Sunday, January 29, 2006
Anselm--on Why God Became Man
St. Anselm: Why God became Man
The Dilemma
—God is infinite. He has an infinite right to our honor.
—Humans have sinned…an insult to God’s honor.
—Thus, human sin against the infinite God incurs infinite guilt.
—Infinite guilt requires infinite satisfaction (payback).
Dilemma: Humans are finite, not infinite. So, humans cannot pay infinite satisfaction.
**Our Original Sin makes it impossible to pay God back. Even if we lived perfectly from here on out, it would not be good enough. That would only work if there were no Original Sin.
**For infinite satisfaction to be paid, humans need to be perfect plus more (and then some).
Why God cannot just say “no prob, do over”
—God, being good, just, and perfect, cannot tolerate a blot on His honor. Satisfaction must be paid.
—Only an infinite being can make infinite satisfaction. God is the only infinite being, therefore only God can make satisfaction.
Another problem: Only a human being can make satisfaction, since it was a human being who sinned and insulted God’s honor.
(1) Satisfaction must be paid to God.
(2) It must be paid by a human being since it was a human being who caused the problem.
(3) But, only infinite God can make infinite satisfaction.
**We need someone who is both human and infinite God to make satisfaction.
—The ONLY way to make satisfaction, for divine honor to be restored, is for the infinite to become human.
—divine honor can only be restored by a “super-erogation” act, one that goes beyond the minimum requirement of man (perfection).
**This “super-erogative” act was the death of Christ, the one sinless human being, who owed no satisfaction.
—Christ does not need the satisfaction he pays to remove the dishonor to God. His benefits are transferred to the human account, making salvation possible for us.
The Dilemma
—God is infinite. He has an infinite right to our honor.
—Humans have sinned…an insult to God’s honor.
—Thus, human sin against the infinite God incurs infinite guilt.
—Infinite guilt requires infinite satisfaction (payback).
Dilemma: Humans are finite, not infinite. So, humans cannot pay infinite satisfaction.
**Our Original Sin makes it impossible to pay God back. Even if we lived perfectly from here on out, it would not be good enough. That would only work if there were no Original Sin.
**For infinite satisfaction to be paid, humans need to be perfect plus more (and then some).
Why God cannot just say “no prob, do over”
—God, being good, just, and perfect, cannot tolerate a blot on His honor. Satisfaction must be paid.
—Only an infinite being can make infinite satisfaction. God is the only infinite being, therefore only God can make satisfaction.
Another problem: Only a human being can make satisfaction, since it was a human being who sinned and insulted God’s honor.
(1) Satisfaction must be paid to God.
(2) It must be paid by a human being since it was a human being who caused the problem.
(3) But, only infinite God can make infinite satisfaction.
**We need someone who is both human and infinite God to make satisfaction.
—The ONLY way to make satisfaction, for divine honor to be restored, is for the infinite to become human.
—divine honor can only be restored by a “super-erogation” act, one that goes beyond the minimum requirement of man (perfection).
**This “super-erogative” act was the death of Christ, the one sinless human being, who owed no satisfaction.
—Christ does not need the satisfaction he pays to remove the dishonor to God. His benefits are transferred to the human account, making salvation possible for us.
Karl Rahner
Facts about Rahner’s teaching, taken from http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal/aejt_2/Harvey_Egan.htm
Karl Rahner (1904-1984)—Like Duns Scotus, believed that even if Adam had not sinned, the Incarnation would still have take place. God creates in order to communicate himself.
**Covenant—not redemption from sin—is God’s primary purpose for creation and incarnation.
—From the beginning, all creation, the whole history of revelation and salvation, is oriented to the Incarnate Word.
—Redemption stretches in all directions. Everone, even those born before the life of Jesus Christ, are objectively redeemed. We are all predestined to Christ, and must choose whether to accept or no, even those who don’t know Christ.
—God has revealed Himself in some way to everyone.
—God’s revelation incarnates and interprets itself in diverse societies throughout history, with varying degrees of success.
*—non-Christian religions are the more or less successful historical, social incarnations and interpretation of God's self-communion and revelation. However, the one history of the one human race is directed by Christ's Spirit to reach its full incarnation and revelation in the person of Jesus Christ and his Church.
—Other faiths are ways in which man searches for God, but it is only in the Judeo-Christian tradition that Divine Revelation is found. Dominus Iesus
—non-Christians can be saved.. Non-Christian religions can play a positive role. Even so, Christianity is THE religion intended for all humankind. And, non-Christian religions can have a negative effect on a person’s salvation.
—The act of faith itself has a Christological character. No time or place existed in which Jesus Christ was not present and operative in non-Christian believers and religions.
—Salvation is only through Christ and salvific revelation and faith in non-Christian religions cannot be separated from Christ.
