Preface to My Durham PhD Thesis: Cyril of Alexandria's Trinitarian Exegesis
I'm a softy for reading an author's preface. I enjoy reading about the places, people involved, and simply the sentiments expressed. While my Durham degree will be conferred early next month, I want to provide my Acknowledgements here during the advent season, both as a way to remember and to recognize how this process includes several several people.
The abstract is now live in the Durham depository (see here).
This thesis began long before my reflection on Cyril of Alexandria’s Trinitarian exegesis. While finishing my work on the Didache, I soon observed my love for biblical studies being matched with a love for Patristic dogmatics. From the start, I wanted to pursue theological exegesis of the New Testament Scriptures and hermeneutical reflection on a book still left untranslated within Patristic literature. Essentially, these features should intersect with each of my interests. So, I first considered Cyril’s commentary on Hebrews, only to discover someone was currently translating the commentary. I feared taking on Cyril’s Dialogues on the Trinity (hereafter, dial. Trin.), still left untranslated, due to its size and the sheer difficulty of his Greek. So, I spent an entire year putting together a loose translation of this Trinitarian volume. And, now that I’m at this point, I regret not picking up this task sooner. As Augustine reflects, to consider the Trinity is to enjoy the beatific vision: “The fullness of our happiness, beyond which there is none else, is this: to enjoy God the Trinity in whose image we were made.” And so, what follows is both a humble attempt at contributing to Cyrilline studies and pursuing one feature of the happy life: contemplating the divine realities of the Trinity.
As with a book like this, mentors, colleagues, and friends—and often the lines of distinction are quite blurred—become deeply treasured in these moments. Their help, insights, presence, intrigue, and criticisms have only deepened this project and added value to my life. First, of course, I mention Lewis Ayres. The wit, humor, patience, breadth of insights in early Christianity and the academic discipline, and much more have been beyond helpful and refining for me. My time working this closely with him will certainly be considered among the highlights of my academic life. He has helped me to anchor my academic feet, find my writing voice, and tighten my vision of the research and writing process.
I consider myself quite lucky to have these relationships, and my work is better due to their help. Each of them have assisted me in various ways: Michael Haykin, Coleman Ford, Matthew Crawford, Mark DelCogliano, Francis Watson, Madison Pierce, Amy Hughes, Megan Devore, Brian Arnold, Trey Moss, Phil Carey, Greg Hillis, Blair Smith, John Gill, David Rathel, Clayton Jefford, Luke Stamps, Grant Sutherland, Kevin Hill, Chris Morgan, Tony Chute, and Keri Murcray.
While a writing project like this requires a person to take residence at a quiet desk, peruse the stacks at libraries, revisit the coffee maker early in the morning, one must not forget the writer. Over the years, and especially in comparing ancient reading practices with contemporary hermeneutics, I have come to see how the private life of the reader influences what a person is able to see. C. S. Lewis, in The Magician’s Nephew, writes the following: “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” This thesis is dedicated to Jeff, well, two Jeffs: Jeff Mooney and Jeff Biddle. As Lewis reflects, in terms of “what sort of person” one becomes, these two have shaped the kind of person I am becoming to see and hear differently.
I turn last to mention my family, and while being mentioned last, for each of them is reserved my deepest love: Allyson, Mercy, and Caden. Augustine, again, defines virtue as “rightly ordered love” and that to live well is to display proper virtue. My family is an immediate presence to draw out of me rightly ordered loves for God, for them, and for neighbor. I treasure each time I put the pen down to play baseball, or to skate out front, or to go on little adventures, or to draw what we envision in our imagination. While these activities prolonged me from completing this thesis, I have not regretted a single moment with you—more so, my writing distracts me from life’s adventures with you. And, especially to Allyson, my love and my best friend, your support, confidence, patience, virtuous life, and presence will be surpassed by no one. You are a gift and sign of the Triune God’s graces and favor to me.
Advent 2021
Riverside, CA
