Logos and Logismoi: The Transformation of Biblical Grace into Mysteriological Control

A Vision of Communion in Christ, Using the Analogy of Computational Connectivity Using Electricity, Showing How We are Connected through the Uncreated Energy of the Holy Trinity

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

Introduction

The concept of “Logos” has played a central role in both Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Originally introduced by Heraclitus, developed into a metaphysical principle by Philo of Alexandria, and finally incorporated into Christian thought by St. John the Apostle, Logos became the bridge between the Greek philosophical tradition and the biblical revelation of Jesus Christ as the Word of God. While this incorporation of Greek thought was, in its original form, a necessary and legitimate means of expressing the mystery of the Incarnation, it also carried with it unintended consequences. Many theologians and Christian scholars forget that Neo-Platonism is much younger than the Gospels, and is, in some ways, a Greek self-justification in the light of Christ’s great triumph over the Platonic world. Therefore, using the Logos terminology of the New Testament to whole-heartedly embrace the Neo-Platonic system is not completely justified. 

As Neo-Platonic influences deepened in Christian theology, the biblical worldview - rooted in covenantal life and the sanctification of creation through sacramental participation - was gradually replaced by a mysteriological framework that emphasized contemplation, purity, and separation from the material world. This shift resulted in the transformation of grace from an outpouring of divine life into a sacred commodity that could be restricted, withheld, or controlled. The ultimate result was a new form of legalism, wherein sacramental participation became contingent upon philosophical categories of worthiness, contemplation, and ascetic discipline, rather than on the biblical paradigm of divine condescension and covenantal participation.  

The Biblical Paradigm: Holiness as Outpouring

In the Hebrew Scriptures, holiness is not something that must be shielded from defilement but rather something that flows outward to transform and sanctify all that it touches. In Ezekiel 47, the prophet envisions a river of life flowing from the temple, bringing healing to all the nations: 

"Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward… And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live… for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh" (Ezekiel 47:1, 9).

The movement of divine grace in this vision is expansive, transformative, and all-inclusive. It does not retreat from impurity but rather purifies all that it encounters, the fire of God’s uncreated fire refining the dross through His intense interaction with us. Similarly, in the life of Christ, we see this principle at work. Christ does not hesitate to touch the leper (Mark 1:41), to heal the hemorrhaging woman (Luke 8:43-48), or to enter the house of a sinner (Luke 19:5-9). These were all ritually impure acts, enough to scandalize the Pharisees. Far from being defiled by such contact, He sanctifies those whom He touches. 

The Incarnation itself is the supreme act of divine condescension: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God does not withhold Himself from the world but enters into it, making His dwelling among sinners and outcasts. His holiness does not require separation but manifests itself through interaction and participation. The Eucharist, the supreme gift of divine grace, is given to the unworthy - not as a reward for spiritual attainment but as the very means by which sinners are healed and made whole: “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26).

The Neo-Platonic Shift: Holiness as Separation

Despite this biblical model of holiness as outpouring, the infiltration of Greek philosophical categories into Christian thought led to a gradual transformation of grace into a hidden mystery, accessible only to the spiritually elite. The Neo-Platonic system, which emphasized hierarchical emanations from the One, introduced a framework in which divine realities were no longer accessible to all, but only to those who had ascended through rigorous contemplation and purification. 

In this model, participation in the sacraments became increasingly restricted. The Eucharist, once the family meal of the Church, was placed behind an iconostasis, hidden from view and guarded by a professional priesthood whose sanctity was defined primarily by their ability to abstain from worldly attachments - including marriage and physical pleasures. The biblical vision of holiness, which flowed outward to embrace the world, was inverted into a mysteriological system of seclusion, in which divine grace had to be shielded from the “unworthy.” 

This shift is most clearly illustrated in the evolving practice of Eucharistic discipline. In the New Testament and early Church, all baptized believers were expected to partake of the Eucharist at every gathering: 

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

However, as Greek mystical categories took hold, participation in the Eucharist became contingent upon rigorous asceticism. Fasting and extended periods of self-purification were required before one could receive, and in some cases, believers abstained from communion altogether for fear of defilement from the world. Instead of the Eucharist being a means of sanctification, it became a reward for the already-sanctified. 

St. John Chrysostom lamented this very development in his day, criticizing those who refrained from communion out of excessive fear of unworthiness: 

"Many partake of the sacrament once a year, and others twice. And what then? Is this not the most extreme contempt? Tell me, do you consider yourself unworthy of the communion? Then you are also unworthy of the prayers. You hear the herald saying, 'Depart, all ye that are not partakers!' All that do not partake of the table are in a state of penitence." (Homily 3 on Ephesians) 

The idea that holiness required separation rather than participation ultimately resulted in the erection of new barriers - ones not commanded by Christ but justified by Greek philosophical categories. The tearing of the Temple veil (Matthew 27:51) was effectively reversed, as new veils were drawn around the altar, ensuring that divine grace was kept at a distance from the laity. Whereas the Ancient Church kept the curtain and symbolically opened it at the beginning of the Liturgy, to show that Christ had opened the Holy of Holies to His people, now walls were erected and curtains put in place that could not be pulled back in remembrance of the work He had accomplished. 

