Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine by Khaled Anatolios

Author:Khaled Anatolios [Anatolios, Khaled]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2011-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Trinitarian Systematic Theology of the Catechetical Oration

Gregory of Nyssa’s Catechetical Oration, composed after the Council of Constantinople in the early 380s, appears to be intended not so much for catechumens directly as for catechists.[609] In view of modern ideas of the proper contents of “trinitarian doctrine,” it might seem odd to refer to this work as a trinitarian systematic theology. After all, apart from some preliminary remarks at the beginning of the treatise, the theme of “how the three are one” is not prominent in this work. Indeed, the bulk of the treatise is concerned with the incarnation, inducing its placement in the modern compartment of “Christology.” Yet Gregory explicitly states at various points that his purpose is to argue that the Christian revelation proclaims a “fitting conception of God.”[610] Does Gregory simply forget his trinitarian commitments once he gets past his opening remarks on the Word and the Spirit? If we insist on our preconceptions regarding the proper domain of trinitarian doctrine, we will be tempted to think so. An alternative approach, however, is to at least temporarily put aside these presuppositions and allow Gregory’s exposition of the Christian doctrine of God to suggest to us a different way of conceiving what is involved in “trinitarian doctrine.” I cannot here provide a detailed analysis of this treatise. Instead, I will trace the development of a key motif that is in continuity with the earlier Against Eunomius: Gregory’s christologically determined conceptions of trinitarian divine perfection and goodness. In my analysis of Against Eunomius, I have tried to show how these motifs inform a doctrine of God that is determined by the christological narrative. If we had to pinpoint the key trinitarian move of Against Eunomius, it would not be Gregory’s use of hypostasis and ousia but his insistence on the christological determination of the doctrine of God. This key move, re-performed in a more integral catechetical setting in the Oration, entitles us to see it as a classic exposition of trinitarian doctrine.

Gregory begins his treatise by defending the intelligibility of the Christian doctrine of God against its main cultural competitors: Greeks and Jews. The Greeks are made to represent two competing views: atheism and polytheism. Atheism is unintelligible in light of the intelligent design of creation, which indicates “some power (dynamin) which is manifested by it and which transcends the universe.”[611] Polytheism is equally untenable in light of the principle of the simplicity of absolute perfection. Gregory challenges an imaginary polytheist: “Does he think the divine is perfect or imperfect?”[612] If this interlocutor acknowledges that the divine nature is perfect, then he must logically concur that absolute perfection cannot admit of variation or difference. Different gods are as inconceivable as different perfections. These putative differences will either entail a variation of greater and lesser, in which case the lesser is not perfect and thus not God, or there will be no “distinguishing marks” to identify the differences, in which case there is no real plurality. Thus, there can be only one perfect and divine nature.

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