Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
The Various Forms and Bodies of the Logos

The Various Forms and Bodies of the Logos

Last updated on: February 8, 2017 at 11:45 am by Henry Karlson

The Various Forms and Bodies of the Logos 2017-02-08T11:45:42-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Related to the historical and glorified forms, are the way the Logos can be seen in and through the words which represent him in myth and legend. In reality, there are two similar forms represented here, which must not be confused with each other, though they use the same means of interacting with us. One is a form which sees the Logos not as a person who entered into history, and so sees the myths and legends as a kind of religious fiction which helps motivate people, but has no historical reality to them. Even though his historical existence is denied, because his words and deeds, his ideas, are being spread through such discussion, the seeds of the Logos are sowing fertile minds as the Logos is truly encountered in this diminished encounter with him. Indeed, his teachings remain a challenge and affect positive change in those who see him as unreal but find various teachings of his, such as love for neighbor or his declarations of just treatment for the poor, as benefiting humanity. This is, perhaps, one of the weakest forms of encounter possible with the Logos, the Word is still not silenced, his voice is still being heard, the seed of the Gospel is being implanted in listeners, and through it all, hearts often find themselves changed for the better.

The other form of the mythic Logos comes out the Christ of history, but adds to it elements from the glorified Christ. It is a form which looks at Christ’s work in the past through the eyes not of history but of his divine activity, and so sees the glorified form of Christ “bleeding” through his historical self, allowing all kinds of extraordinary actions and possibilities being portrayed by him. It does not represent history as it happened according to the ways empirical history is delineated, but rather, it represents the supernatural effects of the Logos while trying to connect them to the life and times of the Christ of history. One of the greatest manifestations of this are the legends surrounding the holy grail which developed in medieval Europe, but we also see it in other legends, such as those surrounding St. Christopher. With Christopher, we see a higher reality being portrayed in and through legendary deeds – Christopher carried Christ with himself through the river of life.

Homeless Jesus by Kjp993 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

There is another way the presence of the Logos is found, and it is connected to his humanity; it is where he is found in the weak, the helpless, the poor, the suffering, the mistreated, that is, in the underclass of the world. As he said about himself in the judgment of the nations, he, the king, will look at what was done for the needy, and what was done for them was done to him because he was one with the needy and found in them. “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40 RSV). Jesus is found in all of us, because we all share in the image and likeness of God, but he identify himself with “the least of these” because he came not to Lord it over others, but to empty himself and join in solidarity with the oppressed people of the world. Those who feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, give refuge to the refugee encounter the presence of Christ in them, and so are being receptive of Christ by being receptive to Christ in the needy. Some, to be sure are more aware of the presence of Christ in the needy they encounter than others; for the veil often keeps us unable to see Christ when he is before us in the lowly and dispossessed, but for those who, without needing the veil to be ripped down, give their love to the unloved, they will find they have loved Christ and Christ loves them back. Likewise, those who deny their love in this fashion close themselves off to the presence of Christ, and so put up a greater veil between them and eternal glory as they turn from persons who act in love to persons who act against love. This is why Jesus indicated that many will be surprised that they did anything to or against him because they did not recognize his presence in those they helped or hindered.

Then there is the presence of the Logos as Christ who is encountered in and through his image, in icons and statues. They provide windows into heaven, showing the mythic and glorified forms of Christ through artistic vision. It is a theurgic form of Christ, where his presence is made real, reflecting upon and established in the Christ of history (his bodily form) while adding to it the grace and power of the glorified Christ. As a presence of the Logos, it is able to bring grace and peace to the souls properly disposed to encounter him through his image, and so effect great miracles.

Another encounter with the Logos is the presence of Christ in the eucharist. It appears to be bread and wine, but it is Christ who is before us, in his sacramental presence, able to be worshiped similar to the presence of Christ in icons, but transcends his presence in the icons because the eucharist brings the fullness of his person and not a derivative form of his presence to those who partake of it. We are called to eat, that is to take Christ into ourselves, so that we can become what we eat and find ourselves transformed into the final form of Logos we will present here, the church.

Go back Continue Reading

Previous Post

February 7, 2017

Avarice, The Rival God

Next Post

February 13, 2017 Self-Deception Can Use A Good For Evil

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz