Perichoresis ... round and a round and a roundABSTRACT: In this essay, I hope to introduce the concept of Perichoresis, aka, Circumincession.
Peri - around Chorea - dance Perichorea - To dance around... Perichoresis is the Divine Dance. The Divine Dance of the persons of the Trinity. The Locus Classicus Scripturus of this is John 14:10-11 - 10 "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?
The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living
in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me;"
Interpenetration. Mutual Indwelling. Each of the persons of the Trinity interpenetrate the other. Each of them indwell within each other. Hence if you have seen Jesus - the express image of the Father, you have seen the Father. How does any of this relate to life ??? One fine afternoon, I was in Borders bookstore, and I started to reflect upon my
graduate school days at Syracuse University. Back in graduate school, I was member of InterVarsity
Graduate Christian Fellowship. I spent 3 years in grad school taking courses for my M.S.
Towards my 3rd year, I was not only co-laboring for the Gospel with InterVarsity, but also
peripherally with members of Campus Crusade for Christ, BASIC - Brothers And Sisters In Christ, and
also Baptist Campus Ministry. I had also made friends in other Christian organizations.
Interacting with members of other groups made my life on campus a blast. Even better
than it already was. What was all of this ? In reflecting upon this in the bookstore, the
word perichoresis jumped into my mind. I mean afterall, was I not in effect involved in the
act of interpenetrating ? Indeed I was.
Perichoresis happens when we make the effort to meet other types of christians.
Perichoresis is appreciating the unique gifts of different denominations, whether it be
music, spirituality, theology, and learning from them. Perichoresis is moving out of our
comfort zones and making friends with the elderly ladies, the troubled teens, the housewife,
the wierdo, and the shy guy. Perichoresis is Roman Catholics and Protestants forming a human chain....and
marching arm in arm. Perichoresis is us crossing of our boundaries and living our lives in
their lives, and they living their lives in ours. Just as Christ crossed the divine-human
boundary to live his life in us.
While we live in a fallen world with our fallen natures, a full perichoresis is not
possible. Right now we only get a glimpse of the divine reality. Someday however, there
will be no more creeds and confessions to set ourselves apart by. No more distinctives
to live by. No more traditions to mark ourselves out by. There will only one
denomination. The denomination of Jesus Christ.
Ah bien ! by A. Raj Rao
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