Transcendent Nexus: Rethinking Mediatorial Christology and the Neoplatonic Doctrine of Pure Souls in Late Antiquity

ongoing

TRANEX contends that in Late Antiquity (c. 300-500 AD) both the figure of Christ and those of Pythagoras and Socrates underwent a parallel process of metamorphosis facilitated not least through an intellectual exchange between Christian theologians and Neoplatonists, that is, pagan philosophers who drew on Plato’s thought to build a new philosophical and religious system. Rather than perceiving pagan Neoplatonism and Christianity as separate and detached entities, TRANEX emphasizes the need to understand them as dynamically intertwined and mutually influential realms. From Iamblichus onwards (c. 245-325 AD), Neoplatonists reinterpreted figures like Pythagoras and Socrates as ‘pure souls’ sent to earth to save humankind. These saviour figures bear striking resemblances to Christologies that portray Christ as a subordinate divine mediator. I understand these parallels as the outcome of an interreligious exchange, which I intend to explore by focusing on the concept of the ‘soul’. The intermediate nature of the soul, positioned between humanity and divinity, holds a paramount significance as a converging point for Neoplatonic and Christian worldviews, fueling profound discussion on the intricate relationships between humanity and divinity. Within this conceptual framework, I will study the most influential thinkers of the late third to the first half of the fifth century. By juxtaposing subordinationist Christologies with the Neoplatonic doctrine of pure souls, I aim to demonstrate that a comprehensive understanding of late antique Christological debates requires an appreciation of the broader Neoplatonic discourse surrounding figures like Pythagoras and Socrates, and vice versa. I will specifically examine three key aspects that are equally central to both subordinationist Christologies and Neoplatonic conceptions of ‘pure souls’: (1) ‘mediation’ towards humanity, (2) ‘similarity’, rather than ‘identity’, to God(s), and, consequently, (3) ‘subordination’ to God(s).