Patriarch Douaihy and the Trinitarian Paradigm in the Maronite Mass

By Ghassan Nakhoul

The Seventeenth Century Maronite Patriarch Venerable Estephan Douaihy developed a Trinitarian Paradigm in his masterpiece 'Manaratul Aqdas' to highlight the manifestation of the Trinity in the Mass. Through the Trinitarian Paradigm, the Trinity is allegorised in objects, signs, actions, prayers, readings and hymns throughout the liturgy. The design of the church, priesthood and the Eucharistic communion are also parts of Douaihy's Trinitarian Paradigm.

Douaihy liturgises the theology of the Trinity to bring the Trinity closer to the average human. With this paradigm, every faithful can relate to the Trinity, not only scholars or theologians. By experiencing the Trinitarian manifestation in the Mass, the faithful can know more about the Triune God and understand God's love in their own lives, without necessarily taking an interest in understanding how the Trinitarian nature of the One God works.

Douaihy draws on the work of the Western and Eastern Fathers of the Church to build his Trinitarian theory. While he adopts the various Trinitarian approaches undertaken by the Church Fathers, including faith, reason, awe, economy and Scripture, Douaihy makes liturgy his main approach. With Douaihy, the Mass is seen in a totally new light. Once understood, Douaihy's thought makes the faithful never wanting to leave the church after Mass.

The Mass is a time for an intimate encounter between the Trinity and the faithful, regardless of their level of understanding. Douaihy demonstrates how the bond of love between God and the human is strengthened in the Mass and perfected in the Eucharistic communion. The Eucharist is the ultimate experience of the Trinity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Oct 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781922788511

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Copyright © Ghassan Nakhoul 2022

First published by Dar Meera in 2022, Australia

978-0-646-85654-4 (print edition)

ISBN: 978-1-922788-51-1 (ebook edition)

Published by Vivid Publishing

P.O. Box 948, Fremantle Western Australia 6959

www.vividpublishing.com.au

Cover drawing and design:

Tony Nakhoul [e-mail]

Typesetting and design:

Marie-Isabelle Abou Ghosn Graphic Designer

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All rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, critics or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or translated in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

This book is an adapted version of a thesis written at the School of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, Australia.

To your holy soul

KHAYYÍ HANNA

I present to you

Your dream

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my special thanks, appreciation and gratitude to:

The Most Reverend Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, Maronite Bishop of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, for his fatherly support, care, guidance and generosity, as well as for the Preface he has written for this book.

My Supervisors Dr (Sr) Margaret Ghosn and Dr Mariusz Biliniewicz for their valuable and constructive guidance and assistance to achieve the original research upon which this book is based. Their generosity and wisdom have been greatly helpful in my long and challenging journey to bring this work to a fruitful end. Their contribution has extended to writing each a much appreciated foreword for this book.

My cousin and lifelong friend, Tony Nakhoul, one of the finest painters I’ve ever met, for producing this wonderful cover and for being always so generous in turning my book covers into awesome paintings.

My appreciation and thanks go to the unsung field workers, the librarians who assisted me in acquiring the necessary references for the research.

I also extend my thanks to the following people who have contributed, in a way or another, to this work. Academics: Prof Renee Kohler-Ryan and Dr John Frauenfelder; Fathers: Tony Sarkis, Danny Nouh, Charbel Dib, Yuhanna Azize and Jean-Marie El Mir; Deacons: Joseph-Awtel Maroun and Mekhael Gebrael; friends: Sarkis Karam, Dory Zaouk, Theresa Simon, Denise El-Samra, Jennifer Farah and Anthony Joseph.

My deep and sincere gratitude to my wife Joceline; daughter Denise, her husband Charbel Abu Azar and their daughter Maria, my sons Joseph and his fiancé Christabel, John and Ghadi for their continuous love and support.

Preface

By Most Reverend Antoine-Charbel Tarabay Maronite Bishop of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania

Patriarch Estephan Douaihy’s works, thoughts and theological contributions have been revived by the meticulous efforts of Ghassan Nakhoul. We are indebted to him for unveiling the depth and riches of Patriarch Douaihy’s two-volume book on the theology of the Mass, The Lampstand of the Sanctuaries, or in Arabic Manaratul Aqdas.

Patriarch Estephan Douaihy is considered one of the greatest in the history of the Maronite Church. A theologian and ecclesiastical reformer, he contributed to the Maronite understanding on theology, philosophy, and in particular in the area of liturgy and Trinitarian theology.

This research is the first in-depth work in the English language that deals in detail with Manaratul Aqdas. Using Douaihy’s explanation of the Maronite Divine Liturgy (the Mass), Ghassan unpacks each chapter to reveal to the readers the depth of richness in word, action and symbol, that accompanies every aspect of the celebration of liturgy.

Ghassan divides his book into easy-to-read chapters, where he quotes from Douaihy’s two-volume book Manaratul Aqdas. He presents to us beautiful passages that depict the presence of the Trinity at every moment of the Eucharistic celebration. He is also to be commended for his excellent translation of the Arabic into English, while maintaining the beauty of the original words.

In Chapter One, we are provided with the background and overview of the life of the Patriarch, the Lebanese context and Maronite history. The chapter also presents a brief history of the political and social issues of Lebanon during Douaihy’s time, setting the stage to better understand his work and theological perspective.

Subsequent Chapters see Ghassan unpack Volume 1 of Manaratul Aqdas, discussing in depth each of the Six Lampstands with focus on the Mass, Church, Priest, Preparation, Memorials and the Teaching. Chapter Three continues on with the discussion of the last four Lampstands in Volume II with discussion revolving around Faith, Consecration, Sacrifice and Communion.

It is in Chapter Four where we are introduced to a wider perspective to understanding the Trinity, by examining the influence of the Latin Fathers including Augustine and Thomas Aquinas and how faith and reason, and philosophy and theology impacted Patriarch Douaihy’s thinking.

Readers get an insight into the depth of the influence that the Eastern Fathers had on Patriarch Douaihy, including the Syriac Fathers and their focus on faith & awe; the Cappadocian Fathers with their focus on faith & oikonomia/tadbír, and the Byzantine/Orthodox Fathers with their focus on faith & Scripture.

Ghassan leaves his major findings to Chapter Six where he offers Douaihy’s Trinitarian Paradigm, which is based on Faith and Liturgy. The highlight for Ghassan is that Patriarch Douaihy offers a simplified concept of the Trinity, unlike the Latin and Eastern Fathers. Douaihy’s writings allow the ordinary faithful person to palpably experience the Trinity at each Eucharistic celebration.

I congratulate Subdeacon Ghassan Nakhoul on the publication of his book. It is a much needed resource on Patriarch Douaihy’s treasury of works and our Antiochian liturgy and theology, that enriches our Maronite library greatly.

Foreword 1

By Dr (Sr) Margaret Ghosn

Living in these current times ravished by covid and its variants, Ghassan Nakhoul’s book is a timely reminder that communal worship matters, Eucharistic gathering nourishes and being encompassed by the Triune mystery assures us all will be well, in a world of endless changes.

Deeply reflecting on the seventeenth century Maronite Patriarch Estephan Douaihy’s Trinitarian Paradigm in his 2-volume work Manaratul Aqdas, (Lampstand of the sanctuaries), Ghassan unpacks step by step, the Maronite Divine Liturgy (Mass), revealing the beauty of the Trinity in every word and gesture.

Examining the ten lampstands that Douaihy describes, Ghassan provides the reader with a rich description of the Trinitarian presence throughout the Divine Liturgy which is allegorised in objects, signs, movements, prayers, readings and hymns. We are reminded that God’s mysterious presence is all encompassing and ever present on the altar, in the Church, in communal celebration and liturgical symbols. God is sacramentally present to us and for us.

