Posted on 09/02/2008 1:27:35 AM PDT by Gamecock
Cappadocian Fathers
A collective term used to refer to three Eastern Christians who significantly influenced the development of theology in the late forth century: Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzen, and Gregory of Nyssa, all of whom date from the late fourth century. Basil and Gregory of Nyssa were brothers while Gregory of Nazianzen was a close friend of the two. These three are well respected by all major traditions in Christianity primarily because of their work on the doctrine of the Trinity in that they brought a balance between the oneness of the substance of God (homoousios) and the diversity within the Godhead (hypostasis). Gregory of Nyssa is often considered to be the most theologically astute of the three and was a major figure second ecumenical council of Constantinople in 381. He wrote the second part of the Nicene Creed revision dealing with the Holy Spirit. “Cappadocia” designates home of the three, an area in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).
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“...and the diversity within the Godhead (hypostasis)”
One hypostasis, three hypostasia.
The Cappadocians are noted for the expression, “I believe in God; God does not “exist”.” That little phrase is of fundamental importance when trying to comprehend the theological dogma that the three hypostasia of the Trinity are “homoousios”. Failure to accept that dogma and to understand it insofar as that is possible, inevitably leads today as it did 1600+ years ago, to both Trinitarian and Christological heresies.
The Cappadocians are noted for the expression, “I believe in God; God does not “exist”.”That certainly is an interesting way to put it. Do you know the source of that quote? I tried to google it and all that came up was FreeRepublic. :)
“That certainly is an interesting way to put it. Do you know the source of that quote? I tried to google it and all that came up was FreeRepublic. :)”
I’m not surprised. Its buried someplace in “The Pedallion” and I doubt that’s on line. It may also be referred to in the “Ante Nicene, Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers”. Its almost a cliche in Orthodox seminaries and is generally thrown out to first year students to shock them.
The meaning is that God, as the author and creator of “existence” does not, by definition, “exist”. The concept becomes very important in Trinitarian and Christological theology as I suspect you can imagine. Its also the reason why Orthodox theology tends to be apophatic, which is to say it describes God by saying what He is not.
I still puzzle over that one. :) Why can't we just say that God is the author and creator of everything ELSE that exists, but not Himself? I would think that God exists because we can say for sure that there is that which is God (concretely, more than a mere idea) and there is that which is not God.
Because English is such a lousy language for Christian theology, maybe we can say that if we recognize how completely wrong it is. :) The Greek words used for God on icons are Ο ΩΝ, which as near as we can say in English means "The Being which created Beingness" Bottom line, FK, the source of "existence" is God; God gives us existence but He Himself does not exist nor is He existence itself. Look at it this way, God is the source grace and that grace falls on creation like rain on the earth, but God is not grace nor is He "graced". Grace, like existence, is a manifestation or emination of God.
These church fathers, like us, will be judged by the fruits of their/our works. Islam has produced over a billion lost souls and still adding. I find it hard to believe that these Fathers were led by the Holy Spirit, as the Church claims, when you consider how the fruit of this doctrine has produced so many lost souls.
To make it worse, these same individuals call you a heretic if you refuse to propagate this bitter fruit.
Thanks but no thanks. I will not plant that tree in my spiritual orchard. Especially, when there is nothing in scripture that says I need that tree to be saved.
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