The Theophany and Theoria of Natura: What John Scotus Eriugena Learns from Maximus the Confessor

It has been argued that as an ‘objective,’ systematic account of natura, John Scotus Eriugena’s (b. 815) Periphyseon lacks an ‘interior’ aspect. Borrowing much from his fellow Platonic predecessor, Maximus the Confessor, I aim to show, rather, that the Periphyseon develops a ‘personal’ program regarding the soul’s itinerary. I will focus on one component of a broader program running throughout the Periphyseon — mainly, Eriugena's understanding of the salvific function of natura. I will show how natura, for Eriugena, is a symbol of the Divine Logos. It is not simply a ‘stepping stone,’ but rather, constituted within the Divine Logos Itself. Eriugena’s concept of natura necessitates that any outflowing of the Divine into difference does not destroy its unity, but rather, is an articulation of Itself in a concretized form. Thus, all invisible and visible creatures are endowed with symbolic significance: they orchestrate the final return of all things into God.