In his examination of Douaihy’s work, Ghassan draws on the work of the Western and Eastern Fathers of the Church to build his Trinitarian theory. The book thus, not only offers a Trinitarian model as provided by Douaihy but also we are introduced to the Trinitarian paradigm according to Augustine, Aquinas, the Syriac Fathers, Cappadocian Fathers and the Byzantine/Orthodox tradition. However, it is in Ghassan’s elaboration of Douaihy’s work, that we best see the Trinitarian aspect through the liturgy. In his study of the Trinity, Ghassan identifies and elaborates on important concepts such as faith, reason, awe, economy, and Scripture.

Ghassan has translated numerous passages from Douaihy’s work into English, making it accessible to the Western world, and bringing to light a theological treasure that had remained hidden for centuries. He offers to the readers an insight to the way of thinking of Maronites from centuries before and the relevance of such spirituality, to our lives today.

Life is always an involvement with the ever-present Trinity and Ghassan expresses that mysterious and yet inspiring presence in such a way to remind us that Eucharist community is one that gathers to celebrate, make holy and be holy in a world where nothing, not even covid, can separate us from the endless sacrificial giving of God as Trinity.

Ghassan elaborates on how the eucharistic celebration is needed, nourishes and invites us into the Trinitarian life, in order to be blessed and sent forth into the world, embraced by love. The Eucharist is thus, the ultimate experience of the Trinity.

Foreword 2

By Dr Mariusz Biliniewicz

In this book Ghassan Nakhoul introduces English-speaking readers to the great figure of Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy (1630-1704), a pastor and scholar that many people in the Western world may have never heard of. There are very few (if any) existing works in English that discuss the theology of this great churchman, and Nakhouls’ book is a valuable contribution in this regard.

The book offers a brief overview of the history of the Maronite tradition, it introduces the reader to the most important features of the Maronite spirituality, and in this context it sketches a portrait of the great figure of Patriarch Douaihy, the man who was destined to lead the Maronite people during one of the most difficult times in their history.

The portrait of Douaihy that we can find in this book cannot help but to impress. We encounter a man of faith, courage, pastoral zeal, wisdom, patience and deep theological insight. He is described as third on the list of the most influential Maronite Patriarchs, right after the Church’s founder and Patron Saint Maroun (350-410), and the Maronite’s First Patriarch Saint Youhanna Maroun (628-707).

The contribution of this book goes beyond a simple presentation of who Douaihy was and what he said. It also offers us an in-depth analysis of Douaihy’s thought, and it explains its origins. Nakhoul lists and elaborates on some of the most important influences on Douaihy’s thought: Saints Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Jacob Serug, Ephrem the Syrian, Basil of Cesarea, and John Chrysostom. We discover in Douaihy a man deeply embedded in the great tradition of the Church, both Eastern and Western, but at the same time an original thinker in his own right.

The main argument of this book is that Douaihy approached the theology of the Trinity through an avenue that was rarely explored before, that is, through the Church’s liturgy. Nakhoul argues that Douaihy simplified the Trinitarian theology and grounded it in the Mass. This does not mean that Douaihy’s theology was not scriptural or metaphysical. It was, but by liturgising the Trinity, Douaihy brought this mystery closer to the heart and mind of the average human who is seeking to communicate with God in the liturgy. The point is that while sophisticated academic attempts to understand and express the Trinitarian faith in rational terms are not without value, one does not need to have an academic degree in philosophy or theology to have an authentic experience of the living God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The average Christian can encounter the Triune God in the divine worship, and what suffices for this is grace-filled participation in the Eucharist with an open heart and mind.

This is a very important message, and one that needs to be heard by every contemporary Christian, Maronite or not. Liturgy is at the heart of the Christian life, and it is from worship that the Church’s theology and spirituality flows. Liturgy is also the place where our faith finds its utmost expression and this work is a great reminder of this important truth. I have personally learned a lot from this book, I hope that it will be read widely and that it will be received with appreciation and gratitude that it undoubtedly deserves.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One: Background & context

1. Background to Estephan Douaihy’s faith and time

2. Douaihy and the Maronite identity

3. Douaihy the theologian

Chapter Two: Manaratul Aqdas - volume i

1. The First Lampstand - the Mass

2. The Second Lampstand - the Church

3. The Third Lampstand - the Priest

4. The Fourth Lampstand - the Preparation

5. The Fifth Lampstand - Memorials

6. The Sixth Lampstand - the Teaching

Chapter Three: Manaratul Aqdas - volume ii

1. The Seventh Lampstand - the Faith

2. The Eighth Lampstand - the Consecration

3. The Ninth Lampstand - the Sacrifice

4. The Tenth Lampstand - the Communion

Chapter Four: Influence of the Latin Fathers

1. Aspects of Douaihy’s theological anthropology – Douaihy the Theologian according to Nujaym

2. From anthropology to the Trinity – influence of Augustine

3. Trinitarian properties and appropriation – influence of Aquinas

4. Faith and reason – Augustine, Aquinas and Douaihy in the melting pot of philosophy and theology

Chapter Five: Inspiration of the Eastern Fathers

1. Douaihy and the Syriac Fathers – Faith & Awe

2. Douaihy and the Cappadocian Fathers – Faith & Oikonomia/Tadbír

3. Douaihy and the Byzantine/Orthodox Doctor Fathers – Faith & Scripture

Chapter Six: Douaihy’s Trinitarian Paradigm - Faith & Liturgy

1. Douaihy’s simplified concept of the Trinity

2. The seven channels of Douaihy’s Trinitarian Paradigm in the Mass

3. A Trinitarian theology for the ordinary faithful to experience the Trinity

Conclusion

Glossary

Bibliography

Introduction

Estephan Douaihy was the Patriarch of the Antiochian Syriac Maronite Catholic Church from 1670 to 1704. A graduate of the Maronite College in Rome, Douaihy was forty when he was elected to lead his Church in an era of extreme social, economical and political challenges.

A theologian and ecclesiastical reformer, Douaihy is considered as one of the main spiritual figures in the history of the Maronite Church. His Patriarchate spanned for thirty-four years and he left around forty works on theology, philosophy, history, liturgy and literature.

Douaihy’s masterpiece is a two-volume book on the theology of the Mass; The Lampstand of the Sanctuaries, or Manaratul Aqdas as its Arabic transliteration reads.

This study is the first in-depth work in the English language that deals in any detail with Manaratul Aqdas. In his work, Douaihy explains the Maronite Divine Liturgy (Mass) through a Trinitarian perspective that forms the core of his Trinitarian theology.

The aim of this study is to explain Douaihy’s Trinitarian theory, underline its contribution to the theology of the Trinity, analyse it in perspective with the work of the Church Fathers and point out its relevance to the faithful of the twenty-first century. This study also aims at making Douaihy’s thoughts on the Divine Liturgy and the Trinity accessible to the mainstream world and the universal Church.

However, does the world need another Trinitarian thought? Why is it relevant to present another Trinitarian theory to a world crammed with various works on the theology of the Trinity? What difference would Douaihy’s work bring?

Douaihy’s theory is unique. It is based on a theological discourse of the Mass or what can be called a liturgised theology. For Douaihy, the Mass is constructed upon a Trinitarian Paradigm through which the Trinity is allegorised in objects, visualised in signs, symbolised in movements, articulated in payers, readings and hymns, manifested in various locations inside the church and embodied in the priesthood.

What makes Douaihy’s theory exceptional is that every faithful can relate to the Trinity through the liturgy regardless of their level of knowledge, literacy, or education, as shall be demonstrated. Furthermore, relating to the Trinity through the liturgy, experiencing the Trinity in the Mass, or living an encounter with the Trinity, do not necessarily mean acquiring a full theoretical or intellectual comprehension of the divine life with the help of complex theological nomenclature that ‘regular, everyday faithful’ may find too complicated and confusing. It is simply to come to know the Triune God through experience and be able to understand God’s love in one’s life.

The approach to the Triune God that Douaihy takes in his Trinitarian Paradigm is more about knowing by relating rather than investigating, understanding through experiencing rather than studying and discerning in praying rather than comprehending. It is God who takes the initiative in the Mass to reveal Godself to the faithful. The human can seek and question to know and understand but it is the Triune God who grants and inspires. For Douaihy, the Trinity cannot be reached merely through a philosophical quest but rather through a mystical union in the Mass that culminates in the Eucharistic communion in which the full love of God the Trinity can be lived.

Douaihy’s Trinitarian theory is a unique school of thought founded on the simplicity of the liturgy. By liturgising the Trinitarian theology, Douaihy brings the Trinity to the average human. Instead of the difficult upward path the scholars, philosophers or theologians strive to take to attain a knowledge of the life of God and the Trinity, the Divine takes the easy downward path to the human to make the Trinitarian presence palpable in their lives through the Mass. Hence, every question posed by scholars, philosophers or theologians can be answered by God who takes the initiative and reveals Godself to any human in accordance with the Divine’s will.

This book is comprised of six chapters and a conclusion. The chapters present Douaihy’s theological thought and highlight his Trinitarian theory through the liturgy.

The first chapter introduces Douaihy the spiritual leader and theologian. It shows how Douaihy’s thinking is the synthesis of his education in the West and his Eastern upbringing and traditions. The chapter also presents a brief history of the political and social issues of Lebanon in Douaihy’s time, an overview of the Maronites history and the relationship of the Maronite Church with the Holy See.

The second chapter is a summary of the first volume of Manaratul Aqdas. Douaihy divides his work into ten large parts each called a Lampstand. In the first volume, he includes six of these Lampstands. They deal with the mystery of the Holy Mass; the church’s building, design and partitions; priesthood ranking and role; preparation for the Mass; memorial prayers for others and the dead; and Scripture and homily. Each of these Lampstands has its own Trinitarian aspects that contribute to the Trinitarian Paradigm, as shall be demonstrated.

The third chapter is a summary of the second volume of Manaratul Aqdas. This volume is comprised of the remaining four Lampstands: the faith as professed in the Creed; consecration of the bread and wine; sacrifice and transubstantiation; and communion and the fruits of the Eucharist. Each of these Lampstands has its own Trinitarian aspects that contribute to Douaihy’s theory on the Trinitarian Paradigm in the Mass.

In the fourth chapter, Douaihy’s Trinitarian theology is put in perspective with aspects of the Trinitarian thought of the Latin Fathers of the Church, namely Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. This correlation is based on the approach of faith and reason. Douaihy sees faith as one of three gifts granted to the human with the Incarnation of the Son to support and strengthen reason. Reason is one of an original set of three gifts granted at creation. In addition, Douaihy’s theological anthropology and approach to the Trinitarian properties and appropriation are discussed in this chapter.

In the fifth chapter, Douaihy’s Trinitarian theology is highlighted in perspective with three categories of the Eastern Fathers of the Church: the Syriacs – mainly Saint Jacob of Serug – under the theme of faith and awe; the Cappadocians – particularly Saint Basil the Great – under the theme of faith and economy; and the first Eastern Byzantine and Orthodox Doctors – especially Saint John Chrysostom – under the theme of faith and Scripture.

In the sixth chapter, Douaihy’s Trinitarian Paradigm in the Mass is explained and illustrated. With his Trinitarian Paradigm, Douaihy offers a distinctive view on the Trinity based on the simple approach of a liturgised theology. He takes the path of faith and liturgy to make the Trinity more accessible to the ordinary human. He employs the Trinitarian Paradigm frequently to keep the attention of the faithful focussed on the Trinity. Through his Trinitarian Paradigm, Douaihy highlights seven channels of connection with the Trinity in the liturgy, as shall be demonstrated.

In the Conclusion, Douaihy’s Trinitarian theory is summarised. Besides highlighting his unique Trinitarian Paradigm, the Conclusion also shows that all approaches undertaken by the Church Fathers and Douaihy in their discourse on the Trinity, are intrinsic to each other through one element that strongly binds them together. That element is faith. While the Latin Fathers approach the Trinity through faith and reason, the Syriacs through faith and awe, the Cappadocians through faith and economy, the Eastern Father Doctors through faith and Scripture, Douaihy goes on his own path and approaches the Trinity through faith and liturgy. Through his Trinitarian Paradigm, Douaihy shows how liturgy is the vessel for the faith to be better lived and expressed.