— Christianity's superiority resides not in Christians themselves but in Jesus' person, his message, and his salvific work. Only Jesus of Nazareth is that which nothing greater can be thought because God himself can do nothing greater.
The Resurrection
—not a resuscitated corpse called back to ordinary life.
—not a charismatic impression made upon his disciples during his life (the disciples having a warm fuzzy, realizing how special Jesus was, and telling about him, making his life “new”)
—not a revelation given by God to the disciples after his death.
a—It was a bodily resurrection of Jesus, himself. This happened to Jesus and Jesus alone. Christianity without the resurrection is an oxymoron.
Christ as Mediator
Christ is the one (the only) mediator between God and humanity.
—There are many mediations of Christ’s grace: (1) The Church
(2) The Sacraments
(3) Blessed Virgin (Mary)
(4) The saints
—non-Christian religions and their savior figures also participate to some extent in the mediation of grace through Jesus Christ.
—non-Christian forms of mediation only work insofar as they are connected Christ’s own mediation. They are NOT parallel or complementary.
The Anonymous Christian
—a non-Christian can be an anonymous Christian if he has surrendered to “the deepest depths of his being.”
—A person who follows his conscience lives a life of salvific faith (not mere belief) made possible by God’s self offer in Christ.
a—If non-Christians can be saved as “anonymous Christians” then why do we still need missionaries? So that we can awaken these “anonymous Christians” to what it is that really is residing in their hearts.
**also important to remember that Rahner did NOT want this “anonymous Christian” theory to be used to patronize virtuous non-Christians by telling them that they are Christians without knowing it.
Non-Christian Religions: A Preparation for the Gospel
The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is made manifest in the New.
—Jesus and early Christians interpret themselves in light of the Old Testament.
“Salvation comes from the Jews.”
—Early missionaries praised Greek culture as “preparation for the Gospel.”
—We can deepen our own understanding of the mystery of Christ through encounters with non-Christian religions. e.g. Augustine adapting Plotinus; Aquinas adapting Aristotle.
—The New Testament is definitely hidden in the Old, and is hidden in differing degrees in non-Christian religions. Sacred Scripture in non-Christian religions show their full and true meaning in the NT to differing degrees.
**—Not only should we read the OT in light of the NT, we should read sacred texts from other religions in light of the NT.
—Of course, as has always been the case, only accepted canon of the OT and NT can be considered divinely inspired texts.
—Rahner suggests that for inter-religious dialogue, it may be best to go at it from a “Holy Spirit” perspective rather than start of Christologically. Of course, we should never water our faith down when dialoguing.
Karl Rahner (1904-1984)—Like Duns Scotus, believed that even if Adam had not sinned, the Incarnation would still have take place. God creates in order to communicate himself.
**Covenant—not redemption from sin—is God’s primary purpose for creation and incarnation.
—From the beginning, all creation, the whole history of revelation and salvation, is oriented to the Incarnate Word.
—Redemption stretches in all directions. Everone, even those born before the life of Jesus Christ, are objectively redeemed. We are all predestined to Christ, and must choose whether to accept or no, even those who don’t know Christ.
—God has revealed Himself in some way to everyone.
—God’s revelation incarnates and interprets itself in diverse societies throughout history, with varying degrees of success.
*—non-Christian religions are the more or less successful historical, social incarnations and interpretation of God's self-communion and revelation. However, the one history of the one human race is directed by Christ's Spirit to reach its full incarnation and revelation in the person of Jesus Christ and his Church.
—Other faiths are ways in which man searches for God, but it is only in the Judeo-Christian tradition that Divine Revelation is found. Dominus Iesus
—non-Christians can be saved.. Non-Christian religions can play a positive role. Even so, Christianity is THE religion intended for all humankind. And, non-Christian religions can have a negative effect on a person’s salvation.
—The act of faith itself has a Christological character. No time or place existed in which Jesus Christ was not present and operative in non-Christian believers and religions.
—Salvation is only through Christ and salvific revelation and faith in non-Christian religions cannot be separated from Christ.
— Christianity's superiority resides not in Christians themselves but in Jesus' person, his message, and his salvific work. Only Jesus of Nazareth is that which nothing greater can be thought because God himself can do nothing greater.
The Resurrection
—not a resuscitated corpse called back to ordinary life.
—not a charismatic impression made upon his disciples during his life (the disciples having a warm fuzzy, realizing how special Jesus was, and telling about him, making his life “new”)
—not a revelation given by God to the disciples after his death.
a—It was a bodily resurrection of Jesus, himself. This happened to Jesus and Jesus alone. Christianity without the resurrection is an oxymoron.
Christ as Mediator
Christ is the one (the only) mediator between God and humanity.
