Soul Matters: How and Why Does Soul Matters to the Various Discourses of Neoplatonism?

“Origen’s Resurrection of the Rational Soul and Its Ascent to the Likeness of Angels”

By Jonathan Young

Scholars argue that Origen of Alexandria conceives the soul’s spiritual progress within a modified Platonic paradigm (Marx-Wolf; Ramelli). Others have been more skeptical of Origen’s Platonism (Edwards). According to Ramelli, Origen advances that the rational soul occupies an earthly, human body only once (ensomatosis), rather than a cycle of multiple bodies (metensomatosis). This notwithstanding, Marx-Wolf argues that the soul, separated from the body at death, still is capable of spiritual advancement.

Neoplatonic Language of the Soul in Cyril’s Scholia on the Incarnation

By Sarah K Wear

Cyril uses the terminology of asynchytos and henosis in a number of passages with respect to his teachings on the metaphysics of the Incarnation. He compares the Logos taking on flesh to the soul taking on body— an analogy rooted in Aristotle’s De Anima where Aristotle likens the relationship between soul and body to that of form with matter. Aristotle calls matter and form a nature (physis) and essence (ousia); soul and body are thus two natures or ousiai constituting one individual human being. Likewise, Cyril calls manhood and divine in Jesus two natures in one person or hypostasis.