Before exploring Douaihy’s Trinitarian theology as presented in Manaratul Aqdas, there are seven notes that need to be outlined.

First, after more than three hundred years from his death, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on Douaihy’s theology in any language. There are certainly dissertation papers and books, mainly in Arabic and French that deal with aspects of Douaihy’s thought, but no complete studies on his Trinitarian theology. This book contributes to a better knowledge and understanding of Douaihy’s theology and makes his school of thought better known to the scholars, researchers and the Universal Church.

Second, non-English words are written in italics and explained in a Glossary at the end of this book. In addition, all citations from Scripture are based on the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.

Third, some of Douaihy’s historical opinion around topics such as the origin of the Creed, the Anaphoras, the Lord’s Prayer or other ecclesiastical or even theological matters, may seem dated. This book is not a historical study or a deliberation over such views. It is rather a systematic analysis of Douaihy’s Trinitarian theology.

The aim of this book is to present Douaihy’s Trinitarian thought faithfully, analyse it in light of the work of the Church Fathers and highlight Douaihy’s own approach to the Trinity through liturgy.

Fourth, like most Arabic speaking theologians with Syriac roots, Douaihy refers to each Person of the Trinity as ̓uqnūm, not Person or hypostasis. Douaihy uses the term ̓uqnūm (aqāním in plural) when referring to the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit. This reference to a Person of the Trinity is the same that the Maronite Church and many Eastern Syriac or Arabic Churches employ in this context. The word ̓uqnūm derives from the Syriac word qnoma, meaning a person, nature, self, truth, substance, root, entity, or a self-relying living being.¹ While it might be closer to the Greek terminology hypostasis, the main difference between Person and ̓uqnūm is that the latter is exclusively used to refer to a Person of the Trinity, not to any other person, being or thing. Hence, ̓uqnūm is a Divine Person, two words combined in one, encompassing the self and divinity. When referring to Douaihy’s work in this book, the term ̓uqnūm is used to be faithful to his vocabulary. However, the term Person is also used in this book to refer to a Person of the Trinity when discussing the theology of Augustine, Aquinas or the work of other Western or non-Western theologians or scholars.

Fifth, in his Foreword to Douaihy’s work, Boulos Feghali writes that this very title of Manaratul Aqdas appeared in a book by Ibin al-Ibrí, known in the west as Gregory Bar Hebraeus.² In a separate book written specifically on Hebraeus, Feghali explains that the latter, who was a Syriac Orthodox Archbishop for cities in Iraq and Iran in the thirteenth century, covered in his own Manaratul Aqdas, themes and topics different to Douaihy’s version of Manaratul Aqdas, including science, the nature of the world, divinity, Incarnation, angels, priesthood, devils, the human soul, freedom, Resurrection, judgement of the world, and the Garden of Eden.³

On his part, Douaihy explains the purpose for the title of his work. As mentioned earlier in this Introduction, Manaratul Aqdas means The Lampstand of the Sanctuaries. By employing the term lampstand, Douaihy hopes that his work will be like a light on a stand so that everyone in the house of this world, the world of darkness, can have light.⁴ Interestingly however, Douaihy does not comment on the second word of the title, Sanctuaries. He even says, I called this work The Lampstand.⁵ It is not known if the term Sanctuaries was added later by Douaihy on a separate paper as a cover of his work. In any case, this term fits well with one of Douaihy’s main aims for writing his manuscript. The word sanctuary underlines the holiness of the Mass and the Church’s role as a Harbour of Salvation for souls.

Sixth, it seems that Douaihy intended originally to write a third volume of Manaratul Aqdas and devote it to a comparative study of the Mass in the four Sees of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria and Antioch. He wanted to analyse the Latin, Greek, Coptic and