Durham E-Theses The Development of Athanasius's Early Pneumatology HILL, KEVIN,DOUGLAS How to cite: HILL, KEVIN,DOUGLAS (2015) The Development of Athanasius's Early Pneumatology, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11300/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk The Development of Athanasius’s Early Pneumatology Kevin Douglas Hill Department of Theology and Religion Durham University Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2015 Abstract The Development of Athanasius’s Early Pneumatology Kevin Douglas Hill Athanasius of Alexandria wrote over seven dozen works, the majority of which contain at least one reference to the Holy Spirit. Yet, previous studies have primarily concentrated on Athanasius’s Letters to Serapion on the Holy Spirit (ca. 359–361), leaving a lacuna in our knowledge of Athanasius’s prior pneumatology. By exploring the period from Athanasius’s election as bishop (328) to the completion of the third Oration against the Arians (ca. 345), this thesis seeks to help fill this gap. Part I focuses on Athanasius’s pastoral works, including his Festal Letters and Against the Pagans-On the Incarnation. Chapter 1 considers the reasons behind Athanasius’s relative silence about the Spirit in Pagans- Incarnation. Chapters 2 and 3 explore the pneumatology of Athanasius’s pastoral works written before and after 340, respectively. This first half of the thesis argues that by the mid-330s, Athanasius had begun to establish core pneumatological perspectives that he would maintain for the rest of his career, including the belief that the Spirit is necessary for salvation. Part II examines Athanasius’s three Orations, giving particular attention to Orations 1–2 (ca. 340). This part of the thesis argues that Athanasius seems to consciously hold five main tenets about the Holy Spirit. To Athanasius, the Holy Spirit is eternal, uncreated, united to the Son, worthy of worship, and essential for salvation. These points laid the foundation for what was to come in Serapion. Together, Parts I and II challenge the perception that Athanasius’s understanding of the Holy Spirit did not develop until Serapion. Without the pneumatological perspectives that he established in the 330s and 340s, Athanasius would not have been prepared to take the next steps of confessing the Holy Spirit’s divine nature and role in creating the world. Contents Abbreviations 8 Declaration 10 Copyright 11 Acknowledgements 12 Preface 14 Introduction 16 1. Scope and Method 19 2. Outline of Chapters 23 Part I. Athanasius’s Pastoral Works 1. The Problem of Pneumatological Reticence in Pagans-Incarnation 29 Introduction 29 Problem 29 Argument 31 1. Date and Purpose of Pagans-Incarnation 32 Composition Date 32 Audience and Purpose 36 2. The Argument of Pagans 37 Two Core Arguments 37 Theological Anthropology 40 The Loss of the Knowledge of God 43 Consequences of Losing the Knowledge of God 46 3. The Arguments of Incarnation 48 A Change of Focus 48 The Restoration of Immortality 50 The Restoration of the Knowledge of God 55 Conclusion 61 2. Pneumatology in the Early Pastoral Works 65 Introduction 65 1. Argument and Paschal Theology of Festal 1 67 contents 4 Festal Typology 67 Catechesis on Observing the Easter Fast 70 Catechesis on the Fulfillment of the Passover 72 The Theological Character of the Letter 75 2. The Holy Spirit and the New Covenant (Festal 1) 76 A Sign of the New Covenant 76 The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures 79 3. The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Preparation in Festal 1 85 Keeping the Feast 85 Reception of the Holy Spirit 87 4. The Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit 89 Clothed by the Holy Spirit 90 The Holy Spirit and Prophetic Censure 95 5. The Holy Spirit in Trinitarian Doxologies 99 Overview 99 Doxologies in Athanasius’s Early Works 102 Conclusion 107 3. Pneumatology in the Later Pastoral Works 110 Introduction 110 1. Sanctification and the Wedding Garment 111 The Theme in Festal 20 111 The Theme in Virginity 115 The Theme in Festal 41 118 2. Minor Themes 120 Union with Christ through the Holy Spirit 120 Sinning Away the Holy Spirit 121 3. The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures in Marcellinus 123 The Holy Spirit and the Inspiration of the Scriptures 124 The Holy Spirit and the Pedagogical Role of the Psalms 126 The United Work of the Word and the Holy Spirit 128 4. The Holy Spirit and Trinitarian Doxologies 133 Continuity and Change 133 Creeds and Trinitarian Developments from 341–357 135 The Doxology of Decrees 138 The Doxology of Serapion 140 Conclusion 142 contents 5 Part II. The Orations against the Arians 4. A Foundational Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Athanasius’s