Assaad Elias Kattan

This article by Lebanese theologian Assaad Elias Kattan focuses on the notion of the incarnation of the Logos considered according to a triple dimension: in the person of Christ, in Holy Scripture, and in History. Through a patristic study, the author examines the theological foundations of this tripartite conception defended by Metropolitan Georges Khodr, showing that it is firmly rooted in the tradition of the Church Fathers. The article demonstrates that this approach opens up significant perspectives for interreligious dialogue, particularly with Islam, whose conception of the Quran as the presence of the divine word offers a point of convergence. On the theological level, the study contributes to articulating Christology, biblical hermeneutics, and theology of history within contemporary Orthodox thought in Arabic expression, while proposing a spiritual anthropology based on the vocation of each believer to incarnate the divine word.

This article examines the anthropological and cosmological thought of Saint Maximus the Confessor (7th century) through the lens of his Christology. Assaad Elias Kattan offers an analytical study of the way in which the Byzantine theologian articulates the presence of the Word of God in humanity and in creation. The central idea is that the Incarnation of Christ constitutes the culminating moment of a divine presence that permeates the entire cosmos, a presence that human reason is invited to discern. The article highlights the internal coherence of the Maximian synthesis, which connects Christology, anthropology, and cosmology into a unified theological system. From the perspective of the history of patristic thought, this contribution illuminates the philosophical and theological significance of Maximus the Confessor as a thinker of mediation between God, humanity, and the created world.

This article reports on the plenary lecture delivered by Lebanese lay theologian Assaad Elias Kattan at an Orthodox theology symposium. In the form of a theological lecture, the text develops an argument for a creative renewal of Orthodox thought in the face of the challenges of postmodernity. The central idea is that Orthodox theology must overcome any temptation toward intellectual abdication by building bridges between ecclesial Tradition and contemporary reality. The article makes a threefold contribution: it proposes a dynamic rereading of Tradition, distinguishing its essential message from its transitory historical forms; it rehabilitates reason as a legitimate theological instrument; and finally, it calls for the development of new hermeneutics of foundational texts. Taken together, this constitutes a significant contribution to the debate on the positioning of Orthodox theology in the contemporary world.

This article by theologian Assaad Elias Kattan examines the relationship between Orthodox theology and modern philosophical hermeneutics, drawing in particular on the works of Gadamer and Ricœur. Adopting a critical analytical approach, the author first refutes the argument of certain Orthodox thinkers that the transition to postmodernity exempts Orthodox theology from engaging in dialogue with modernity. Drawing on the distinction established by Peter Zima between modernity, late modernity, and postmodernity, he shows that philosophical hermeneutics belongs as much to postmodernity as to modernity. The article then analyzes three contemporary Orthodox hermeneutical programs in order to highlight an implicit quest for an absolute interpretive criterion. The main theological contribution lies in the proposition that only the Holy Spirit can constitute such an ultimate criterion, with ecclesial institutions serving merely as its witnesses, and that interpretation remains a synergic and eschatologically open process.