Re: Grace, Theotokos (was: Ave Maria)

On Thu, 29 Jun 2000, Vasiliy Chernov wrote:

>On Thu, 29 Jun 2000 13:04:14 -0400, John Cowan <jcowan@...>
>wrote:
>
>>Vasiliy Chernov wrote:
>>
>>> I don't think
>>> 'Grace' would be the proper translation, linguistically (but
>>> I can't speak for theological uses).
>>
>>"Grace" is indeed the standard translation in theological uses.
>
>Translation of what? It would be easier if you could point to the
>Greek equivalent.
Of blagoslovena (was that right?) - the "Divine good-giving"
you mentioned. That's pretty much what grace is, theologicially.

>>The rather old-fashioned adjective "graceless" means "lacking in
>>divine grace" = "immoral", as opposed to "ungraceful" which means
>>"lacking in aesthetic grace" = "ugly, awkward, crude".
>
>It seems that the common usages in modern languages got too far apart
>each other...
There is that.

Padraic.

>>As for "Theotokos" = "Mother of God", the fact that there is no
>>Western equivalent of this does not reflect a difference in doctrine,
>>only a reluctance in the Latin Church to *call* the Second Person
>>"God" without further modification.  So although Jesus is God, and
>>Mary is the mother of Jesus, it is uncustomary (not incorrect) to
>>call her the mother of God.
>
>Interesting... Sorry for 'godmother', by the way - a confusion coming
>from the similar compound model :o
>
>
>Basilius
>