Transcript The development of doctrine in the 4th century

Towards the Doctrine of the Trinity
1.
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4.
The ‘Spirit-fighters’.
The models of the trinity.
Apollinarian controversy.
The Second Ecumenical Council: Constantinople,
381.
The ‘Spirit-fighters’
• Emerged in 361
• Taught that the Holy Spirit was one of God’s
gifts, not a divine person
• Opposed by the Cappadocian Fathers
The range of arguments deployed in the
trinitarian controversy:
1.
Theories of analogy, meaning, reference and the limitations of religious
language.
--example: use of prepositions for Son and Holy Spirit (Basil, De Sp. S.)
2. Interpretation of the Bible: titles of the Son & the HS consideration of
individual passages; the overall purpose of scripture.
3. The logic and meaning of the local baptismal creeds.
4. The appeal to the apostolic tradition and the individual Fathers.
5. Large scale metaphysical presuppositions & “fittingness” arguments.
6. The implicit theologies of the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist.
7. The implications of worshipping the Son and the Holy Spirit and addressing
prayers to them
8. The experience of deification and sanctification.
9. The logic of salvation (only God deifies and sanctifies).
10. Reductio ad heresim, ad hominem arguments, mutual accusations of
immorality, political pressure.
The Doctrine of the Trinity
Inadequate extreme positions (heresies):
1. Modalism
2. Subordinationism (Arianism)
3. Tritheism (three gods)
Orthodox definition:
One essence, three persons
Subordinationism (Arianism)
orthodoxy
Tritheism
Equality of F., S. & H. S.
Modalism
Who do you say that I am?
• What is Jesus’ relationship to
God the Father?
• What is Jesus’ relationship to
human beings?
The teaching of Apollinaris of Laodicea (310-390)
• Friend of Athanasius
• Gifted exegete and apologist
• Loyal to the Nicene faith: emphasized full divinity
of Christ
• His teaching regarding humanity of Christ
condemned at the council of Constantinople in
381 (to be discussed during seminar)
Gregory of Nazianzus (325-389)
• One of the
Cappadocian
Fathers
• Major defender of
the doctrine of the
Trinity at the council
of Constantinople
• Argued against
Apollinaris: ‘That
which was not
assumed was not
healed.’
The Second Ecumenical Council
•
•
•
•
Met in Constantinople in 381
Condemned the teaching of Apollinaris
Affirmed that Christ is fully human
Defined the doctrine of the Trinity
Theodosius I (346-395) makes pro-Nicene orthodoxy
the only acceptable form of religion
All the people who are ruled by the administration of our Clemency
shall practice that religion which the divine Peter the Apostle
transmitted to the Romans… It is evident that this is the religion that is
followed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria,
a man of apostolic sanctity…
We command that those persons who follow this rule [of trinitarian
faith] shall embrace the name of Catholic Christians. The rest,
however, whom we adjure demented and insane, shall sustain the
infamy of heretical dogmas, their meeting places shall not receive the
name of churches, and they shall be smitten first by divine vengeance
and secondly by the retribution of our own initiative, which we shall
assume in accordance with the divine judgment.”
Seminar questions
1. How does Gregory formulate the fundamental dilemma
involved in speaking about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
(p. 256)
2. What is the gist of Ablabius’ argument? (p. 256-7)
3. What is Gregory’s initial answer to the difficulty involved?
What answer would be deemed satisfactory for simple
Christians? (p. 257)
4. What does the term ‘Godhead’ refer to? (pp. 259-260)
5. What distinguishes the actions of Father, Son & Holy Spirit
from the actions of human beings? (pp. 261-62)
6. What distinctions does Gregory admit among the persons of
the Trinity? (p. 266)