—There are many mediations of Christ’s grace: (1) The Church
(2) The Sacraments
(3) Blessed Virgin (Mary)
(4) The saints
—non-Christian religions and their savior figures also participate to some extent in the mediation of grace through Jesus Christ.
—non-Christian forms of mediation only work insofar as they are connected Christ’s own mediation. They are NOT parallel or complementary.
The Anonymous Christian
—a non-Christian can be an anonymous Christian if he has surrendered to “the deepest depths of his being.”
—A person who follows his conscience lives a life of salvific faith (not mere belief) made possible by God’s self offer in Christ.
a—If non-Christians can be saved as “anonymous Christians” then why do we still need missionaries? So that we can awaken these “anonymous Christians” to what it is that really is residing in their hearts.
**also important to remember that Rahner did NOT want this “anonymous Christian” theory to be used to patronize virtuous non-Christians by telling them that they are Christians without knowing it.
Non-Christian Religions: A Preparation for the Gospel
The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is made manifest in the New.
—Jesus and early Christians interpret themselves in light of the Old Testament.
“Salvation comes from the Jews.”
—Early missionaries praised Greek culture as “preparation for the Gospel.”
—We can deepen our own understanding of the mystery of Christ through encounters with non-Christian religions. e.g. Augustine adapting Plotinus; Aquinas adapting Aristotle.
—The New Testament is definitely hidden in the Old, and is hidden in differing degrees in non-Christian religions. Sacred Scripture in non-Christian religions show their full and true meaning in the NT to differing degrees.
**—Not only should we read the OT in light of the NT, we should read sacred texts from other religions in light of the NT.
—Of course, as has always been the case, only accepted canon of the OT and NT can be considered divinely inspired texts.
—Rahner suggests that for inter-religious dialogue, it may be best to go at it from a “Holy Spirit” perspective rather than start of Christologically. Of course, we should never water our faith down when dialoguing.
Athanasius -- On The Incarnation
Athanasius (4th century AD)
On the Incarnation stands as meeting point between the Apologists and the theologians of the Councils.
Against the Heathens attacks the absurdity of popular paganism; defends on rational grounds a unified and orderly universe as the work of one Creator, who rules it by his Logos. But, man has abused his privilege of freedom by turning away to irrationality.
On the Incarnation picks up from here. Shows how the Word through whom we were made is also the Redeemer by whom we are reclaimed.
3-fold action: (1) Life giving power of the Word heals our illness of soul and body.
(2) The Word’s teaching by word and deed restores us to true knowledge of God.
(3) His sacrifice pays the debt of justice which man could never pay.
“He became man so that we might become divine.”
—Also wrote Life of Antony about the hermit monk who he met when he was older.
On The Incarnation: http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/ath-inc.htm
Creation and the Fall—Writing to Macarius; the Word’s becoming man, “that mystery which the Jews traduce, the Greeks ignore, but we adore.” “He has been manifested in a human body for this reason only, out of the love and goodness of His Father, for the salvation of us men”
—Creation is renewed (saved) by the same Word who made it in the beginning.
—Things are different; the sun and moon, foot and hand, are not the same. Therefore, creation was not spontaneous, it must have had a Creator.
—God created all existence. Through the Word, Jesus Christ, he made everything out of nothing.
—Humans, of all creatures, received a special grace: the impress of His own image and a share in the Word.
—God secured this grace by making it conditional upon 2 things: law and a place—he put the man and woman in Paradise and gave them one rule, do not eat the fruit of the tree of life.
—We blew it (i.e. Adam and Eve disobeyed), and because of this, the Word had to become man.
—God wanted us to remain good, but we disobeyed, “having turned from the contemplation of God to evil of their own devising, had come inevitably under the law of death.”
—Things got worse, and people started doing all types of sins—wars, killing, sexual perversions, etc.
The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation—We have a dilemma:
(1) On one hand, “It would, of course, have been unthinkable that God should go back upon His word and that man, having transgressed, should not die.”
(2) On the other hand, “it was equally monstrous that beings which once had shared the nature of the Word should perish and turn back again into non-existence through corruption.”
—Why wouldn’t repentance be good enough? Because, it was more than a trespass, it was a corruption of human nature. Grace was needed. For this purpose, “the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world.”
—The Word did not just become embodied or appear to be human, he took a real human body, a pure body in the womb of a virgin untainted by intercourse with man.
—Since our bodies are corruptible to death, and God is not, He took a body, and became a body, so that he could surrender his body unto death, in our place.
—Being God, He cannot remain dead, and thus rises from the dead. We too, die in Him, and rise in Him because of Him.
The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation—continued—Because of our limitations, we cannot come to know God on our own.
God reveals himself to us through Jesus Christ, since it is only through perceiving and apprehending our Maker can we be happy.
