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Books by Anna Usacheva

Papers by Anna Usacheva

Table of contents of my monograph expected in the fall of 2017

In this article, I am going to examine a direct and indirect continuity between the Peripatetic a... more In this article, I am going to examine a direct and indirect continuity between the Peripatetic and Gregorian epistemological ideas and also to propose an explanation of mediated contact, which according to Aristotle, Paul and Gregory in various ways is intrinsic to the process of knowing. To accomplish these tasks, I shall take the following steps. First, I shall identify Aristotle's understanding of mediated contact which, in his view, was characteristic of the processes of sense-perception and knowing, and shall start by looking at the biological works of Aristotle and trying to explain his epistemology from the viewpoint of his biology. The second objective of my paper is to briefly examine the meaning of 1 Cor 13:12 and Gal 4:9 in the context of philosophic epistemology. My third step is to investigate the contact theory of epistemology of Gregory Nazianzen with the aid of Maximus the Confessor. I shall particularly focus on Gregory’s understanding of the mediating role of ...

Vox Patrum

The article outlines the philosophical and linguistic background of the Post- Nicene theological ... more The article outlines the philosophical and linguistic background of the Post- Nicene theological debates concerning the relationship between the Father and the Son. A sharp focus dwells of the provenance of the term hypostasis, the philosophical and grammatical understanding of the terms hypokeimenon and ousia and the Stoic definition of the signifier and thing signified. The article shows new aspects of the anti-Eunomian polemics of the Cappadocian fathers, which come into sight due to comparison of theological concepts with Hellenic linguistic and grammatical theories. In such a way, the comparison demonstrates methodological and technical strand of the theological argumentation of the Cappadocian fathers and their affinity for the exegetic methodology of Origen.

G. Bady, D. Cuny (eds.): Les polémiques religieuses du 1er au IVe siècle de notre ère (Théologie historique, vol. 128), , 2018

In his comprehensive analysis of Gregory Nazianzen’s theological orations Frederik Norris pointe... more In his comprehensive analysis of Gregory Nazianzen’s theological orations Frederik Norris pointed out Gregory’s dependence upon Aristotle’s views of dialectic and rhetoric (1991). Yet, he also claimed that theological orations were not concerned with the question of a theological method. In this article, I challenge this appraisal and argue that due to polemical reasons Gregory engaged in epistemological and methodological debate with the Eunomians. There is no wonder that since his opponents were broadly known as strong logicians Gregory also chose to use Aristotelian methods of argumentation. What has not been demonstrated however is the way Gregory applied the theory of essential predication, the three types of definition delineated in the Posterior Analytics, and the Stoic theory of categories. Keywords: Theological orations of Gregory Nazianzen, Eunomius of Cyzicus, Aristotelian theory of essential predication, the three types of definition of the Posterior Analytics, the Stoic theory of categories.

The questions I raise in this paper are of a twofold nature: namely, methodological and historica... more The questions I raise in this paper are of a twofold nature: namely, methodological and historical-philosophical. The subject matter of my study is a reception of the Aristotelian epistemological and cognitive conceptions in Gregory Nazianzen’s teachings. In other words, the issue at stake is how Gregory received and interpreted Aristotle and Aristotelian teaching. It is my methodological standing point that the answer to this question should touch upon an intrinsic culture of the philosophical schools during late antiquity, where Gregory learned a paradigm of dealing with authoritative texts of the ancient philosophers that entitled him to apply and interpret these texts in a rather liberal and creative way.
I believe that general understanding of Gregory’s approach to reception and interpretation of Hellenic philosophical texts should be altered in such a way that his sophisticated transformation of philosophical concepts is not regarded as mere rhetorical stylisation but as typical creative transmission of the authoritative text. To prove this thesis I underpin some principal features of Gregory’s anthropology and cognitive theory, which developed out of a productive dialogue between Peripatetic and Christian conceptions and also involved some of the relevant Platonic philosophical and rhetorical commonplaces.

The paper examines the form (genre, structure, traditional topoi and stylistic features peculiar... more The paper examines the form (genre, structure, traditional topoi and stylistic features peculiar to the genre) and content (general methodological and pedagogical strategy) of the orations 27, 28 (the first and second theological orations) of Gregory Nazianzen. By means of philological analysis I am showing: what traditional literary forms (genres) Gregory chose for his theological orations and how he created a peculiar textual tissue by means of sophisticated and stylistically refined dialogue with his opponents and predecessors.

Actes ducolloque de Tours, 15-17 avril 2015, Collection Théologie historique, Th. No 124, Les Édi... more Actes ducolloque de Tours, 15-17 avril 2015, Collection Théologie historique, Th. No 124, Les Éditions Beauchesne, 2017.

The article outlines the philosophical and linguistic background of the Post-Nicene theological d... more The article outlines the philosophical and linguistic background of the Post-Nicene theological debates concerning the relationship between the Father and the Son. A sharp focus dwells of the provenance of the term hypostasis, the philosophical and grammatical understanding of the terms hypokeimenon and ousia and the Stoic definition of the signifier and thing signified. The article shows new aspects of the anti-Eunomian polemics of the Cappadocian fathers, which come into sight due to comparison of theological concepts with Hellenic linguistic and grammatical theories. In such a way, the comparison demonstrates methodological and technical strand of the theological argumentation of the Cappadocian fathers and their affinity for the exegetic methodology of Origen.

К вопросу о сознательном разделении и композиционном единстве IV и V речей свт. Григория Богослов... more К вопросу о сознательном разделении и композиционном единстве IV и V речей свт. Григория Богослова против императора Юлиана.

There is already a long history of discussion concerning the dating of the Phaedrus. The dialogue... more There is already a long history of discussion concerning the dating of the Phaedrus. The dialogue has been referred to the early (Immisch, Natorp, Pohlenz), middle (Lutoslawski -Raeder) and late period of Plato's work (Regenbogen). Scholars (Wilamowitz, Wishart and Leach) 1 have repeatedly noted the stylistic and lexical variety of the Phaedrus that was proved by the stylometrists' researches. At the II Symposium Platonicum, dedicated to the Phaedrus, Robinson asserted in his contribution that the dialogue 'was composed somewhere in between the time Plato completed the Timaeus and started work on the Parmenides'; Robinson argued that in the Phaedrus 'Plato still adhered to many of his earlier (Republic/Timaeus) views in the domain of epistemology, metaphysics and philosophical psychology but was now moving towards a revised version of them not immediately compatible with the original version'. 2 Bostock in his monograph Plato's Theaetetus also mentioned the ideological diversity of the Phaedrus, whose first part returns to still earlier themes, notably the theory of recollection, while its second part is very much more forwardlooking (conceptions of collection and division, detailed investigation of the soul and a science of rhetoric). This observation led him to the assumption that 'the Phaedrus was composed shortly after the Republic, the second half was not added until rather later'. 3 Considering the reasons to associate the Phaedrus with the middle dialogues on the one hand and 1

Book Reviews by Anna Usacheva

Usacheva A., Review of: “Somos, Róbert, Logic and Argumentation in Origen. Münster: Aschendorff V... more Usacheva A., Review of: “Somos, Róbert, Logic and Argumentation in Origen. Münster: Aschendorff Verlag 2015. 238 S. = Adamantiana, 7. Geb. EUR 45,00. ISBN 978-3-402-13717-8“, in Theologische Literaturzeitung, 141 (Jan 2016), col. 1373–1375.

Drafts by Anna Usacheva

This study of the philosophical and patristic texts of the second-fifth centuries, explores Chris... more This study of the philosophical and patristic texts of the second-fifth centuries, explores Christian theories of reproduction in the context of Hellenic dualist discourse and embryology. I argue that due to the specific metaphysical principles of Christian doctrine, the church fathers were bound to balance the dualist lexicon, which they often used, against holistic anthropological and Christological statements. Patristic theories of reproduction represent a vivid example of the balanced Christian holistic thought, which imbibed plenty of Hellenic concepts, yet remained true to the fundamental principles of Christian doctrine.

