Ad Calosyrium

Letter of Saint Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, to Calosyrius, Bishop of Arsenoë, against those who say the divine is anthropomorphic. Some who came from the mountain of Calamon were asked by me about the monks there, how they are faring, and what manner of life they lead. They said that many excel in asceticism and very much desire to achieve the life proper to monks, but that there are some who go about and disturb those who wish to be quiet, out of ignorance, and they further asserted that these people spread such talk as this: they said, "Since divine scripture says that man was made in the image of God, one must believe that the divine is human-shaped, that is, anthropomorphic." This is utterly senseless and capable of subjecting those who choose to think thus to charges of the utmost impiety. For it is admittedly true that man is in the image of God, but the likeness is not bodily; for God is incorporeal. And the Savior himself teaches this, saying, "God is Spirit." Therefore he is not embodied, if he is spirit, nor in a bodily form. For what is outside body would also be outside shape. For the divine is without quantity and without form. But if they think that the God over all is himself shaped according to the nature of the human body, let them say whether he also has feet to walk with, hands to work with, and eyes to see with. Where then does he walk? Or from what places to what places does he go, who fills all things?

For he said, "Do I not fill heaven and earth, says the Lord? Or what hands does he move for his works who creates through the living Word? And if he has eyes like ours, placed in a face, does he not see at all what is behind? But when he looks to the east, does he not know what those in the west are doing? And if he looks to the west again, does he not see those in the east?" I am ashamed even to write these things, but because of the folly of some I have become foolish, not willingly, but compelled by them. Let those who prattle these things, as ignorant, be silenced, and let them keep quiet, not touching upon matters beyond their power, or rather let them not speak ill of God. For God is above every creation, conceived neither as body nor in bodily forms or shapes, but is simple, immaterial, formless, uncompounded, not composed of parts or members or limbs as we are, but rather spirit, according to the scriptures, and overseeing all things, being everywhere and filling all things, and absent from nothing; for he fills heaven and earth. That man is made in the image of God has other meanings and implications. For he alone among all creatures on earth is rational, compassionate, having aptitude for every virtue, and also having received the rule over all things on earth in likeness and image of God. Therefore, according to being a rational creature and insofar as he is virtuous and ruling over things on earth, he is said to be made in the image of God. But if they think the image is spoken of according to the shape of the body, nothing prevents them from saying that God is conformable also to irrational animals.

We see, indeed, that even these are composed of the same parts as ourselves, having feet, a mouth, eyes, a nose, a tongue, and the other members of the body. Let your piety therefore stop such persons, or rather rebuke those who are accustomed to babble these things. I hear that they say the mystical blessing becomes ineffectual for sanctification if a remnant of it remains until the next day. They are mad to say this; for Christ is not altered, nor will his holy body be changed, but the power of the blessing and the life-giving grace are perpetual in it. There are also some others who go about, as they say, pretending to devote themselves solely to prayer and doing no work, making piety a pretext for idleness and a means of livelihood, not thinking rightly. For let them claim themselves to be even better than the holy apostles, who, when the occasion allowed them leisure for this, did work, and also labored in the word of God. And how have they forgotten the blessed Paul writing to some, "For I hear that there are some among you who walk about doing no work, but meddling?" The Church therefore does not approve of those who do this. For it is admittedly necessary to pray earnestly while remaining quiet in the ascetic houses; but it is no hindrance, rather it is most beneficial, to work as well, so that one may not be found burdensome to others by receiving their sweat for one's own need, and may also be able from one's own labors to comfort a widow, an orphan, and some of the brethren who are sick.

If they think it is good not to engage in work, when everyone emulates them, who will feed them? Some, then, make idleness and gluttony a pretext, thinking it necessary to devote themselves only to prayer and not to touch work at all. Do not allow the orthodox to assemble with those called Meletians, lest they become partakers of their apostasy. But if those, repenting, come to the orthodox, let them be received; let no one be indifferent, nor commune with those who do not repent, lest, as I said, they become partakers of the evil faith inherent in them. Let your piety have these things read in those monasteries for the edification of those there, and let it command that they be observed, so that neither the orthodox suffer with their conscience weakened, nor those who wish to live in idleness have any pretext for seeming to be good. I pray that you are strong in the Lord, beloved and most longed-for.