Symbols in the Ambigua by Maximus the Confessor: an Areopagitic Revision of Alexandrian Symbolism

The Ambigua to John by Maximus the Confessor contains numerous passages, where difficulties in the Bible and the Church fathers are interpreted using the terms ‘symbol,’ ‘type,’ and ‘image.’ Symbol appears as a clearly defined exegetic instrument and is always distinguished from other terms. However, in different contexts, Maximian symbolism reveals some peculiarities. On the one hand, the traditional Alexandrian understanding of symbol is accepted by Maximus the Confessor. On the other hand, he tries to employ its Areopagitic interpretation, especially that of the treatises On Mystical Theology and On Ecclesiastical Hierarchy . In two chapters of the Ambigua to John , commenting on the Transfiguration of Christ, Maximus the Confessor interweaves Alexandrian and Areopagitic symbolism, which leads to perplexing formulae, such as of the Incarnate Christ as “a type and symbol of Himself.” The analysis of the foregoing traditions makes it possible to propose an interpretation of this and similar locutions.