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

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

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PERENDY LÁSZLÓ

of Aristotle. But the same kind of rejection of the Platonic views incompatible to Christianity can be observed both in his theology and anthropology. He rejects astral theology, the existence of the change of created but eternal beings between God and the material universe.79

Unlike Pythagoras, who applied the word povocç to God. Athenagoras prefers the word eiç, which shows that he is not willing to accept God as a purely rational essence. For him God is Creator and Father, a person who takes care of his creation.80

In his concluding remarks about Athenagoras’ rejection of the pagan philosophers, Pouderon states that he attacks pagan thought on the most essential points.81 However, despite his rejection of the pagan philosophical ideas, he could not avoid being influenced by them, both in thought and in expressions. Nevertheless, his borrowings are not necessarily the result of any kind of inconsistency, as he always professes himself to be a philosopher and maintains that one part of Greek philosophy is the heritage of the Christians, who have found the true Logos.

The influence of Platonism is the most obvious one, of course. One of the most important doctrines of Platonism was the transcendence of God. This is in the heart of Christian doctrine as well. But there are some minor points present, too, sometimes slightly modified. The image of God as a charioteer directing the cosmos does not, in fact, come directly from Plato, but from Philo and Plutarch. The other image (God as a potter) was also a commonplace in contemporary Platonism. Among some other obvious “borrowings” we can find that the reason of creation is the goodness of God.82

Stoicism played an important role not only in the Legatio, but also in the Treaty. Interestingly enough, its role in Athenagoras’ theology is the most obvious one. While God’s transcendence can be expressed with the help of Platonic terms, his immanence, however, through Stoic expressions. Following Spanneut. Pouderon states:

En effet, Dieu pénètre (SifjKEiv: le mot est spécifiquement stoïcien) la matière par son Aôyoç, qui lui sert d’énergie (évépyeia: L. X, 3), ou par sa Providence (èru- gÉÀeux: D. R. XVIII, 2); il donne sa cohérence (ouvéxeiv: L.VI, 2; XIII, 3) au monde par son llveûpa, qui joue en l’occurrence le rôle d’animation propre aux forces immanentes.83

79 Pouderon, B., Athénagore d'Athènes, 213.

80 Pouderon, B., Athénagore d'Athènes, 215.

81 Similarly to Tatian.

82 Pouderon, B., Athénagore d’Athènes, 217-219.

83 Pouderon, B., Athénagore d’Athènes, 224.