Folia Theologica et Canonica 1. 23/15 (2012)

SACRA THEOLOGIA - László Perendy, Athenagoras on the Triune God of Christians

ATHENAGORAS ON THE TRIUNE GOD OF CHRISTIANS...

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but the demonstration of this role has some shortcomings and leaves several questions open:

S’agit-il là de la génération éternelle du Verbe? Le Verbe est-il Fils de toute éternité? Sans doute Athénagore affirme que Dieu a de toute éternité en lui sa raison, qu’il est éternellement raisonnable. Mais le Verbe forme-t-il une hypostase distincte de celle du Père? Rien ne l’indique. Le contexte porte plutôt à croire que le Verbe n’a été engendré qu’à l’occasion de la création et pour créer; ce serait alors l’idée fausse d’une génération temporelle.14

Bareille also sees it very clearly those cosmological issues and the elements of Trinitarian theology are closely connected and interdependent. The cosmological views of the apologists were not neutral as regards the theological development, but they were vital not only for the explanation of God’s monarchy, but also in defining the role of the Verb in creation.

In his doctoral dissertation about the philosophy of Athenagoras Henry A. Lucks treats the relation between philosophy and theology. In his view according to Athenagoras knowledge comes to philosophers from God in an indirect way: the Creator endowed human beings with intelligence to obtain it through the creatures. This kind of knowledge cannot be as complete as that of believers, who learn directly from God. The whole truth concerning even creatures is not available for philosophers.15

As to the doctrines concerning God, according to Lucks all of Athenagoras’ arguments can be reduced to efficient causality: the order of the universe points to an Infinite Being, who does not come to be, but is. Order, harmony, and form must have a cause, who is uncreated. Athenagoras ‘defines’ God in the relation of the world to him: the creator and preserver of the universe. His Wisdom is the framer of matter, so the orderly arrangement of the universe reminds us of God. God’s knowledge extends to every single created being, and he could annihilate anything that opposed his power. In positive terms, he not only created every being of the universe, but he also preserves them and takes care of them.16 However, the presence of evil in the created world also needs explanation. But Lucks finds Athenagoras’ explication unsatisfactory and exotic:

According to the implications of these words, evil consists essentially in the perversion by free intelligent beings, of the order of the universe, and in the turning aside by a volitional act from an appointed purpose. The principle is reasonable

14 Bareille, G., Athénagore, in Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, 1/2. Paris 1931.2210-2214, especially 2214.

15 Lucks, H. A., The Philosophy of Athenagoras, 42^13.