I have heard more than once from the Chalcedonian Orthodox that Christ MUST have TWO Minds in order to be consistent in Orthodox Christology with Trinitarian Theology.
The argument is that since God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are Three Persons having One Mind and not Three Minds, that the Mind belongs to the Divine Nature of the Holy Trinity expressed in Three Persons (or Hypostases) The Mind therefore, belongs to the Nature NOT the HYPOSTSIS. If the Mind belongs to the Hypostases, then God the Holy Trinity would have Three Minds, but Since God who has only One Mind and One Will is Three Persons Having one Mind, then the Mind belongs to the Nature, since the Holy Trinity only has One Nature.
To be consistent, Christ who is both God and Man, must have Two Minds since the Mind belongs to the natures and Not the One Hypostsis.
If the Trinity has Three Persons and Only One Mind, then Christ has a Human Mind and a Divine Mind since the Minds belong the Natures used by or united in the One Person of Christ.
Does the Holy Trinity Have One Mind or Three Minds?
And what does this mean for Christology. If the One Hypostasis of the Logos incarnate is both God and Man, do we say that His Human Mind and His Divine Mind are united but without change, alteration or confusion?
Does the Holy Trinity Have One Mind or Three Minds?
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There are many good people on this site who would be of amazing help to you. I find it very funny, though, that you often ask some of the most complex theological questions. I comend you on your interest. Good luck with your search(es).
I think Fr. Peter, being well versed inChristology would be of great use to you.
ReturnOrthodoxy
The divine persons operate through the one divine mind, and they each do this in a uniquely personal way.
The humanity of Christ certainly has a natural human faculty of will, and the divinity, which is beyond description, also has what we might call a divine faculty of will. There are therefore necessarily two natural faculties of will in Christ.
The humanity of Christ is not lacking any aspect of our humanity, save our sinfulness, and therefore the humanity of Christ also is rational and intelligent endowed with mind and soul. And this is natural to the humanity which he united to himself.
This does not usually lead us to speak of two wills or two minds, since we prefer to consider the perfect unity of natures in Christ, and speak of a perfect unity of will and mind in the one Christ. But it is necessary for us to confess, as we always do, that the humanity of Christ is perfect in every way.
St Severus speaks of the two natural faculties of will when he says...
Even less is Christ divided into two natures. He is indeed one from two, from divinity and humanity, one person and hypostasis, the one nature of the Logos, become flesh and perfect human being. For this reason he also displays TWO wills in salvific suffering, the one which requests, the other which is prepared, the one human and the other divine.
I understand the Eastern Orthodox terminology, and agree with the substance, but you need to be aware that we use a different terminology and prefer to speak of one will, without in any sense losing the distinction between the natural faculties of will which exist in Christ, but describing the union. It is nevertheless absolutely a requirement of our Christology that Christ lack nothing in his humanity.
I do not disagree with Maximos the Confessor in his presentation of two natural faculties of will in Christ, but I do disagree with his understanding of our Christology, which I believe is a deficient understanding.
Metouro, it is not as simple as stating things, reasonably, as you have done, and asking for agreement. Different communities have different theological lexicons by which they express their faith, and although these lexicons may not produce the same words, they do produce the same substantial belief.
The humanity of Christ certainly has a natural human faculty of will, and the divinity, which is beyond description, also has what we might call a divine faculty of will. There are therefore necessarily two natural faculties of will in Christ.
The humanity of Christ is not lacking any aspect of our humanity, save our sinfulness, and therefore the humanity of Christ also is rational and intelligent endowed with mind and soul. And this is natural to the humanity which he united to himself.
This does not usually lead us to speak of two wills or two minds, since we prefer to consider the perfect unity of natures in Christ, and speak of a perfect unity of will and mind in the one Christ. But it is necessary for us to confess, as we always do, that the humanity of Christ is perfect in every way.
St Severus speaks of the two natural faculties of will when he says...
Even less is Christ divided into two natures. He is indeed one from two, from divinity and humanity, one person and hypostasis, the one nature of the Logos, become flesh and perfect human being. For this reason he also displays TWO wills in salvific suffering, the one which requests, the other which is prepared, the one human and the other divine.
I understand the Eastern Orthodox terminology, and agree with the substance, but you need to be aware that we use a different terminology and prefer to speak of one will, without in any sense losing the distinction between the natural faculties of will which exist in Christ, but describing the union. It is nevertheless absolutely a requirement of our Christology that Christ lack nothing in his humanity.
I do not disagree with Maximos the Confessor in his presentation of two natural faculties of will in Christ, but I do disagree with his understanding of our Christology, which I believe is a deficient understanding.
Are you planning a Podcast on this, Fr. Peter?
May i kindly recommend that you do a small one for this issue?