Trinitarian Arguments 145 Introduction 145 1. The Orations and the Narrative of “Arianism” 147 Literary Relationship 149 Athanasius’s Conspiracy Narrative 151 After the Council of Antioch 154 Athanasius’s Heresiological Narrative 156 “Arianism” Mocked and Condemned 160 2. “Arianism” and Trinitarian Theology in Orations 1.5–6 162 The Trinitarian Blasphemies of “Arianism” 162 Witnesses to the Thalia 164 Comparison of Trinitarian Material 166 3. Polemical Arguments and Trinitarian Theology in Orations 1.17–18 172 The “Eternally Perfect Trinity Argument” 173 The “Incomposite Trinity Argument” 175 The “Glorious Trinity Argument” 176 Pneumatology 178 4. Athanasius’s Polemical Strategies in Serapion 179 Athanasius’s Depiction of the “Tropikoi” 181 Assimilation and Polarization 183 “Arians,” “Tropikoi,” and the Unity of the Trinity 186 5. The Trinity and the Holy Spirit in Serapion 188 The Return of the “Incomposite Trinity Argument” 189 The Return of the “Glorious Trinity Argument” 192 The Return of the “Eternally Perfect Trinity Argument” 193 Pneumatological Continuity and Development 195 Conclusion 198 5. Essential for Salvation: Psalm 45:7 and Christ’s Reception of the Holy Spirit 200 Introduction 200 1. Salvation as Union 202 2. History of Interpretation of Psalm 45:7 205 The Book of Hebrews 206 Irenaeus 206 Origen 208 contents 6 Arius, Achilles, and Alexander 211 Eusebius of Caesarea 212 3. Athanasius on Psalm 45:7 216 4. Christ’s Humanity as a Channel of Grace 222 Kinship and Christ’s Humanity 224 Kinship and Salvation 226 The Purpose of Christ’s Reception of the Holy Spirit 228 The Change Effected by the the Descent of the Holy Spirit 230 The Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit 232 Conclusion 233 6. Participation in the Holy Spirit: Principles and Pneumatological Implications 235 Introduction 235 1. Overview: Participation and Orations 1.15–16 236 Athanasius and Participation Language 236 The Son’s Participation in the Father: Context 238 The Son’s Participation in the Father: Argument 239 2. Two Principles of Participation 241 Plato: Asymmetrical Participation and Hierarchy of Being 242 Irenaeus 246 Origen 247 3. Participation in the Holy Spirit 250 The Exclusivity of Participation in the Holy Spirit 251 The Nature of the Holy Spirit 254 Sanctification and the “Ownership” Principle of Participation 257 The Holiness of the Spirit 260 The Holy Spirit’s Reception from the Son 262 4. Pneumatology in Orations 1.50 264 Anthropology and Christology 264 Equality between the Son and Holy Spirit 268 Conclusion 270 7. The Spirit of the Son: The Holy Spirit’s Union with the Son 272 Introduction 272 1. Ἴδιος and the Father-Son Relationship 272 Ἴδιος in Arius 273 Ἴδιος in Alexander 275 contents 7 Ἴδιος in Athanasius 278 2. The Holy Spirit’s Union with the Son 282 3. The Holy Spirit: “In” the Word 286 4. Union with the Son through the Holy Spirit 290 5. The United Activity of the Trinity 299 Athanasius’s Argument in Orations 2.41 299 Light and Inseparability 303 Economic Pattern, Eternal Reality 306 The Pattern Applied to Baptism 308 Conclusion 312 Conclusion 313 Appendix A: The Holy Spirit in the Athanasiana 317 Appendix B: The Development of Six Themes in Athanasius’s Pneumatology 318 Appendix C: The Son’s Participation in the Father 319 Bibliography: Primary Sources 323 Bibliography: Secondary Sources 331 Abbreviations Abbreviations for Athanasian works are listed in Appendix A and the Bibliography. Other patristic abbreviations are based on G. W. H. Lampe, ed., A Patristic Greek Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961) and Albert Blaise, ed., Dictionnaire latin-français des auteurs chrétiens (Turnhout: Brepols, 1954). Unless noted, all references to the Old Testament follow the standard Masoretic Text numbering. References to the Septuagint follow the numbering of Alfred Rahlfs, Septuaginta (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). 1. General BE Benedictine Edition of Athanasius’s Letters to Serapion on the Holy Spirit (reprinted in PG 26.529A–676C) ET English Translation LXX Septuagint TLG Thesaurus Linguae Graecae TM Translation modified 2. Periodicals JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JThS Journal of Theological Studies (New Series) SP Studia Patristica SJTh Scottish Journal of Theology VC Vigiliae Christianae ZAC Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum 8 abbreviations 9 3. Series ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers AW Athanasius Werke NPNF Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series Two PG Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Graeca PPS Popular Patristics Series SC Sources chrétiennes A Note on Style The majority of this thesis was written in Calgary, Alberta.