Re: Theotokos
Submitted by JohnQ on August 29 2001 12:03:50
In reply to Theotokos submitted by F.O.D. on August 29 2001 09:58:09
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From what little I've been able to gather, the Orthodox feel that it makes things confusing to say that the Holy Spirit comes from both Father and Son. They see the Father as the uncreated origin of all things, including the Son/Logos and the Holy Spirit. Please keep in mind that the begetting of the Son and the procession of the Holy Spirit did not occur in time. It wasn't like first there was the Father and he decided to beget the Son/Logos and from that came the Holy Spirit. The nature of God has always been a Trinity. If I am correct in my understanding of the Western Church's position (and I could be wrong about this), the Holy Spirit either proceeds from the relationship between Father and Son or IS the relationship. I can't figure it out any clearer from what I;ve been able to read about it. As to why it matters, apparently in the 21st Century, it no longer does. Perhaps this controversy was simply a smoke screen to hide ill feelings that were developing betwween East and West at that time, such as the Eastern Church's opinion that the Pope was making himself more important than they were willing to grant him. They were willing to accede to him the position of "First among Equals," but the Pope at that time and later wanted to be in control. One other thing. As you've noticed I've used the term Son/Logos. Under the influence of the Stoic and Neo-Platonist philosophers, the term "Logos" came to mean "Reason" rather than just "word". Whenever Jehovah's Witnesses come to my door, I like to hit them with this fact and that perhaps the proper translation of the opening of John"s Gospel should be: "In the beginning was the Reason and the Reason was with God and God was the Reason." Jehovah's Winesses don't come around my house much any more. |
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