The Economic and Political Consequences of Mysteriological Control

This transformation of grace from an overflowing gift into a guarded mystery also had significant economic and political ramifications. By restricting access to the means of sanctification, the clerical hierarchy gained unparalleled control over the spiritual lives of the people. The laity became increasingly dependent on the priesthood, which alone had access to the “hidden” mysteries of divine grace. 

This system justified economic scarcity in the Church’s administration of grace. Just as medieval feudal lords controlled land and resources, ensuring dependence on their rule, so too did the priestly class control the means of salvation, ensuring a strict hierarchy within the Church. The Eucharist was no longer the common property of all believers but the carefully rationed privilege of the worthy. The original model of the Church as a covenantal family - wherein all shared in the divine life - was replaced by a sacramental economy in which access to grace was mediated through institutional gatekeepers. 

This control extended beyond the spiritual realm. The fusion of mysteriological theology with imperial power ensured that the Church hierarchy would maintain social order, often aligning itself with political authorities who benefited from a controlled and subdued populace. The theology of Logos, once the proclamation of divine generosity in Christ, the self-emptying of glory and the rejection of power as the only means of approaching God, was subtly reinterpreted to justify an exclusive system in which grace was hidden, managed, and withheld from others, rather than freely given. 

Logismoi, the self-delusional desires and thoughts that arise from the brokenness of humanity in Adam, play a crucial role in distorting the human relationship with divine grace. Evagrius of Pontus, in his writings, describes these logismoi as the subtle movements of the soul that seek to control and manipulate the world around us in an attempt to grasp for power or status - ultimately desiring to become gods without God. These temptations are born from the fall, a yearning for autonomy and dominion that, while seemingly spiritual, ultimately leads to disordered thinking and spiritual ruin. In this way, the desire to grasp divinity on our own terms parallels the misinterpretation of Logos by later medieval Orthodox mysteriological scholasticism, which sought to reconcile Greek philosophical categories with Christian theology. In this framework, Logos became less a living, divine Person, and more a principle to be mentally appropriated, controlled, and ultimately manipulated through mystical contemplation and rigorous asceticism. The result is not the life-giving Word of God but a form of Logismoi, where the soul's desire to ascend to God, absent of divine grace, becomes the ultimate idol, distracting the believer from the transformative grace that is freely given through participation in Christ's Incarnation. This misappropriation finds its roots in the Neo-Platonic reading of Logos as an emanation rather than the dynamic, relational reality of the God-Man, and it is this reduction of the Logos into a static, intellectual concept that distorts both the soul’s relationship to God and the Church’s practice of sacramental life. Thus, the Logos in this scholastic interpretation becomes a reflection of Logismoi: an attempt to understand and control the mystery of grace instead of receiving it as a divine gift. The Desert Fathers, including Evagrius himself, cautioned against such delusions. As Evagrius wrote, "The soul that is distracted by thoughts of greatness or power has no part in the kingdom of God" (Praktikos 47). This warning reflects the destructive influence of Logismoi, which leads the soul away from the true, incarnate Logos toward a false spiritual ascent. Scripture, in this light, offers a powerful corrective, reminding us that it is not by our striving or controlling but through God’s mercy that we are made whole (Matthew 11:28). The Logos reveals Himself not as an object to be attained but as a Person to be followed, loved, and participated in.

Recovering the Biblical Vision of Grace

The Incarnation was not the beginning of a new hidden mystery but the revelation of the eternal plan of God’s self-giving love. Christ, the Logos, did not remain in a realm of abstract contemplation but became flesh, walked among sinners, and gave Himself without reserve, taking on the “form of a servant” and “making himself of no reputation.” The biblical paradigm is one of grace overflowing - transforming the world, healing the sick, and calling the unworthy, the beggars and the poor, to the banquet of salvation. 

If the Church is to be faithful to its apostolic foundation, it must recover this vision of divine humility and gracious outpouring. The tearing of the veil was not a symbolic gesture but the definitive act of a God who refuses to be contained and who came to save all who were lost. The Eucharist must once again be seen as the table of the people, a family table, a table where we are cleansed by the divine power of Christ’s holy sacrifice - not the secret rite of the elite. Only then can the Gospel be truly proclaimed: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

COLLECT 

Almighty and Everliving God, 

Who, in the fullness of time, didst send Thy Son, the Word made flesh, to dwell among us and to pour forth the rivers of grace unto all mankind, 

We beseech Thee, by the same Holy Spirit, 

That we, being made partakers of the divine life, may not shrink from sharing in Thy sanctifying grace, 

But, like the holy river flowing from the Temple, 

May we, in communion with Thee, be vessels of Thy life-giving power, 

Transforming and healing all that we touch, 

And bringing forth the Kingdom of Thy eternal love. 

Grant us to be united with one another, 

Not by barriers of pride or separation, 

But through the uncreated energy of the Holy Trinity, 

Which binds us together in the one Body of Christ. 

Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, 

Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, 

Ever One God, world without end. Amen.