—Men have turned themselves away from God. They created false idols, invented false gods to worship, honored created things rather than the creator, and they traced the cause of everything to the stars with no need of God.
—3 ways open to know God: (1) look up to the Heavens, ponder knowledge
(2) converse w/ holy men who knew about God
(3) follow the law
Should God let these men just turn away and revert to brutes? No, then he would have been better off never having raised them from brute level in the first place.
Could God have left the task to holy men to save men? No. Even the best of men are sinners, so how can those blinded help others?
—God became Man so that men, no longer comprehending God above, might see God in the world. He stayed around and performed works awhile before dying and rising so that man could contemplate this.
—The Word is both present as a particular human body and outside controlling the universe and being in all things.
—He was not defiled by being in a body. Rather, he sanctified the body by being it it.
—His miracles prove that he is not mere man, but also God, the one who controls nature.
The Death of Christ (19-25)—Christ’s bodily death, as much as His other acts, reveals that He is God and Son of God.
—He surrenders his life in our place, on our behalf, to pay the debt that must be paid.
—“two opposite marvels took place at once: the death of all was consummated in the Lord's body; yet, because the Word was in it, death and corruption were in the same act utterly abolished.”
—He allowed Himself to die because that was the reason he had taken a body, and preventing death would impede the Resurrection.
—His death had to be public, otherwise no one would have believed his Resurrection. They would have just thought he never died and was lying.
The Resurrection (26-32)—He waited until the 3rd day to rise so that no one could accuse Him of not really being dead.
—He waited one whole day to show that He was truly dead, then rose on the 3rd day, because if he waited any longer, people might have forgotten about Him.
—Death is now conquered. We no longer fear it, but rather despise it and face it head on.
Refutation of the Jews (33-40)—Jews who disbelieve that the Word would become man are misreading their own Scriptures.
—Athanasius uses ambiguous Scripture passages to “prove” that Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection were foretold.
—He says Jesus is the only one who fits all the prophecies, i.e. being born of a virgin, by his stripes we are healed, etc, etc.
—Old Testament figures performed some of the prophecies some of the time, e.g. Elijah raised a dead man. But, no one fulfilled all the prophecies other than Jesus.
Refutation of the Gentiles (41-45)—The Gentiles argue it is unfitting for the Word to take a body, to take on human nature. Athanasius says, if it is fitting for the Word to create the world and enter into it to provide it with light and movement, etc, then why would it be out of bounds for the Word to take a body?
—Why become man instead of something more majestic like the moon or sun? The Word came not to show off, but to heal and teach suffering men.
—Further, nothing had erred from the path that God had made for it, from its purpose, except for man, who did stray.
Why not save man through an act of His will, like creation? He created from His will alone because there is no existence yet. But, man fell in existence, therefore he used the tools of existence, a human body, to save man.
Refutation of the Gentiles continued (46-55)—Athanasius explains that Christ is greater than all the pagan gods and idols that people have worshipped.
-More proof of Christ is the growing number of Christians and the shrinking number of evil pagan rites.
Conclusion (56-57)—To understand these truths and come to faith, we first must make ourselves right in God’s eyes. Just as you need to wipe your eyes first before looking at sunlight, or visit a city first in order to see it, we must cleanse our lives and imitate the saints to understand the minds of sacred writers.
On the Incarnation stands as meeting point between the Apologists and the theologians of the Councils.
Against the Heathens attacks the absurdity of popular paganism; defends on rational grounds a unified and orderly universe as the work of one Creator, who rules it by his Logos. But, man has abused his privilege of freedom by turning away to irrationality.
On the Incarnation picks up from here. Shows how the Word through whom we were made is also the Redeemer by whom we are reclaimed.
3-fold action: (1) Life giving power of the Word heals our illness of soul and body.
(2) The Word’s teaching by word and deed restores us to true knowledge of God.
(3) His sacrifice pays the debt of justice which man could never pay.
“He became man so that we might become divine.”
—Also wrote Life of Antony about the hermit monk who he met when he was older.
On The Incarnation: http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/ath-inc.htm
Creation and the Fall—Writing to Macarius; the Word’s becoming man, “that mystery which the Jews traduce, the Greeks ignore, but we adore.” “He has been manifested in a human body for this reason only, out of the love and goodness of His Father, for the salvation of us men”
—Creation is renewed (saved) by the same Word who made it in the beginning.
—Things are different; the sun and moon, foot and hand, are not the same. Therefore, creation was not spontaneous, it must have had a Creator.
—God created all existence. Through the Word, Jesus Christ, he made everything out of nothing.
—Humans, of all creatures, received a special grace: the impress of His own image and a share in the Word.
—God secured this grace by making it conditional upon 2 things: law and a place—he put the man and woman in Paradise and gave them one rule, do not eat the fruit of the tree of life.