In this article, I am going to examine a direct and indirect continuity between the Peripatetic a... more In this article, I am going to examine a direct and indirect continuity between the Peripatetic and Gregorian epistemological ideas and also to propose an explanation of mediated contact, which according to Aristotle, Paul and Gregory in various ways is intrinsic to the process of knowing. To accomplish these tasks, I shall take the following steps. First, I shall identify Aristotle's understanding of mediated contact which, in his view, was characteristic of the processes of sense-perception and knowing, and shall start by looking at the biological works of Aristotle and trying to explain his epistemology from the viewpoint of his biology.
The second objective of my paper is to briefly examine the meaning of 1 Cor 13:12 and Gal 4:9 in the context of philosophic epistemology. My third step is to investigate the contact theory of epistemology of Gregory Nazianzen with the aid of Maximus the Confessor. I shall particularly focus on Gregory’s understanding of the mediating role of Christ in the process of the human acquisition of divine knowledge, and I shall also examine Gregory’s vision of the bodily aspect of the human-divine active cooperation and principle of likeness.

Table of contents of my monograph expected in the fall of 2017

Vox Patrum

G. Bady, D. Cuny (eds.): Les polémiques religieuses du 1er au IVe siècle de notre ère (Théologie historique, vol. 128), , 2018

In this article, I am going to examine a direct and indirect continuity between the Peripatetic a... more In this article, I am going to examine a direct and indirect continuity between the Peripatetic and Gregorian epistemological ideas and also to propose an explanation of mediated contact, which according to Aristotle, Paul and Gregory in various ways is intrinsic to the process of knowing. To accomplish these tasks, I shall take the following steps. First, I shall identify Aristotle's understanding of mediated contact which, in his view, was characteristic of the processes of sense-perception and knowing, and shall start by looking at the biological works of Aristotle and trying to explain his epistemology from the viewpoint of his biology.
The second objective of my paper is to briefly examine the meaning of 1 Cor 13:12 and Gal 4:9 in the context of philosophic epistemology. My third step is to investigate the contact theory of epistemology of Gregory Nazianzen with the aid of Maximus the Confessor. I shall particularly focus on Gregory’s understanding of the mediating role of Christ in the process of the human acquisition of divine knowledge, and I shall also examine Gregory’s vision of the bodily aspect of the human-divine active cooperation and principle of likeness.

The article is forthcoming in: A-A. Morello, V. Michel-Fauré, M. Jacquemier (eds.), Dire le sacré: spiritualités et représentations (musique, arts visuels, littérature, philosophie, théologie), Collection Plantin. Beauchesne (forthcoming in 2018).

In late antiquity, the questions concerning the nature and origin of language surfaced in discuss... more In late antiquity, the questions concerning the nature and origin of language surfaced in discussions of religious thinkers. Touching upon the concepts of prayer, exegesis of the sacred texts, and divine names, linguistic issues featured in the works of Origen. Thus, the first book of his Contra Celsum preserves an intriguing account of the classical and contemporary language theories. Daniélou and Dillon considered this Origen’s witness as a proof of his sympathies to the voces magicae concept, which goes back to the Chaldean Oracles. In this article, I examine the reliability of Origen’s doxographical testimony, sketch his linguistic views in the context of the Stoic teaching and show what practical implications his language theory had on his approach to exegesis and prayer.

Keywords: Origen, the voces magicae concept, Stoic etymological theory, the issue of the correctness of names, the lekton concept.

There are two scholarly views on Origen's practice of textual criticism. Bruce Metzger has sugges... more There are two scholarly views on Origen's practice of textual criticism. Bruce Metzger has suggested that Origen was remarkably indifferent towards the key aspects of classical textual criticism and never aimed at creating a formal critical edition of the Bible (1963). John McGuckin argued that Origen followed the tradition of Homeric scholarship and pursued creating textus criticus of the Bible (2003). I challenge the both positions and show that although Origen applied methodology of Alexandrian philologists, he never omitted the spurious biblical readings. Instead, his Hexapla represented a comprehensive edition of the Bible. Origen's careful approach to the biblical text can be also seen in his dealing with the biblical canon. Although he took part in canonical debates, he did not create a proper list of the authoritative books of Scripture. To understand these seemingly puzzling principles of Origen's biblical studies I suggest to take into account textual fluidity and other aspects of the manuscript culture, which calls for revisiting our modern view of the ancient canonical thinking and modern phenomenon of decanonisation.