1. Lecture 14: Nicaea and Athanasius
19 October 2017
Athanasius

2. Introduction Christological and Trinitarian Controversies
Arius and Alexander (Bishop of Alexandria)
Council of Nicaea
Athanasius’ Life
On the Incarnation
Assignments
Athanasius

3. Background to Nicene Creed
Council of Nicaea called by Constantine in 325
to resolve Arian controversy,
bring unity to Church, and
therefore unity to Empire
Virtually all Eastern bishops and some Western bishops attended
Bishop Alexander of Alexandria succeeded in routing the Arian bishops
Athanasius

4. 4th Century Christological and Trinitarian Controversies
Who was Jesus Christ? What was the relationship between His divinity and humanity?
What happened at the Incarnation?
Recall that earliest heresy denied His humanity (docetism)
How to describe the relationship of the “persons” in the Trinity?
Three Gods?
One God with three aspects?
Controversies used technical philosophical language
Controversies hinged on proper interpretation of Scripture:
Proverbs 8:22 ff
Genesis 1-3
John 1:1-14
Athanasius

5. Proverbs 8:22-23 NIV NRSV Douay-Rheims NAB Septuagint
22 "The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began
NRSV
22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
Douay-Rheims
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning. 23 I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the earth was made.
NAB
22 "The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago; 23 From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth.
Notes [22-31] Wisdom is of divine origin. It is here represented as a being which existed before all things (Proverb 8:22-26) and concurred with God when he planned and executed the creation of the universe, adorned it with beauty and variety, and established its wonderful order (Proverb 8:27-30). Here that plurality of divine Persons is foreshadowed which was afterward to be fully revealed when Wisdom in the Person of Jesus Christ became incarnate.
Note [23] Poured forth: the exact meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; the expression must imply the equivalent of "born." The Hebrews liken the movement of air and of spirit to that of liquids.
Septuagint
The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works. He established me before time was in the beginning, before he made the earth.
Athanasius

6. Key Figures in Controversy
Origen
Strong support for monotheism and Trinity
Strong support of divinity of Son
Said Son was homoousia with Father; but three hypostses in Trinity
Sabellius, presbyter, 3rd C, Rome
Modal monarchist: one God,
Father, Son, Spirit different aspects (modes) of one person
Adoptionist Christology: Logos adopts Jesus
Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch, late 3rd Century
Jesus was possessed of a special divine spirit, but a creature of God
Sharp distinction between Word of God (Logos) and person of Jesus; Jesus linked to Logos by a special grace
Arius, presbyter in Alexandria,
Studied in Antioch
Jesus as Word, but Word created
“there was when he was not”
Wanted to firmly support monotheism
Marcellus of Ancyra, d. 380
Strong opponent of Arius
But accepted only one person in Trinity; accused of Sabellianism
Athanasius

7. Types of Arianism
Arius: The Word, the Son created from the substance (ousia) of the Father
Semi-Arianism: Son is like (homoiousia) the Father; opposed notion of homoousia because not in the Bible
Neo-Arians (late 4th C): Anhomoions unlike; the Son is unlike the Father
Athanasius

8. Glossary of Terms
Note terms have multiple meanings in their own language; very difficult to translate from Greek into Latin with same connotations (and then into English)
Logos much richer in meaning than just ‘word’: logic, wisdom, rationality, language
Ousia, Greek, essence, being
Substance, from Latin substantia,
what defines a thing as such; its essence;
Greek ‘equivalents’ are hypostasis; ousia
Homoousia: of the same essence, but not in Scripture
Homoiousia: of similar essence
Physis: nature
Hyposopon: person (but hypostatis can also mean person)
Athanasius

9. Hypostasis Literally means stand (stasis) under (hypo)
Has connotation of fundamental or foundational; also essence of a thing; basis for a plan
Paul: 2 Cor 9:4 and 11:17; confident boasting about Achaian’s plan for a collection
Athanasius

10. Hebrews and Hypostasis
Philosophically most sophisticated text in NT
Quoted by Clement of Rome
Heb. 1:3; 3:14; and 11:1
Heb 1:3; Son as “the exact imprint of his (God’s) being”
Heb 3:14 as steadfastness or confidence
Heb. 11:1 The definition of faith
Is it essence or confidence? Objective or subjective?
Vulgate uses substance (essence); Luther translated it as confidence
Pontifical grammatical analysis uses substance
See Basil’s Homily 38
Athanasius