—We blew it (i.e. Adam and Eve disobeyed), and because of this, the Word had to become man.
—God wanted us to remain good, but we disobeyed, “having turned from the contemplation of God to evil of their own devising, had come inevitably under the law of death.”
—Things got worse, and people started doing all types of sins—wars, killing, sexual perversions, etc.
The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation—We have a dilemma:
(1) On one hand, “It would, of course, have been unthinkable that God should go back upon His word and that man, having transgressed, should not die.”
(2) On the other hand, “it was equally monstrous that beings which once had shared the nature of the Word should perish and turn back again into non-existence through corruption.”
—Why wouldn’t repentance be good enough? Because, it was more than a trespass, it was a corruption of human nature. Grace was needed. For this purpose, “the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God entered our world.”
—The Word did not just become embodied or appear to be human, he took a real human body, a pure body in the womb of a virgin untainted by intercourse with man.
—Since our bodies are corruptible to death, and God is not, He took a body, and became a body, so that he could surrender his body unto death, in our place.
—Being God, He cannot remain dead, and thus rises from the dead. We too, die in Him, and rise in Him because of Him.
The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation—continued—Because of our limitations, we cannot come to know God on our own.
God reveals himself to us through Jesus Christ, since it is only through perceiving and apprehending our Maker can we be happy.
—Men have turned themselves away from God. They created false idols, invented false gods to worship, honored created things rather than the creator, and they traced the cause of everything to the stars with no need of God.
—3 ways open to know God: (1) look up to the Heavens, ponder knowledge
(2) converse w/ holy men who knew about God
(3) follow the law
Should God let these men just turn away and revert to brutes? No, then he would have been better off never having raised them from brute level in the first place.
Could God have left the task to holy men to save men? No. Even the best of men are sinners, so how can those blinded help others?
—God became Man so that men, no longer comprehending God above, might see God in the world. He stayed around and performed works awhile before dying and rising so that man could contemplate this.
—The Word is both present as a particular human body and outside controlling the universe and being in all things.
—He was not defiled by being in a body. Rather, he sanctified the body by being it it.
—His miracles prove that he is not mere man, but also God, the one who controls nature.
The Death of Christ (19-25)—Christ’s bodily death, as much as His other acts, reveals that He is God and Son of God.
—He surrenders his life in our place, on our behalf, to pay the debt that must be paid.
—“two opposite marvels took place at once: the death of all was consummated in the Lord's body; yet, because the Word was in it, death and corruption were in the same act utterly abolished.”
—He allowed Himself to die because that was the reason he had taken a body, and preventing death would impede the Resurrection.
—His death had to be public, otherwise no one would have believed his Resurrection. They would have just thought he never died and was lying.
The Resurrection (26-32)—He waited until the 3rd day to rise so that no one could accuse Him of not really being dead.
—He waited one whole day to show that He was truly dead, then rose on the 3rd day, because if he waited any longer, people might have forgotten about Him.
—Death is now conquered. We no longer fear it, but rather despise it and face it head on.
Refutation of the Jews (33-40)—Jews who disbelieve that the Word would become man are misreading their own Scriptures.
—Athanasius uses ambiguous Scripture passages to “prove” that Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection were foretold.
—He says Jesus is the only one who fits all the prophecies, i.e. being born of a virgin, by his stripes we are healed, etc, etc.
—Old Testament figures performed some of the prophecies some of the time, e.g. Elijah raised a dead man. But, no one fulfilled all the prophecies other than Jesus.
Refutation of the Gentiles (41-45)—The Gentiles argue it is unfitting for the Word to take a body, to take on human nature. Athanasius says, if it is fitting for the Word to create the world and enter into it to provide it with light and movement, etc, then why would it be out of bounds for the Word to take a body?
—Why become man instead of something more majestic like the moon or sun? The Word came not to show off, but to heal and teach suffering men.
—Further, nothing had erred from the path that God had made for it, from its purpose, except for man, who did stray.
Why not save man through an act of His will, like creation? He created from His will alone because there is no existence yet. But, man fell in existence, therefore he used the tools of existence, a human body, to save man.
Refutation of the Gentiles continued (46-55)—Athanasius explains that Christ is greater than all the pagan gods and idols that people have worshipped.
-More proof of Christ is the growing number of Christians and the shrinking number of evil pagan rites.
Conclusion (56-57)—To understand these truths and come to faith, we first must make ourselves right in God’s eyes. Just as you need to wipe your eyes first before looking at sunlight, or visit a city first in order to see it, we must cleanse our lives and imitate the saints to understand the minds of sacred writers.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Early Church Councils 300-500 AD
Christology of the Later Fathers, Volume III, Edward Rochie Hardie
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (II Corinthians 5:19)—the basic Christian conviction; Christians have argued over what it means.
5th cent. on—problem: how to maintain the humanity of Christ w/out obscuring his divinity.
1st 4 cents.—problem: how to assert the true deity of the God who acted through Christ w/out obscuring the ancient faith of Israel: “The Lord Our God is One” (Deut. 6:4).
(A)
End of 2nd century heresies:
Modalism—Father and Son are just two appearances of the same subject. Not distinct at all. a.k.a. Sabellianism
Subordinationism—Only God the Father is God in true sense. The Word is 2nd and subordinate.
Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch—the Word is an attribute of God.
**These beliefs were not excluded yet in 2nd century. Baptismal promise was “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?” and “In Jesus Christ, the Son of God?” later “only Son of God?”
(B)
Origen—Jesus Christ the Word, born of the Father before all creatures. God is eternal, his Word (Son) and Wisdom (Spirit) equally eternal. Christ was a real man.
—In Christ godhead and manhood coexist, like fire and metal in red-hot iron. Yet, Hardie says Origen speaks of Son and Spirit as coeternal, yet not quite divine.
Key Greek terms:
hypo-stasis—that which lies beneath as basis of foundation
ousia—being or essence
homoousios—being of the same essence. The best description of the closest unity between the Father and the Son.
Dionysius of Alexandria—rejected homoousios as suggestive of Sabellism.
(C)
313 AD—Christianity legalized by Constantine; era of toleration.
Athanasius of Alexandria—during “pause” between persecution and controversy, writes Against The Heathen and On The Incarnation.
On The Incarnation—“Christ became man that man may become divine.” Restatement of the ancient Church’s faith in re-creation of a fallen world by the Word who made it in the beginning. Christ’s divinity makes his life mighty and his humanity makes it ours. Does not yet define the exact relationship between Father and Son; saves that for after the controversy.
Arius—4th cent. presbyter. Leader of Arianism.
Arianism—form of Subordinationism. Christ is a demi-god. Hardie: it’s not really a form of Christianity. The Word is the “first born of all creation” but he was created, nonetheless. Only God the Father has always existed, uncreated. First creates the Word/the Son/Christ, then creates Creation. The Word is above creation, but less than God. Not quite God or Man. Greater than man, less than God. Kind of like Superman.
Miss Dorothy Sayers’s poem describing Arius’s teaching:
“If you want the Logos doctrine, I can serve it hot and hot:
God begat him and before he was begotten he was not.”
Constantine—annoyed that Christians are arguing and can’t make up their minds. Problem in the West: Donatism. Problem in East: division over faith (e.g. Arianism)
—tells the Bishops to get together and have a Council.
Council in Nicaea (Nicea) 325 AD—2 important notes: (1) out and out Arians were a distinct minority. (2) no one was too comfortable with the introduction of homoousios into the Creed, but it was grudgingly accepted as a way to crush Arianism.
Homoousios—kept the Father and the Son equal, but fear was that it divided the Godhead.
Nicene Creed—uses earlier creeds/baptismal professions and adds anti-Arian anathemas into them.
—Arius and his buddies did not accept the Creed.
—The Creed is good, but raises new questions, e.g. “how are Father and Son, though one, also distinct?” and “how are we to think of the Son as really ‘made man’?”
(D)
Post Nicaea—The controversy is not over. 350—Constantius becomes sole emperor. Semi-Arian position takes the lead. Reason being: If Father and Son are equal (Nicene position), your Lord and King is Jesus Christ. If Son is less than Father, then your earthly Lord and King can be the emperor.
360 AD—all bishops in possession of their sees in East and West (those not in exile) accept a semi-Arian creed, leading St. Jerome to later say “The whole world groaned and was astonished to find itself Arian.” Ulfilas takes these Arian creeds to the Goths, and the Germanic peoples would be Goths for 3 more centuries.
(E)
361-381—important years
361—Constantius dies. New emperor is Julian the Apostate. At least imperial pressure was removed from favoring one Christianity over another.
Athanasius—is older now, a “lion”, Letters to Serapion defends place of the Holy Spirit in the sphere of the deity. Letter to Bishop Epictetus of Corinth asserts completeness of humanity of Christ.
Cappodocian Fathers—Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa
Basil—writes Against Eunomius, attacking Arianism, and On the Holy Spirit, asserting the deity of the Holy Ghost.
—Athanasius uses ousia, essence, to describe the godhead, and hypostasis, subsistence, for its expression in Father, Son, and Spirit.
One ousia and three hypostaseis=Three persons in one substance.
—Emperor Valens, ruler of East from 364-378, supports political Arianism. In 379, West Emperor Theodosius supports the co-equal trinity, ending political Arianism.
