Lecture Notes: St. Gregory of Nyssa and the Filioque Controversy
Key Figures
St. Gregory of Nyssa: Important Church Father, one of the Cappadocian Fathers.
Cappadocian Fathers: Influential group of early theologians in the Eastern Church.
Main Concepts
Filioque Doctrine
Filioque: Refers to the belief that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son.
Catholic Position: Supports the Filioque as a key doctrine.
Eastern Orthodox Position: Rejects the Filioque, adhering to the belief that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.
Causation in Trinitarian Theology
Greek Terminology: 'Aetia' means cause, used to describe the origin of one divine person from another in the Trinity.
Latin Terminology: Uses 'principle' instead of cause.
St. Gregory's View: Persons of the Trinity are distinguished based on causation; Father is the cause, Son is directly from the Father, Spirit is through the Son.
St. Gregory’s Arguments
On the Not Three Gods (to Ablabius)
Mature Work of St. Gregory: Written around 390 AD.
Distinctions: Confirms that distinctions in the Trinity are based on cause and that which is caused.
Role of the Son: Indicates that the Spirit's procession involves the Son as a mediating cause.
Against Eunomius
Concepts of Causation: Discusses the causation relation, emphasizing that all three persons are eternal.
Son as a Cause: Suggests that the Son has a causal role in the Spirit's procession.
Orthodox Counter-Arguments
Eternal Manifestation
Eastern Orthodox Position: Suggests an eternal shining forth distinct from procession.
Criticism: The position is seen as lacking basis and a reaction to the evidence for the Filioque.
Relations of Opposition
Eastern Orthodox Claims: Deny the notion of relations of opposition in the Trinity.
St. Gregory’s Rebuttal: Clearly teaches relations of opposition, aligning with the Catholic understanding.
Importance of the Filioque in Catholic Doctrine
Catholic Interpretation: The Spirit's procession from both Father and Son upholds the distinctions within the Trinity.
St. Gregory’s Support: His teachings are used as evidence for the Catholic position.
Critiques of Eastern Orthodox: Paint their counter-arguments as misunderstandings or misrepresentations of patristic evidence.
Historical and Theological Implications
Council of Florence: Reinforces the Catholic doctrine regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit.
Synods and Councils: Eastern Orthodox synods have anathematized views supporting the Filioque.
Takeaways
The Filioque is a significant point of theological divergence between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
St. Gregory of Nyssa's writings and theology are central to the Catholic defense of the Filioque.
Misunderstandings and historical developments have fueled the Filioque controversy over centuries.