Thursday, February 23, 2006
Augustine--On The Trinity
On The Trinity (from Hans Kung’s The Catholic Church: A Short History)
—Augustine was concerned to present a deeper, more convincing reinterpretation of the doctrine of the Trinity.
First, the Greeks:
Greek Church—begin from the one God and Father, who for them, as well as for the New Testament, was “the God” (ho theos).
—defined the relationship of God the Father to the Son and Spirit in light of this one God and Father.
—A star which gives its light to a second star (light of light, God of God) and finally to a third. To our human eye, all three stars appear one after the other only as one star.
—Augustine differed completely:
Augustine—did NOT begin from one God and Father. Began from the one nature of God, or divine substance, that is common to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Greeks—the principle of unity in the Trinity is the Father.
Augustine and Latin West—the principle of unity in the Trinity is the one divine nature, or substance.
—Three stars do NOT shine one after the other (like the East/Greeks say). Three stars shine side by side in a triangle at the same level. Here the first and second stars together give light to the third (Spirit proceeds from Father and Son, as opposed to the East, where Spirit only proceeds from the Father).
—Similarity between 3-fold God and 3-dimensional human spirit:
(1) between Father and memory
(2) between Son and intelligence
(3) between Spirit and the will
**—The Son is “begotten” from the Father “according to the intellect.” The Father knows and begets the Son in his own word and image. But the Spirit “proceeds” from the Father (as lover) and Son (as beloved) “according to the will.”
—The Spirit is the love between the Father and Son become person. Proceeds from both Father and Son (the Filioque). The Trinity is a self-unfolding of God.
—Augustine was concerned to present a deeper, more convincing reinterpretation of the doctrine of the Trinity.
First, the Greeks:
Greek Church—begin from the one God and Father, who for them, as well as for the New Testament, was “the God” (ho theos).
—defined the relationship of God the Father to the Son and Spirit in light of this one God and Father.
—A star which gives its light to a second star (light of light, God of God) and finally to a third. To our human eye, all three stars appear one after the other only as one star.
—Augustine differed completely:
Augustine—did NOT begin from one God and Father. Began from the one nature of God, or divine substance, that is common to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Greeks—the principle of unity in the Trinity is the Father.
Augustine and Latin West—the principle of unity in the Trinity is the one divine nature, or substance.
—Three stars do NOT shine one after the other (like the East/Greeks say). Three stars shine side by side in a triangle at the same level. Here the first and second stars together give light to the third (Spirit proceeds from Father and Son, as opposed to the East, where Spirit only proceeds from the Father).
—Similarity between 3-fold God and 3-dimensional human spirit:
(1) between Father and memory
(2) between Son and intelligence
(3) between Spirit and the will
**—The Son is “begotten” from the Father “according to the intellect.” The Father knows and begets the Son in his own word and image. But the Spirit “proceeds” from the Father (as lover) and Son (as beloved) “according to the will.”
—The Spirit is the love between the Father and Son become person. Proceeds from both Father and Son (the Filioque). The Trinity is a self-unfolding of God.
# posted by SeanPatrick @ 8:14 AM 
