Oldal 89 [89]
FAITH AS A PREREQUISITE...
This idea is obviously in accordance with Theodoret’s earlier argument—
borrowed mostly from his predecessors—concerning the Greeks having
been taught virtually everything by the so-called “Barbarians”, so they do
not have the right to despise them. Mutatis mutandis, Christianity itself can
also appear as a “new” and “Barbarian” rite for his readers: nonetheless, this
scarcely means that, in light of Dionysus’ words, the “Barbarians” could not
be yet again “wiser than the Greeks”.
In addition to making full use of the vocabulary of mysterious rituals,
Theodoret reveals his classical erudition when he presents the relationship
between faith and reason as well as the idea of initiation by referring to the
relevant philosophical terms of Aristotle and Epicurus:
Therefore, my friends, nobody should speak against faith, since it is evident
that even Aristotle called faith the criterion of science [kpırnpıov Emornung];”
Epicurus even labelled it the preconception of the mind /mpdéAnwic Giavoiaç].?$
Preconception, which acquires knowledge /yv&oic}, becomes comprehension
[katéAnyic]. According to our concept, faith is a voluntary assent of the soul
[Ékodoioc Tç wuxñc Evykatradeoıc),” or a contemplation [dewpia] of the obscure
things, or a stance concerning what exists and a direct grasp of the invisible
[world], commensurate with its nature, or an unambiguous disposition /őrágzorc
avaupißoAog] fixed in the souls of its [i.e. faith’s] possessors. Faith /miotic] surely
needs knowledge [/yv@oic] just as knowledge needs faith, for neither faith can
exist without knowledge, nor knowledge apart from faith. Still, faith precedes
knowledge and knowledge follows faith; impulse /7 dpun]’* fastens on knowledge
and is followed by action /mpééic]. One has to believe first and then learn; once
knowing, be eager; and having become eager, act. For even the alphabet cannot
be learned if one does not believe the schoolmaster what one should call the first
letter, then the second and so on. It is evident that if one were at once to contradict
the teacher saying that the first letter should not be called “alpha”, but be given
a different name, one would not learn the truth but inevitably would go astray and
accept falsehood as truth. But if one believes the teacher and accepts the lessons
according to his rules, faith will be very swiftly followed by knowledge. Thus it is
advantageous to believe the geometer when he teaches that a point is something
absolutely indivisible, and a line is a length lacking width. Nevertheless, no one
°5 Aristotle, Topica, V, 3, 131 a, 23-6. See W. D. Ross (ed.), Aristotelis topica et sophistici
elenchi, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1958.
Or “presumption”. See, e.g. Epicurus, Ratae sententiae 37 in G. Arrighetti (ed.), Epicuro:
Opere, second edition, Turin, Einaudi, 1973.
For further discussion of these concepts see, e.g. George B. Kerferd, The problem of
synkatathesis and katalepsis in Stoic doctrine, in J. Brunschwig (ed.), Les Stoiciens et leur
logique, Paris, Vrin, 1978, 251-272.
The Greek öpun in Stoic philosophy means “appetition” including both the reasoned choice
and the irrational impulse.
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