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The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge

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The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG ENCYCLOPEDIA RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE KM BRACING BIBLICAL, HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL, AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AND BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND ECCLESIASTICAL BIOGRAPHY FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY Based on the Third Edition of the Realencyklopadie Founded by J. J. Herzog, and Edited by Albert Hauck PREPARED BY MORE THAN SIX HUNDRED SCHOLARS AND SPECIALISTS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF SAMUEL MACAULEY JACKSON, D.D., LL.D. (Editor-in-Chief) WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF CHARLES COLEBROOK SHERMAN AND GEORGE WILLIAM GILMORE, M.A. (Associate Editors) AND THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENT EDITORS CLARENCE AUGUSTINE BECKWITH, D.D. JAMES FREDERIC McCURDY, PH.D., LL.D. (Department of Systematic Theology ) (Department of the Old Testament) HENRY KING CARROLL, LL.D. HENRY SYLVESTER NASH, D.D. (Department of Minor Denomination!) (Department of the New Testament) JOHN THOMAS CREAGH, D.D. ALBERT HENRY NEWMAN, D.D., LL.D. (Department of Liturgies and Religious Orders) (Department of Church History) (VOL. I.) FRANK HORACE VIZETELLY, F.S.A. JAMES FRANCIS DRISCOLL, D.D. (Department of Pronunciation and Typography) (Department of Liturgies and Religious Orders) (VOLS. II. TO XII.) Complete in twelve Uolumee FUNK AND WAGNALLS COMPANY NEW YORK AND LONDON JAN 6 1909 Copyright, 1908, by FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY Registered at Stationers' Hall, London, England [Printed in the United States of America] Published May, 1908 ~\\ Athanasius Athenagroras THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 346 he got over bis concealed dread of the term homo- ATHEISM: A term employed with some variety nusios, though without giving up the assimilation of connotation. Sometimes it is taken purely neg of ovaia and hypostasis, as to which he was evi atively and applied to every point of view which dently uncertain in the "Orations." In fact, his la does not distinctly assert the existence of God, or ter homoousios is scarcely distinguishable from mono- Different it.order In the this life in application view of his itclaims is broad upon ousios, and the earlier homoios [les ousias] no longer sufficed him. If we ask the origin of this change Uses of the enough to include not only such sys- between 339 and 348-352, it will be obvious that Word. terns as Agnosticism and Secularism we can not neglect to think of his sojourn in the (qq.v.), but even that simple forget- West from 339 to 346, and his intercourse with fulness of God which is commonly known as " prac Marcellus. Further evidences of development tical atheism." Sometimes, on the other hand, it may be found in bis teaching as to the manhood of is given a distinctly positive sense, and made to Christ. If, however, his change of attitude to designate the dogmatic denial of the existence of ward the Homoousians, his condemnation of Basil God. Even when it is so understood, however, it of Ancyra, etc., show that he was capable of de has a wider and a narrower application, dependent velopment, it need not be taken as a reproach. on the meaning attached to the term " God," the He knew better than many of his contemporaries denial of which constitutes its differentiation. In how to separate the fact, as to which he never its narrowest sense, it is confined to those theories wavered, from the formulas employed to describe which deny the existence of all that can be called it; his convictions were fixed early , but to the end of God, by whatever extension or even abuse of that his life he never obstinately asserted the complete term. In this sense it stands over against Panthe ness of the phrases he had chosen to express them. ism or Fetishism, as truly as over against Theism; Through evil report and good report, through the and takes its place alongside of this whole series of many changes of a long and eventful career, he terms as designating a distinct theory of the uni maintained indisputably his title to the respect verse. In its widest sense, on the contrary, it re which we give to love of truth and honesty of ceives its definition in contrast with, not a vague mind. (F. Loofs.) notion of the divine, but the specific conception of Theism, and designates all those systems, differing Bibliography: The Benedictine ed. of the works was printed in 4 vols., at Padua, 1677; again at Paris, 1699, ed. B. largely in other respects, which have in common de Montfauoon; in MPG, xxv-xxviii; and in A. B. Cail- that they are antagonistic to a developed Theism. lau. Patres A-postolici, xxx— xxxii, Paris, 1842-43. The In this application, Atheism is synonymous with dogmatic treatises are accessible in the ed. of J. E. Thilo, Antitheism, and includes not only Pantheism (q.v.), Leipsic 1853. Editions or translations of selected works are: Historical Tracts and Treatise* in Controversy with but even Polytheism, and, with some writers, Deism the Arians, in Library of the Fathers, viii, ix, xiii, and itself, — all of which fail in some essential elements xxviii. 