Tag Archives: divine essence

Aquinas and Divine Freedom: To Know the Divine Essence is to Know the Cosmos

Posted on 12 September 2018 by

If God is eternal, immutable, and incomposite, how is it that his creation of the cosmos is not a necessary, and thus unfree and fettered, act? We have raised this question in two earlier postings on St Dionysius: “Transcending Freedom … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquinas | Tagged , , , , | 94 Comments

Was St Gregory of Nyssa a Proto-Palamite?

Posted on 5 May 2014 by

The title is intentionally provocative, and I’m afraid the article will disappoint anyone who is hoping for a clear answer to the question posed. While I have read a fair amount of the secondary literature about St Gregory Palamas’s famous … Continue reading →

Posted in Gregory of Nyssa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

The Impossibility of Comprehending the Incomprehensible God

Posted on 2 May 2014 by

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 →

Posted in Gregory of Nyssa | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Unbegetting the Eunomian God

Posted on 25 June 2013 by

“God is unbegotten substance,” declares Eunomius. When we say this, we are stating a precise definition of God and thus comprehending him as he truly is. Eunomius certainly does not mean to suggest that we thus know God exhaustively and … Continue reading →

Posted in Basil of Caesarea | Tagged , , , , , , ,

The Unbegotten Eunomius

Posted on 23 June 2013 by

Eunomius begins his Apology with a traditional creedal statement: We believe in one God, the Father almighty, from whom are all things; And in one only-begotten Son of God, God the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all … Continue reading →

Posted in Basil of Caesarea, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments