The Prayer of Thanksgiving as a Community Spiritual Transformation
A prayer offers intriguing semiotic possibilities, acting as a medium of communication between a person and a deity. However, as a text, a prayer can serve multiple purposes beyond its religious function. While it may be used for its intended purpose — to communicate with a deity — it can also play other roles:
- guiding communal prayer,
- defining the boundaries of acceptable prayer discourse,
- making statements about the nature of the deity, or even
- asserting the religious identity of those praying.
The text of a prayer, therefore, can take on meanings beyond its surface purpose. It might convey falsehoods, offer incidental information, or express something other than the usual concerns of a prayer.
This ability to “tell” something else highlights that written prayers are composed of signs — symbols that operate within the exchange between the person praying and the deity. These signs become a kind of currency in the discursive interaction.
The Prayer of Thanksgiving incorporates two interconnected semiotic systems: the prayer text itself and the narrative introduction and conclusion that frame it. This combination shows a deliberate use of signs.
Thus, the prayer communicates on three levels:
- Within the prayer text itself,
- Through its possible placement among other texts
- And through the narrative framing that interprets its placement.
This layered communication underscores the complex role prayer can play, both as a religious expression and as a part of a broader semiotic system.
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
This the prayer that they spoke:
“We give thanks to You!
Every soul and heart is lifted up to You,
inexpressible name, honored with the name ‘God’ and praised with the name ‘Father’,
for to everyone and everything (comes) the fatherly kindness and affection and love,
and any teaching there may be that is sweet and plain,
giving us nous, logos, (and) gnosis:
nous, so that we may understand You,
logos, so that we may expound You,
gnosis, so that we may know You.
We rejoice, having been illuminated by Your nous.
We rejoice because You have shown us Yourself through logos.
We rejoice because while we were in (the) body, You have made us divine through Your gnosis.
“The thanksgiving of the man who attains to You is one thing: that we know You.
O noetic light, we have known You.
O Life of life, we have known You.
O Womb of every creature, we have known You.
O Womb pregnant with the nature of the Father, we have known You.
O Eternal permanence of the begetting Father, thus have we worshipped Your goodness. There is one petition that we ask:
that we are preserved in gnosis.
And there is one protection that we desire:
that we not stumble in this kind of life.“
When they had said these things in the prayer, they embraced each other and they went to eat their holy food, which has no blood in it.
The Participants
In the text of the Prayer of Thanksgiving, there are two distinct voices representing three perspectives.
1. The First Voice
This is the voice of the narrative, which speaks from an external viewpoint. It refers to the speaker of the prayer as “they.” The narrative introduces the prayer with the simple statement, “This is the prayer which they spoke”. This voice acts as an outsider, setting the stage for the prayer.
2. The Second Voice
This is the “we” voice within the prayer itself. It speaks from within a relationship with the divinity being addressed. This plural voice represents a community, though its size is not specified.
These two voices create the first two perspectives in the text. The third perspective is that of “You,” the divinity being addressed by the community. The community portrays this perspective but does not directly speak in either the prayer or the narrative.
Thus, the participants in the hermetic Prayer of Thanksgiving are:
- The outsider (narrative),
- The community (“we”),
- The deity (“You”).
Actions of the Community
In the prayer, the community characterizes itself through four actions:
- Giving thanks
- Acknowledging the receipt of benefits from the divinity
- Rejoicing in these benefits
- Making a petition
These actions suggest that the community consists of enlightened individuals who address the source of their blessings.
Depiction of the Deity
The prayer does not directly reveal the identity of the deity but instead characterizes the deity from the community’s perspective.
In the opening section, the figure receives thanks (“We give You thanks!”) and homage (“Every soul and heart is lifted to You”). These statements reveal more about the community than the deity, highlighting that the community is united in gratitude and reverence.
The only direct designation of the deity is “inexpressible name,” while the Latin text calls it the “holy and honored name.” Both versions describe the deity.
‘Know this,’ he said. ‘That which sees and hears within you is the Word of the Lord, and Nous is God the Father. They are not separate from each other, for their union is life.’
Corpus Hermeticum Tractate I.6
The prayer continues by stating that the divine figure is “honored by the name ‘God,’ and ‘praised by the name ‘Father’. This suggests that the community’s naming of the deity as Father or God plays a role in defining the divine identity.
The community’s interests shape the proper name for the divinity, and the name, in turn, defines the deity’s character.
The other name is that of the Father, by virtue of Him being the author of all things; for the, Father’s nature is to create.
Corpus Hermeticum Tractate II.17
Metaphoric Descriptions of the Divine
The prayer further characterizes the deity through a series of metaphors:
- “O noetic light”
- “O life of life”
- “O womb of every sowing”
- “O womb pregnant with the nature of the Father”
- “O eternal continuance of the Father who begets”
These metaphors describe the divinity in three categories:
- Philosophical attributes (e.g., noetic light and life)
- Descriptions of wombs, representing nurture, retention, rest, and expulsion
- The result of begetting, which perpetuates the Father’s essence.
The womb metaphor is particularly complex. For example, “O womb of every sowing” could suggest that the divinity is a universal space that nurtures and eventually releases every religious community, or the whole of Mankind, or maybe even the whole of Nature/Cosmos. Below we continue with the interpretation that the prayer is limited to a specific religious community, but the other interpretations (Mankind or Nature) are also valid.
“O womb pregnant with the nature of the Father” might imply that the deity is the environment in which the Father’s nature mingles, creating a community. This could be seen as a metaphor for how religious orientation is propagated. In this scenario, the identity of the Father and the nature of the divine relationship remain somewhat unclear.
However, “O eternal continuance of the begetting Father” refers to the community itself, which becomes a womb for those begotten by the Father.
