THE TEMPLE PSYCHOLOGY OF APHRAHAT THE PERSIAN SAGE
Abstract
The present article offers an analysis of an aspect of Anthropology of Aphrahat the Persian Sage, a Syrian Father from the 4th century, which is named here «Temple Psychology.» Using the Temple symbolism, Aphrahat developed a complex, tripartite anthropological model, upon which he based his partial explanation of the afterlife.
The article begins with an analysis of the Temple symbolism as the locus of divine dwelling in Aphrahat's anthropology. Then follows an evaluation of the relevant exegetical axioms. A critical analysis of Aphrahat's tripartite anthropology in relation to the Jerusalem Temple was offered, with a special reference to his understandig of the afterlife, which is closely related to these motives.
The article concludes by acknowledging the dominant role of the Temple terminology in Aphrahat' anthropological model, which exerted a strong influence on his psyhology (teaching about the soul). It naturaly resulted in the Temple Psychology, which is the dynamic model of the eschatological existence of man.
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