Maksim Glebovich Kalinin (Higher School of Economics, Russia)

The Term ‘Īṯūṯā ‘The (Divine) Essence’ in the East Syriac Mystical Tradition

In 410, the Synod of Patriarch Isaac, held in Seleucia-Ctesiphon, adopted the creed of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325). The council's definition included the term ‘īṯūṯā (essence), which Eastern Syrians used to translate the Greek term οὐσία (Greek: ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός; Syriac: men ‘īṯūṯęh d-‘Aḇā). However, while in the Roman Empire the terms οὐσία and φύσις were equated in dogmatic disputes, this did not occur in the East Syriac tradition. ‘Īṯūṯā remained a term relating specifically to God, whereas the Graecism ‘usiya could also refer to created substances. The term ‘īṯūṯā emphasized the eternal existence of God and was often used as His name. Furthermore, in certain contexts, ‘īṯūṯā likely designates the Divine presence rather than the Divine substance. In the East Syriac mystical tradition of the 7th–9th centuries, ‘īṯūṯā played a central role in the practice called hergā, whose main aspect was the constant remembrance of God and the ascent to a simple thought about His eternal existence and love. In their presentation, the authors intend to examine the use of the term ‘īṯūṯā in the East Syriac mystical tradition and contextualize its usage in earlier sources —specifically, the writings of Aphrahat and Ephrem the Syrian, the acts of the Councils of the Church of the East in the 5th and 6th centuries, and the writings of Narsai, which played a particularly significant role in shaping the practice of hergā.

Curriculum Vitae

Maksim Glebovich Kalinin is a Russian orientalist specializing in Classical Syriac literature and the historical grammar of Aramaic languages. He graduated from the Moscow Theological Academy with a degree in Biblical Studies and completed postgraduate studies at the Institute of Oriental Cultures and Antiquity. From 2011 to 2021, he taught Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, and the Aramaic of the Targums at the Moscow Theological Academy. Between 2012 and 2015, he served as a senior scholarly editor at the Orthodox Encyclopedia research center. From 2014 to 2022, he was a researcher at Sts. Cyril and Methodius School. Since 2020, he has led a seminar on Syriac mysticism at the Independent University of Moscow. In 2020, he became the editor-in-chief of the Jesus Portal Project, which popularizes information about the Bible. Since 2021, he has lectured at HSE University, teaching Classical Syriac and Syriac literature. He authored a book on Joseph Ḥazzaya and has published articles on East Syriac mysticism and the historical grammar of Akkadian and Aramaic languages.