1843; Contra Qentes, ed. H. von Hurler, in CoUectio of a clear Theism. Most commonly the term is opnsculorum sanctorum patrum, xliv, Innsbruck* 1874; Select Treatises, transl. by J. H. Newman, 2 vols., Lon employed by careful writers either in its narrowest don, 1881; Historical Writings ed. from the Benedictine sense, or else in the somewhat broadened sense of Text, by W. Bright. Oxford. 1881; Dialogue of Athanasius the denial of a personal God. Between these two and Zacchams. ed. F. C. Conybeare, in Anecdota Oxoniensia, definitions choice is not easy. All depends on our part 8, ib. 1882; Orations Against the Avians, ed. W. Bright, with a life, ib. 1873, reissued in Ancient and definition of God, and what we are prepared to Modern Library of Theological Literature, 1887; Select admit to involve recognition of him. From the Writings and Letters, transl. with prolegomena, in NPNF, point of view of developed Theism all that can be iv; and De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, transl. with notes by thought God is denied when a living personal God, T. H. Bindley, London, 1903. Especially noteworthy is the edition of the long lost Festal Letters, by W. Cure ton the creator, preserver, and governor of all things from a Syriac manuscript, London, 1853, Eng. transl. by is disallowed; it is inevitable, therefore, that from H. Burgess, Oxford, 1854. His life, from early sources, the standpoint of Theism, Atheism should tend to is in A8B, Hay, i, 186-258, cf. 756-762 and vii, 546- 547; consult the biographies by P. Barbier, Paris, 1888; receive one of its more extended connotations. It R. W Bush, London, 1888; and H. R. Reynolds, ib. may be truer to the historical sense of the term, 1889 (" lucid and able ")• For his writings and teaching however, to take it in its narrowest sense and to consult J. A. Moehler, Athanasius der Qrosse und die treat it as designating only one of the Antitheistic Kirche seiner Zeit, Mains, 1844 (Roman Catholic); H. ' Voigt, Die Lehre des Athanasius, Bremen, 1861; F. Boeh- theories, and as standing as such alongside of the ringer, Athanasius und Arius, oder der erste grosse Kampf others, from which it is differentiated in that it der Orthodoxie und Heterodoxie, Stuttgart, 1874 (Protestant, denies the validity of the notion of God altogether, in his familiar series); E. Fialon, St. Athanase, fctudt lit- while the others allow the possible or actual existence ttraire, Paris, 1877; L. Atzberger, Die Logoslehre des Athanasius, ihre Oegner und Vorlaufer, Munich, 1880; of the divine in one or another sense of that term. Q. A. Pell, Lehre des Athanasius von der Sunde, Passau, The question which has been much discussed, 1888 (Roman Catholic, " difficulties not always faced "); whether Atheism is possible, depends for its solu W. Bright, Lessons from the Lives of Three Great Fathers, New York, 1891; P. Lauchert, Die Lehre des heiligen tion very much upon its definition. That negative Athanasius, Leipsic, 1895; K. Hoss, Sludien uber Schrift- Atheism, especially in the form of " practical athe tum und Theologie des Athanasius, Freiburg, 1899; ism," is possible, is evident from its persistent ap Harnack, Dogma, passim (consult Index), 7 vols., Bos pearance in the world. Whether men may be ton, 1895-1900 (important, very detailed); L. L. Paine, Critical History of the Evolution of Trinitarianism, Boston , totally ignorant of God or not, they certainly can 1900 (brilliant, deals with the position of Athanasius very completely ignore him. And if the great respecting homoousianism); W. F. Fraser, A Cloud of atheistic systems like Buddhism and Confucianism Witnesses to Christian Doctrine, third series, Against have not been able to preserve the purity of Arianism, part 1, St. Athanasius, London, 1900; L. H. Hough, Athanasius; the Hero, Cincinnati, 1906. their Atheism, no more have the great theistic Athanasius 347 RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA Athenagoraa systems — Mohammedanism, Judaism, Christianity other, with the increasing social unrest; and Athe itself — been ablefrom to among eliminate their " practical adherents. atheism It is " ism found expression through a scries of great sys tems — Positivism, Secularism, Pessimism, Socialism. The Possi- equally idle to deny the possibility of The doctrine of Evolution (q.v.), which was given bility of positive Atheism in its wider sense, in scientific standing by Darwin's Origin of Species Atheism, the face of the great part which has (1859), became almost at once the prime support been played in the world by the var and stay of the atheistic propaganda. In every ious forms of Pantheism, which not only underlies department of thought " evolution " is supposed whole systems of religion but is continually inva to account for everything, while itself needing no ding with its leaven the most austere and complete accounting for.
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