The Process of the Deification of the Human Person and Technology in Eastern-Orthodox Christianity

Abstract

Christianity is not a religion of the Cosmos,but the religion of the Person. This classical statement about the subject and type of the Christian religion states nothing directly about the status and role of the human person in the empirical world: the subject of the religion is God as Person, and the notion of Divine Person (Hypostasis) surely does not coincide with any empirical mortal individual. Nevertheless, the personalist character of the religion implies immediately quite a number of cardinal anthropological principles. Already the Old Testament states that man is created “in the image and after the likeness” of God (Gen 1,26); that man is placed to have supremacy over all the world beings (Gen 1,28); that he enters into a special personal relationship with God, “makes a covenant” with God. The anthropological situation is outlined here quite precisely:

• 1) Man forms an ontological unity with the world, as a “creature”, a created being, who is as such and as a whole separated by an ontological distance and split from uncreated, Divine being;

• 2) Although man is united with the world, he is singled out in it, holds the central and leading position in it, and has power over it, given by God;

• 3) Although man is separated from God, he keeps a constant and mutual, spiritual and existential connection with Him, and this connection of God and man is a decisive factor in the destiny of all the world and creation.

now the machines demand their celebration.

Source of our weakness now, and in vengeful rage ruining our heritage

us shall these things at length, us, who supply their strength, serve in all meekness.

R. M. Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus, I, XVIII (trans. by J.B. Leishman)