WORD of the Week: Perichoretic (Patristic definition and elaboration) The term perichoretic derives from the Greek περιχώρησις (perichōrēsis), a word formed from peri- (around) and chōreō (to make room, to go forward, to contain, or to make space). In the theological lexicon of the Church Fathers, perichōrēsis came to signify the mutual indwelling, interpenetration, or co-inherence of the divine persons of the Holy Trinity —Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—without confusion, division, or loss of personal distinction. Though the word itself does not appear in the New Testament, its meaning is woven into the fabric of Christological and Trinitarian theology. The Church Fathers—particularly the Cappadocians, St. John of Damascus, and St. Maximus the Confessor—developed the concept as they wrestled with safeguarding the paradox of unity and distinction in the Godhead. In its most precise and sacred application, perichōrēsis describes the eternal and dynamic communion among the three hypo...
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