George C. Berthold

Maximus the Confessor

"indispensable for most libraries." Library Journal Maximus the Confessor: Selected Writings translation and notes by George C. Berthold introduction by Jaroslav Pelikan preface by Irénée-Henri Dalmais, O.P. "The perfect mind is the one that through genuine faith knows in supreme ignorance the supremely unknowable, and in gazing on the universe of his handiwork has received from God comprehensive knowledge of his Providence and judgment in it, as far as allowable to men." Maximus Confessor (c.580-662) Maximus is called the Confessor because of his sufferings and labors for the true faith. During the seventh century when the monothelite heresy (belief that Christ had only one will—a divine one) plagued the Church, Maximus eloquently demonstrated that Christ had both human and divine natures. Writing in the introduction to this volume Jaroslav Pelikan highlights the relevance of Maximus' writings for today: "It was the genius of Maximus Confessor that, in a measure that has been granted only to a few, he was fully bilingual, affirming by means of negation and speaking both the language of spirituality and the language of theology with equal fluency. From the looks of things within both Western and Eastern Christendom—and beyond—that gift of being bilingual is one that people of faith will need more than ever in the years to come." †