Publications and Works

- Калинин М. Г, Преображенский А. М. К вопросу об авторстве второго тома прп. Исаака Сирина: свидетельство Иосифа Хаззайи // Богословский вестник. 2015. № 18–19. С. 68–86 [Maksim G. Kalinin and Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, “On the question of the authorship of the second volume of St. Isaac the Syrian,” Theological Herald 18–19 (2015): 68–86]. - Иосиф Хаззайя. Письмо о действии, происходящем от благодати / пер. с сир. М. Г. Калинина, коммент. А. М. Преображенского и М. Г. Калинина // Богословский вестник. 2016. № 20–21. С. 327–341 [Maksim G. Kalinin (trans.), commentary by Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, “Joseph Ḥazzāyā: Letter Concerning the Consequences of Grace,” Theological Herald 20–21 (2016): 327–41]. - Иосиф Хаззайя. Послание о различных действиях благодати [, бывающих] у подвижников / пер. с сир. М. Г. Калинина, коммент. А. М. Преображенского и М. Г. Калинина // Богословский вестник. 2016. № 22–23. С. 426–436 [Maksim G. Kalinin (trans.), notes by Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, “Joseph Ḥazzāyā: On the Various Effect of Grace (, which) Ascetics Achieve,” Theological Herald 22–23 (2016): 426–36]. - Maksim Kalinin (ed.), Joseph Ḥazzāyā: Book of the Chapters on Knowledge, Newly Discovered Fragments, Mount Athos, Budapest, and Moscow: In Aedibus Interpress, 2018 (Opera Mystica Syriaca, 1). - Калинин М. Г., Преображенский А. М. «Главы о ведении» Иосифа Хаззайи: новое рукописное свидетельство и ранее не идентифицированные главы // Богословские труды. 2018. Вып. 47–48. С. 258–289 [Maksim G. Kalinin and Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, “The Gnostic Chapters of Joseph Ḥazzāyā: New Manuscript Evidence and Previously Unidentified Chapters,” Theological Studies 47–48 (2018): 258–89]. - Иосиф Хаззайя. О молитве в месте ясности / пер. с сир. М. Г. Калинина, коммент. А. М. Преображенского и М. Г. Калинина // Богословские труды. 2018. Вып. 47–48. С. 526–539 [Maksim G. Kalinin (trans.), notes by Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, “Joseph Ḥazzāyā: On the Prayer in the Place of Lucidity,” Theological Studies 47–48 (2018): 526–39]. - Иосиф Хаззайа. Книга глав о ведении. Новооткрытые фрагменты / критическое издание, перевод с сирийского, предисловие и примечания М. Г. Калинина (продолжение) // Библия и христианская древность. 2019. №. 2 (2). С. 15–53. № 3 (3). С. 15–51 [Maksim G. Kalinin (trans.), “Joseph Ḥazzāyā: Book of the Chapters on Knowledge, Newly Discovered Fragments,” Bible and Christian Antiquity 2, no. 2 (2019): 15–53, and 3, no. 3 (2019): 15–51]. - Калинин М. Г. Новое свидетельство полемики о том, может ли человечество Иисуса Христа созерцать Его Божество // Богословский вестник. 2019. Т. 34. № 3. С. 250–264 [Maksim G. Kalinin, “New Evidence of the Controversy About Whether the Humanity of Christ Can Contemplate His Divinity,” Theological Herald 34, no. 3 (2019): 250–64]. - Иосиф Хаззайа. Книга глав о ведении. Новооткрытые фрагменты. Христологические главы / критическое издание, перевод с сирийского, предисловие и примечания М. Г. Калинина и А. М. Преображенского // Библия и христианская древность. 2019. № 4 (4). С. 15–25 [Maksim G. Kalinin and Alexander M. Preobrazhensky (trans.), “Joseph Ḥazzāyā: Book of the Chapters on Knowledge, Newly Discovered Fragments, Christological Chapters,” Bible and Christian Antiquity 4, no. 4 (2019): 15–25]. - Преображенский А. М., Калинин М. Г. Евхаристическая молитва Иосифа Хаззайи // Библия и христианская древность. 2019. № 4 (4). С. 123–140 [Alexander M. Preobrazhensky and Maksim G. Kalinin, “Sacramental Prayer of Joseph Ḥazzāyā,” Bible and Christian Antiquity 4, no. 4 (2019): 123–40]. - Калинин М. Г. Преображенский А. М. Месопотамская арифмология VIII столетия. Предварительное знакомство // Актуальные вопросы изучения христианского наследия Востока: Сборник статей по материалам международной конференции (Сергиев Посад, 22 ноября 2018 г.). Сергиев Посад: МДА, 2020. С. 169–183 [Maksim G. Kalinin and Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, “Mesopotamian Arithmology of the 8th Century: A Preliminary Introduction,” in Current Issues in the Study of Eastern Christian Heritage: Collection of Articles Based on the Proceedings of the International Conference (Sergiev Posad, 22 November 2018), edited by Sergey Panteleev, Sergiev Posad: Moscow Theological Academy, 2020, 169–83]. - «Главы о ведении» Раббана Афнимарана. Сирийская и арабская рукописные традиции. Часть I / критическое издание сирийского текста, перевод с сирийского и комментарии М. Г. Калинина и А. М. Преображенского; подготовка и перевод арабского текста М. Г. Калинина под ред. А. Н. Дунцова // Библия и христианская древность. 2020. № 1 (5). С. 15–64 [Maksim G. Kalinin and Alexander M. Preobrazhensky (trans.), “‘The Chapters on Knowledge’ of Rabban Aphnīmāran: The Syriac and Arabic Manuscript Traditions, Part I,” Bible and Christian Antiquity 5 , no. 1 (2020): 15–64]. - «Главы о ведении» Исаака Сирина. Часть I / сирийский текст, перевод и комментарий М. Г. Калинина, Т. Б. лидской, А. М. Преображенского, С. С. Туркина // Библия и христианская древность. 2020. № 2 (6). С. 15–33 [Maksim G. Kalinin, Tatiana B. Lidskaya, Alexander M. Preobrazhensky, and Sergey S. Turkin (trans.), “‘The Chapters on Knowledge’ of Isaac of Nineveh: Part I,” Bible and Christian Antiquity 6, no. 2 (2020): 15–33]. - «Главы о ведении» раббана Афнимарана. Сирийская и арабская рукописные традиции. Часть II / критическое издание сирийского текста, перевод с сирийского и комментарии М. Г. Калинина и А. М. Преображенского; подготовка и перевод арабского текста М. Г. Калинина под ред. А. Н. Дунцова // Библия и христианская древность. 2022. № 4 (16). С. 14–70 [Maksim G. Kalinin and Alexander M. Preobrazhensky (trans.), “‘The Chapters on Knowledge’ of Rabban Aphnīmāran: The Syriac and Arabic Manuscript Traditions, Part II,” Bible and Christian Antiquity 16, no. 4 (2022): 14–70].