Council of Constantinople—381 AD. The Creed we say now that we call “Nicene” is actually Constantinopolitan. It is takes the Nicene Creed, and gets rid of the Anathemas.
Gregory of Nazianzus—this creed “completing in detail that which was incompletely said by them concerning the Holy Ghost.” This creed was a working baptismal creed, the original Nicene was not.
—The Council is putting its “seal of approval” on the works of the Cappodocian Fathers.
**The Armenian Church sticks with the original Nicene Creed, not Constantinople.
G. of Nazianzuas—The Father is known in the Old Testament, the Son in the New, and the Spirit in the life of the Church.
G. of Nyssa—In That We Should Not Think of Saying There Are Three Gods, says the divine actions are all those of the Father acting through Son and by Spirit.
—Cappodicians: emphasize the unity of the Three vs. Augustine: emphasizes the threefoldness of the One.
(F)
Appolinaris—Bishop of Laodicea. Wrote new psalms and scriptures. Consecrated a competing Bishop for Antioch. Started the heresy Appolinarianism.
Appolinarianism—heresy. The belief that the Word did not assume human nature. He only put on a human mask, or image.
G. of N’s reply: “What was not assumed was not redeemed.”
Cyril—from Alexandrian school, spoke in favor of the unity of Christ. God and Man are One Christ, united in concrete being, hypostasis, not just in outward appearance, prosopon.
**We are confused by this because Latin and English translate both hypostasis and prosopon as persona, person.
Nestorius—Bishop of Constantinople, accused of being a Nestorian (irony). He did, though, teach that Mary was just Christotokos, not Theototokos.
Nestorianism—heresy. Taught that the Word was two persons, the human Jesus and the divine Son of God.
Council of Ephesus—431 AD. Reaffirms the unity of God and Man in Christ in one hypostasis. Also, declares that Mary is Theotokos, God-Bearer or Mother of God, and not just Christotokos, Christ-Bearer or Mother of Christ.
Council of Chalcedon—451 AD. Pope St. Leo, Bishop of Rome’s, position wins. In Christ there are two natures and substances (physes and ousiae) united in one person (prosopon and hypostasis).
Monophysites—anti-Chalcedonian. Constantinople went Monophysite until Justin I became emperor in 518 and restored Chalcedon.
Severus—a Monophysite, opposed “In two natures”, but said that in Christ there is manhood consubstantial with ours and deity consubstantial with the Father.
“God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (II Corinthians 5:19)—the basic Christian conviction; Christians have argued over what it means.
5th cent. on—problem: how to maintain the humanity of Christ w/out obscuring his divinity.
1st 4 cents.—problem: how to assert the true deity of the God who acted through Christ w/out obscuring the ancient faith of Israel: “The Lord Our God is One” (Deut. 6:4).
(A)
End of 2nd century heresies:
Modalism—Father and Son are just two appearances of the same subject. Not distinct at all. a.k.a. Sabellianism
Subordinationism—Only God the Father is God in true sense. The Word is 2nd and subordinate.
Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch—the Word is an attribute of God.
**These beliefs were not excluded yet in 2nd century. Baptismal promise was “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?” and “In Jesus Christ, the Son of God?” later “only Son of God?”
(B)
Origen—Jesus Christ the Word, born of the Father before all creatures. God is eternal, his Word (Son) and Wisdom (Spirit) equally eternal. Christ was a real man.
—In Christ godhead and manhood coexist, like fire and metal in red-hot iron. Yet, Hardie says Origen speaks of Son and Spirit as coeternal, yet not quite divine.
Key Greek terms:
hypo-stasis—that which lies beneath as basis of foundation
ousia—being or essence
homoousios—being of the same essence. The best description of the closest unity between the Father and the Son.
Dionysius of Alexandria—rejected homoousios as suggestive of Sabellism.
(C)
313 AD—Christianity legalized by Constantine; era of toleration.
Athanasius of Alexandria—during “pause” between persecution and controversy, writes Against The Heathen and On The Incarnation.
On The Incarnation—“Christ became man that man may become divine.” Restatement of the ancient Church’s faith in re-creation of a fallen world by the Word who made it in the beginning. Christ’s divinity makes his life mighty and his humanity makes it ours. Does not yet define the exact relationship between Father and Son; saves that for after the controversy.
Arius—4th cent. presbyter. Leader of Arianism.
Arianism—form of Subordinationism. Christ is a demi-god. Hardie: it’s not really a form of Christianity. The Word is the “first born of all creation” but he was created, nonetheless. Only God the Father has always existed, uncreated. First creates the Word/the Son/Christ, then creates Creation. The Word is above creation, but less than God. Not quite God or Man. Greater than man, less than God. Kind of like Superman.
