Tag Archives: Cappadocians

Reflecting the Mystery: Analogy Beyond Negation and Affirmation

Posted on 30 October 2017 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Robert F. Fortuin Silence is a mystery of the age to come, but words are instruments of this world. ~ St Isaac the Syrian The Holy Spirit, in delivering to us the Divine mysteries, conveys its instruction on those … Continue reading →

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The Impossibility of Comprehending the Incomprehensible God

Posted on 2 May 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

What does St Gregory of Nyssa mean when he so emphatically claims that human beings are incapable of comprehending the divine nature. As we have seen, it does not mean that we must remain silent before the unspeakable Deity. Christians … Continue reading →

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The Cappadocian Brothers on the Propria of God

Posted on 20 April 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

I’m sure it did not come as a surprise to either St Basil of Caesarea or St Gregory of Nyssa. Once they began to elucidate the mystery of the Trinity by means of the analogy between three human beings and … Continue reading →

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St Gregory of Nyssa: Perichoretic Trinity

Posted on 8 April 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

How do we know God as Holy Trinity? Through the contemplation of Holy Scripture. During the height of the fourth century trinitarian debates, neither Orthodox nor Arians thought they were expositing a metaphysical Deity apprehended by reason alone. All parties … Continue reading →

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St Gregory of Nyssa: Differentiating Ousia and Hypostasis

Posted on 1 April 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

In the early fourth century the terms ousia and hypostasis were synonyms and virtually interchangeable in philosophical usage, yet by the end of the fourth century orthodox theologians were using them differently to speak of the one God who is … Continue reading →

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St Gregory of Nyssa: On the Divine Ousia and Hypostasis

Posted on 31 March 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

The epistle To Peter on the Divine Ousia and Hypostasis has long been attributed to St Basil of Caesarea; but during the past century patristic scholars have come to believe that it probably was composed by St Gregory of Nyssa, … Continue reading →

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St Basil the Great: Homily Against the Sabellians et Alios (part 3)

Posted on 17 January 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Having spent half of his homily addressing the two defining trinitarian heresies, Sabellianism and Heterousianism, St Basil knows it’s time to change topics.  The tell-tale signs are universal and timeless: people start fidgeting, they walk around and gossip with their … Continue reading →

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St Basil the Great: Homily Against the Sabellians et Alios (part 2)

Posted on 15 January 2014 by Fr Aidan Kimel

Against both the Sabellians and the Anomoians, St Basil of Caesarea invokes the testimony of the Gospel of John. Against the Sabellians, he cites verses that state the distinctive identity of the Son: “The Word was with God and the … Continue reading →

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