These metaphors and descriptions suggest a mythology in which the divinity and the Father interact to create the community, likened to a fetus in a womb. The community sees its spiritual journey as one of entering the divine womb, where they are nurtured until they can nurture themselves spiritually.
By naming the deity, the community defines itself as a subject of divinization, and by describing the deity as the “eternal continuance of the Father’s begetting,” they position themselves as agents of divinization in the cosmos.
An Exchange with God
The prayer revolves around an exchange: the community gives thanks to God for receiving nous, logos, and gnosis. The prayer states:
“For to everyone and everything comes the fatherly kindness, affection, and love, along with any teaching that is sweet and plain, giving us nous, logos, and gnosis.”
From this paternal goodness and love, the community receives the threefold gifts of nous, logos, and gnosis. However, the exact meanings of these gifts are left undefined — the text only lists the signifiers, not their specific content.
These signs, presented simply and abstractly, are the first in a series of reinterpretations in different contexts: community activity and the participants’ subjective experiences.
First Interpretation
The text presents nous, logos, and gnosis as signifiers of communal action:
“Giving us nous, logos, and gnosis: nous, so that we may understand You, logos, so that we may interpret You, gnosis so that we may know You.“
Here, the gifts translate into three actions: understanding, interpreting, and knowing. The focus is not on the dictionary definitions of the terms but on how they function within the community.
Second Interpretation
The prayer shifts from communal function to personal transformation. The three terms are not repeated directly; instead, the prayer lists three causes of rejoicing:
“We rejoice, having been illumined by Your knowledge. We rejoice because You have shown us Yourself. We rejoice because, while in the body, You have made us gods through Your knowledge.”
Illumination, revelation, and divinization reframe the gifts in terms of their subjective and social impact, signified by the repeated phrase, “We rejoice.”
The prayer claims a theological status for the community, asserting that they have been enlightened, received revelation, and become divine while still human.
This process is summarized as knowledge of the divine:
“The thanksgiving of the one who attains to You is this: that we know You.“
The Role of the Divine Gifts in Prayer
The gifts of nous, logos, and gnosis function as signifiers in three contexts within the prayer:
- As commodities exchanged in prayer
- As new abilities for community action
- As symbols of the special status of the gnostic in religious life
However, the exchange doesn’t end with what the community receives. The divine figure also receives something in return: thanks, homage, and names (e.g., “undisturbed Name,” “God,” “Father”). The community acknowledges the divine figure as the source of these gifts and recognizes them as objects of desire and yearning.
Finally, the divinity is also constructed as a subject of gnosis through direct address. At the beginning of the prayer, the divinity is called “O undisturbed Name”, and this form of address continues at the prayer’s end:
“We have known You, O noetic light. O life of life, we have known You. O womb of every sowing, we have known You. O womb pregnant with the nature of the Father, we have known You. O eternal continuance of the Father who begets, thus we have worshipped Your goodness.“
This list of divine attributes is punctuated by the phrase “we have known You,” emphasizing that the divinity has been mastered as a subject of gnosis by the prayer’s speakers.
The Narrative Framework
The narrative voice plays an interpretative role, introducing the prayer as an example from the preceding tractate. It frames the prayer within a discursive structure that includes three signs: the prayer, the embrace (or possibly, the kiss), and the eating of holy and bloodless food.
These signs represent the outward sequence of events — prayer, embrace, and eating — without specifying their exact content. They suggest communion (the prayer), intimacy (the embrace), and a sacred meal (the eating).
The narrative implies a progression from a conversation with the deity to intimacy among the gnostics who pray together, culminating in the partaking of holy food. This progression moves from the divine to the communal meal, emphasizing community involvement rather than a direct ascent toward God.
This communal orientation is central to the Prayer of Thanksgiving. The prayer not only speaks in a collective voice but also secures for the community the gifts of nous, logos, and gnosis.
These gifts are not ends in themselves but tools for understanding, explaining, and knowing within the community. The community both defines and participates in divine life while engaging in a mutual exchange with the deity.
Conclusion
1. Prayer as Semiotic Exchange
Prayers function as a form of exchange, both in terms of language and commodities. The community offers thanks, homage, and names to the deity while receiving nous, logos, and gnosis in return.
These gifts are not just abstract concepts but are reinterpreted within the community as tools for understanding, interpreting, and knowing the divine. The community’s prayer serves as both an expression of gratitude and a mechanism for defining and participating in divine life.
2. Role of the Community
The community plays a crucial role in shaping the prayer’s meaning and purpose. Through their collective voice, the participants transform the abstract gifts of nous, logos, and gnosis into practical actions within the community — understanding, explaining, and knowing the divine.
This communal engagement with the divine elevates the community’s status, portraying them as enlightened, divinized beings who have attained a special connection with the deity.
3. Construction of the Divine
The divine figure is constructed through the community’s prayer and narrative framework. The deity is characterized by various attributes — such as “noetic light,” “life of life,” and “womb of every sowing” — that reflect the community’s understanding of the divine as both the source of their enlightenment and the nurturing force that sustains their spiritual growth.
The act of naming the deity not only acknowledges the divine but also solidifies the community’s theological identity.
4. Narrative and Ritual Context
The narrative surrounding the prayer contextualizes it within a ritual framework that includes communal activities such as an embrace and a sacred meal.
These ritual actions further emphasize the communal nature of the prayer, suggesting that the spiritual journey is not an isolated ascent toward God but a collective experience grounded in community and ritual practice.
The community’s interaction with the divine is a dynamic process of giving, receiving, and reinterpreting, with prayer acting as both a medium of communication and a means of spiritual transformation.