Miss Dorothy Sayers’s poem describing Arius’s teaching:
“If you want the Logos doctrine, I can serve it hot and hot:
God begat him and before he was begotten he was not.”
Constantine—annoyed that Christians are arguing and can’t make up their minds. Problem in the West: Donatism. Problem in East: division over faith (e.g. Arianism)
—tells the Bishops to get together and have a Council.
Council in Nicaea (Nicea) 325 AD—2 important notes: (1) out and out Arians were a distinct minority. (2) no one was too comfortable with the introduction of homoousios into the Creed, but it was grudgingly accepted as a way to crush Arianism.
Homoousios—kept the Father and the Son equal, but fear was that it divided the Godhead.
Nicene Creed—uses earlier creeds/baptismal professions and adds anti-Arian anathemas into them.
—Arius and his buddies did not accept the Creed.
—The Creed is good, but raises new questions, e.g. “how are Father and Son, though one, also distinct?” and “how are we to think of the Son as really ‘made man’?”
(D)
Post Nicaea—The controversy is not over. 350—Constantius becomes sole emperor. Semi-Arian position takes the lead. Reason being: If Father and Son are equal (Nicene position), your Lord and King is Jesus Christ. If Son is less than Father, then your earthly Lord and King can be the emperor.
360 AD—all bishops in possession of their sees in East and West (those not in exile) accept a semi-Arian creed, leading St. Jerome to later say “The whole world groaned and was astonished to find itself Arian.” Ulfilas takes these Arian creeds to the Goths, and the Germanic peoples would be Goths for 3 more centuries.
(E)
361-381—important years
361—Constantius dies. New emperor is Julian the Apostate. At least imperial pressure was removed from favoring one Christianity over another.
Athanasius—is older now, a “lion”, Letters to Serapion defends place of the Holy Spirit in the sphere of the deity. Letter to Bishop Epictetus of Corinth asserts completeness of humanity of Christ.
Cappodocian Fathers—Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa
Basil—writes Against Eunomius, attacking Arianism, and On the Holy Spirit, asserting the deity of the Holy Ghost.
—Athanasius uses ousia, essence, to describe the godhead, and hypostasis, subsistence, for its expression in Father, Son, and Spirit.
One ousia and three hypostaseis=Three persons in one substance.
—Emperor Valens, ruler of East from 364-378, supports political Arianism. In 379, West Emperor Theodosius supports the co-equal trinity, ending political Arianism.
Council of Constantinople—381 AD. The Creed we say now that we call “Nicene” is actually Constantinopolitan. It is takes the Nicene Creed, and gets rid of the Anathemas.
Gregory of Nazianzus—this creed “completing in detail that which was incompletely said by them concerning the Holy Ghost.” This creed was a working baptismal creed, the original Nicene was not.
—The Council is putting its “seal of approval” on the works of the Cappodocian Fathers.
**The Armenian Church sticks with the original Nicene Creed, not Constantinople.
G. of Nazianzuas—The Father is known in the Old Testament, the Son in the New, and the Spirit in the life of the Church.
G. of Nyssa—In That We Should Not Think of Saying There Are Three Gods, says the divine actions are all those of the Father acting through Son and by Spirit.
—Cappodicians: emphasize the unity of the Three vs. Augustine: emphasizes the threefoldness of the One.
(F)
Appolinaris—Bishop of Laodicea. Wrote new psalms and scriptures. Consecrated a competing Bishop for Antioch. Started the heresy Appolinarianism.
Appolinarianism—heresy. The belief that the Word did not assume human nature. He only put on a human mask, or image.
G. of N’s reply: “What was not assumed was not redeemed.”
Cyril—from Alexandrian school, spoke in favor of the unity of Christ. God and Man are One Christ, united in concrete being, hypostasis, not just in outward appearance, prosopon.
**We are confused by this because Latin and English translate both hypostasis and prosopon as persona, person.
Nestorius—Bishop of Constantinople, accused of being a Nestorian (irony). He did, though, teach that Mary was just Christotokos, not Theototokos.
Nestorianism—heresy. Taught that the Word was two persons, the human Jesus and the divine Son of God.
Council of Ephesus—431 AD. Reaffirms the unity of God and Man in Christ in one hypostasis. Also, declares that Mary is Theotokos, God-Bearer or Mother of God, and not just Christotokos, Christ-Bearer or Mother of Christ.
Council of Chalcedon—451 AD. Pope St. Leo, Bishop of Rome’s, position wins. In Christ there are two natures and substances (physes and ousiae) united in one person (prosopon and hypostasis).
Monophysites—anti-Chalcedonian. Constantinople went Monophysite until Justin I became emperor in 518 and restored Chalcedon.
Severus—a Monophysite, opposed “In two natures”, but said that in Christ there is manhood consubstantial with ours and deity consubstantial with the Father.