11. Versions of Heb 11:1
RSV and NRSV: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
NAB: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen
[1] Faith is the realization evidence: the author is not attempting a precise definition. There is dispute about the meaning of the Greek words hypostasis and elenchos, here translated realization and evidence, respectively. Hypostasis usually means "substance," "being" (as translated in Hebrews 1:3), or "reality" (as translated in Hebrews 3:14); here it connotes something more subjective, and so realization has been chosen rather than "assurance" (RSV). Elenchos, usually "proof," is used here in an objective sense and so translated evidence rather than the transferred sense of "(inner) conviction" (RSV).
Athanasius

12. Nicene Creed Based on various “Rules of Faith”
Lex orandi, lex credendi; the law of prayer is the law of faith
What the Church prays is what the Church believes
Based on Scripture, but wanted to be philosophically precise
Used a word not found in Scripture: homoousia
According to Eusebius, Constantine approved use of homoousia
In anathemas treated homoousia and hypostasis as equivalents
Later councils will distinguish between them; hypostasis as person; hypostatic union
Athanasius

13. Arianism after Nicaea Continued to be a very potent heresy
Also, politically well connected: Constantine may have been baptized by an Arian bishop
His son, Constanstius, d. 360 took side of Arians;
Sent Arian missionaries to Germany
Alaric and the Goths who sacked Rome in 410 were Arian Christians
His cousin, Julian the Apostate, d. 363 tried to return the Empire to paganism
Of the claimants to Empire after Julian
Valantinian I in West, pro-Nicene (although his mother was an Arian)
Valens in East was a semi-Arian
Finally ‘settled’ with Theodosius the Great,
Council of Constantinople, 381, promulgates Nicene-Constantinople Creed,
What we now have
Note structure of CCC
Athanasius

14. Life of Athanasius, c. 295-373 Known as ‘The Father of Orthodoxy’
Bishop of Alexandria; opposed Arius’s Christology
Constantine wanted unity within his new religion, just as he wanted unity within the Empire
Attended Council of Nicea 325 with Bishop of Alexandria (Alexander)
After Council as Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius played a major role in condemning Arianism; including homoousia in Creed, “one in being with the Father”
However, Arius and Arianism remained popular
Constantine eventually seemed to side with Arius; exiled Athanasius to Germany
Eventually Athanasius returned to Alexandria and continued to fight for Nicene orthodoxy
Athanasius

15. Works of Athanasius Sermons, Letters, Treatises
Life of Antony; may have been the most influential book during the Patristic period
On the Incarnation
Key points in Athanasius’s arguments
Liturgical practice of Church (i.e., ancient Baptismal creeds) important indicators of Truth to be believed: “What the Church prays, the Church believes”
Emphasis on Jesus’ redemptive action; necessity for Jesus to redeem all aspects of our humanity “what was not assumed, was not saved”
Athanasius

16. Background On the Incarnation
Addressed to a devout orthodox Christian, Macarus
Intended to refute a variety of errors concerning Christ;
Philosophy
Judaism
Christian heresies: docetism and Arianism
Actually second of two books written against the pagans
Athanasius

17. Key Points in On the Incarnation
Purpose of the Word Become Flesh: our redemption and restoration (2)
Story of Christ begins with Genesis and the Fall (4)
Christ redeems all of creation by fully assuming a body and being part of creation (8)
The Word of God, perfect image of God, restores us as image of God (11)
Christ brings knowledge of God; like a teacher who descends to level of his students (15)
Athanasius

18. The Victory of the Cross On the Incarnation
Summary of preceding arguments (20)
Why did Jesus suffer such a horrible public death (21)
Death brought by others to perfect his sacrifice (22)
Rather than an easy death, a most difficult one like a wrestler who demonstrates his strength by contesting with most difficult opponent (24)
Power of Resurrection is seen in acts of believers (30, 31)
Response to Jews: typology and prophecy fulfillment from OT
Response to Greeks (philosophers): proofs in lives of heroic virtue of Christian martyrs (47, 48)
Athanasius

19. Assignments Read On Incarnation
Read selection from Pettersen Athanasius,
p 1-36 (Optional)
Read Basil’s Epistle 38 (Optional)
CCC ; Word Becomes Flesh
Benedict XVI,
General Audience, 20 June 2007, St. Athanasius of Alexandria,
Spe Salvi, Para 7-9
Deus Caritas Est Para 24 and 31 (also 40)
Write short paper on Athanasius
Extra Credit: Write short paper on Basil’s Letter and Spe Salvi due day of Final Exam
Athanasius