Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: annalex
Annalex, quoting individual fathers is of no use. They do not represent the Church. The Ecumenical Councils defined the Creed and made it explicitly clear that addition or deletion of any word in it is heresy. What is the purpose of this thread but to add to your own and others' confusion about the issue of filioque?

The Creed cannot be altered by anyone in particular, regardless what other theological interpretations exist. Which part of this do you not understand?

67 posted on 05/18/2005 2:54:59 PM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ]


To: kosta50

The purpose is for me to understand the Trinity. The opinions of fathers and doctors of the Church is very important, regardless of their dogmatic status. We just clarified that the Summa does not have such status either. I am, repeat, interested in opinions, not in conciliar process of altering the Creed.

I refer to the "Orthodox" whenever it is necessary to distinguish between them and the Catholic, and vice versa for "the Catholic". I understand that each side might have a larger claim, but my purpose is clarity of expression (even if on occasion I use one word while meaning the other). I apologize in advance, and I will stick to the labels that seem most clear for the context.


69 posted on 05/18/2005 3:26:29 PM PDT by annalex
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies ]

To: kosta50
"...quoting individual fathers is of no use. They do not represent the Church."

This is an important point. Individual fathers do not represent the Church, but rather the "consensus patrum" does. The Ecumenical Councils are a formal expression of this consensus of the Fathers, and there are other, informal expressions of the consensus of the Fathers that are also authoritative.

Individual Fathers can (and do) err or are unclear on this or that point -- that is why the Orthodox Church has never lifted one Father's teachings above those of the rest.

And the consensus view of the Fathers of the Orthodox Church has not only been that the filioque was improperly added in the West, but also that it is incorrect theology, with attendant implications and practical consequences for the spiritual life.

There are of course many modern Orthodox theologians who wish very much to finesse and avoid this issue, but that is because they wish to be nice, and because there are adverse consequences in the modern age to state that one doctrine is correct and that another one is incorrect. It just isn't nice.

76 posted on 05/18/2005 8:18:07 PM PDT by Agrarian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson