maçonnerie Française également consultable en ligne sur le site
- ↑ Arthur Edward Waite-Claude Louis de Saint-Martin The French Mystic and the Story of Modern Martinism William Rider & Son, London, 1922
- ↑ Gérard Encausse La magie cérémonielle de Martines de Pasqually Arbre d'Or, Genève 2007
- ↑ - according to the article "Doctrine of Martinism" by Robert Ambelen
- ↑ Definition of the term "Theurgy"
- ↑ The meaning of creativity. Ch.X
- ↑ § 4. Cultural construction - Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilyevich
- ↑ Lenin's fight against god-building - All-Russian God-building Society
- ↑ I. Kant. Criticism of judgment ability .