Hypostasis - what is it? Sometimes this word can be heard in colloquial speech. But in such cases it is used in a figurative sense. As for the direct meaning, it belongs to the field of church terminology. A more detailed story that this is a hypostasis will be given below.
Literally
The first version of the meaning of "hypostasis" in the dictionary is interpreted as follows. This is a church term that designates in Christianity one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. For a better understanding of the meaning of the word in the first interpretation, it would be advisable to give several examples of its use.
Example 1. The "Catechism" of Plato (Levshin) says that at the very moment when the body of the pure Mary's blood began to be depicted to the Son of God, that is, at the moment of conception, there was a reunion of mankind with the Divine. Or humanity was accepted by the Divine, and a terrible and inexpressible hypostatic unity was realized, in other words, the union in a single hypostasis of two natures.
Example 2. The conversation, which began with simple things, turned into a more serious channel, and the talk turned to the trinity in all areas of life, in ideas, in the visible elements of social structure, in the hypostases of a deity.
Example 3. In the book "Development of abilities" by K. Penzak, it is said that the gods and goddesses are hypostases of a single spirit, which lead to a closer relationship with the deity.
Figuratively
On this occasion, the dictionary says that in a figurative sense, a hypostasis is a form in which someone or something is manifested, embodied in a certain role or quality.
Usage examples:
Example 1. This stimulated the study of culture in its historical and ethnic forms, which have various incarnations, such as the study of folklore, mythology, comparative linguistics.
Example 2. The lecturer noted that in its current incarnation, criminology, as a science of crime, only has applied value as long as this most criminal thing actually exists.
Example 3. The only thing he could count on was an audition for the role of the presenter of the daytime news, although, by and large, the channel management saw a woman in this incarnation.
To assimilate the meaning of the word "hypostasis" it is necessary to consider its origin.
Etymology
Scientists-etymologists managed to trace the origin of the studied object up to the Proto-Indo-European language. There is a stem sta, which means "to stand, to put". Further, in ancient Greek, the verb is foundἵστηΜι, which translates as “arrange, set, stand, erect.”
The noun στάσις was formed from it in the meaning of “arrangement, establishment”. Then the prefix ὑπό was added to it, meaning “under, below”, and the ancient Greek word ὑπόστασις was obtained, which is interpreted as “maintenance, existence, personality, essence.”
Next, synonyms for the word "hypostasis" will be given.
Words similar in meaning
Among them are:
- lick;
- essence;
- substance;
- quality;
- base;
- function;
- appearance;
- nature;
- fundamental;
- nature;
- original;
- quintessence;
- image;
- attribute;
- set;
- belonging;
- role;
- look;
- image;
- role;
- mission;
- destination;
- terms of duty;
- reflection;
- expression;
- incarnation;
- shape;
- occupation;
- side;
- edge.
In conclusion of the study of the question of hypostasis, it is worth saying a few words about the controversy of representatives of the church around this concept.
Theological controversy
It should be noted that in religion hypostasis is a term that has not always been understood in the same way. In Christianity, there is a statement that God is one and three. When the church fatherstried to explain the concept of trinity, they did not always use the same terminology.
Some of them said that the essence of the trinity is that three persons unite in God, denoting this with the term πρόσωπον, persona. Others believed that three hypostases are connected in God and used the word ὑπόστασις. Still others preferred to use the word ουσία, natura, substantia.
Such discrepancies resulted in long-term disputes between theologians in the East in the 4th century. At a certain period, there was a difference of opinion between the Western and Eastern churches.
At the same time, Eastern theologians said that with the unity of the being, God is in different hypostases. With the word "hypostasis" they expressed the concept of a person, refuting the opinion of one of the heretics - Savely. The latter explained that God has only one essence, one hypostasis, but at different times he assumed three forms: the form of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. Thus, these are only names, or actions of one person.
Western churchmen believed that God had one hypostasis. They opposed their opinion to the teaching of Arius, who admitted three essences: the Father - the essence of God, the Son - created, and the Holy Spirit, an essence also created, but separate from the Son.
In order to resolve these contradictions, a council was convened in Alexandria in 362, where it turned out that both Eastern and Western theologians taught the same way, although they expressed themselves differently. The first in thisused "hypostasis" in the meaning of "face" and instead of "face". And the latter tried to express the concept of ουσία - "being" with the same word. Beginning in the 4th century, the first form of expression became dominant.
