Folia Theologica 17. (2006)

László Perendy: A Christian Platonist

178

L. PERENDY

In Chapter 11 of the Dialogue we can read the following: "There will be no other God, O Trypho, nor was there from eternity any other existing" (I thus addressed him), "but He who made and disposed all this universe. Nor do we think that there is one God for us, another for you, but that He alone is God who led your fathers out from Egypt with a strong hand and a high arm..." (Oűté £cttcu ttot£ dXXos 9eôç, (3 Tpú<t>ü)v, oŰTe fjv du’ atûvos, eyw oütcús upôs cuiTÓv, ttXtív tou TroiTjcravTos Kai SLaTá^avTos TÓSe tó ttûv. OûSè aXXöv pèv f|(icou, dXXov 8é úpúv f)yoúpe0a Beóv, áXX’ oûtôv ètcelvov tóv e^ayaTÓVTa toùç uaTépas úpáiv ók yfjç AiyÚTTTOu év xeLPL KpaTaid Kai ßpaxtovt úí|ít)Xí3') (XI. 1.)

In Chapters 50, 55, and 56 he emphasizes several times that there is no other God, although the Creator of the universe.

In Chapters 127, 128, and 129 he demonstrates the transcendence of the Father in several ways. In Chapter 127 we find the following illustration:

"For the ineffable Father and Lord of all neither has come to any place, nor walks, nor sleeps, nor rised up, but remains in His own place, wherever that is ('0 yap appi^Tos uaTfip Kai KÜpioç tc3v TravTcov oute ttol dtjÛKTai oűtc TTepiTraTet oŰTeKa0eú8e oiÍTe dvLoraTai, áXX ’ kv Tfj àuToû X^PQL ottou TTOTe, (levi,,), quick to behold and quick to hear, having neither eyes nor ears, but being of indescribable might; and He sees all things, and knows all things, and none of us escapes His observation; and He is not moved or confined to a spot in the whole world, for He existed before the world was made. ..." (CXXVII. 2.)

I think that by quoting from his extant works we can demonstrate what opinion he had about some basic questions in connection with the doctrine of God. Perhaps it is not exaggeration to state that his most important aim while commenting upon cosmological issues is to demonstrate his doctrine of God.

In fact, the serious charge brought up against Christians was that of atheism. To refute this, a sentence of key importance has already been quoted: ”A0eoi gèv ouk èapev, tóv 8r||i.ioupyöv toû8é toü uavTÔç creßopevoi. Relying on the other quotations we can summarize his views on the Creator of the universe. The One who formed the universe is also the Father of the universe, who has no