Divine Participation: A Reconstruction of St Cyril of Alexandria’s and Fr Matta al-Miskīn’s Commentaries on the Gospel of St John

Wagdy Samir, Ph.D. (2022), is an independent Coptic Orthodox scholar and Director of the Australian Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (AIOCS). His academic contributions include articles exploring the theological legacy of Father Matta al-Miskīn, with a particular focus on his Alexandrian heritage.

• PrefaceAcknowledgementsAbbreviations1 Divine Participation in the Gospel of John1.0 Introduction1.1 Cyril’s and Matta’s Approaches in their Commentaries on John’s Gospel1.2 Methodology1.3 Book OutlinePart 1 St Cyril of Alexandria2 Discerning the Theology of Participation in Cyril’s Commentary on the Gospel of John2.0 Introduction2.1 Divine Participation in On John2.2 Surveying the Relevant Scholarship3 The Context of Divine Participation3.0 Introduction3.1 The Creation/Paradise Narratives3.2 The Incarnation as the Context of Restoring Divine Participation3.3 Concluding Remarks4 Attaining Union with God4.0 Introduction4.1 Baptism4.2 The Eucharist4.3 Concluding RemarksPart 2 Matta Al-Miskīn5 Theology of Union with God in Matta’s Commentary on the Gospel of St John5.0 Introduction5.1 Matta’s Theology of Participation in the Divine Life5.2 Surveying the Relevant Scholarship6 The Context of Humankind’s Divine Participation6.0 Introduction6.1 The Creation/Paradise Narratives6.2 The Incarnation Narrative6.3 Concluding Remarks7 Means of Divine Participation7.0 Introduction7.1 Baptism7.2 The Eucharist7.3 Concluding Remarks8 Cyril of Alexandria and Matta Al-Miskīn in Comaprison1 Participation is the togetherness of elements of diverse ontological type in the essential unity of a single instance2 Participation is substantial, not just a matter of appearance3 Participation is asymmetrical, not a relation between equalsBibliographyIndex