Church History
7/8/25
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter IX. Theological Controversies, and Development of the Ecumenical Orthodoxy." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 2327-2561). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (sections 117-160).
"§131. The Post- Nicene Trinitarian Doctrine of Augustine." (pp. 240-2404).
Schaff observes that the Greek church largely ended inquiry about the Trinity with the Nicene Creed. However, in the West, Augustine carried the work farther, pointing toward the development of the Athanasian Creed, which Schaff takes to be dated in the fifth century (Schaff 2014, p. 2400). Schaff summarizes Augustine's developments.
First, Augustine demonstrated that consubstantiality rejected subordinationism. While God is of one substance in three persons, the essence is unified, so no person of the Trinity is inferior to another (Schaff 2014, p. 2400). The persons of the Trinity do not subsist individually, but as a whole.
Augustine taught that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, though primarily from the Father (Schaff 2014, p. 2401). He interpreted the Nicene Creed's statement of the Spirit proceeding from the Father as a polemical statement against those Pneumatomachi, who would make the Spirit part of the created order. In general, Augustine's view of the role of the Son in sending the Holy Spirit was broadly accepted in the West and in many parts of the East. The controversy over the filioque arose in the ninth century, in the context of debate about its inclusion in the creed as an alteration (Schaff 2014, p. 2403). Schaff considers the root of the controversy not to be the actual doctrine. Rather, in his view, the issue is "the contrast between the conservative and stationary theology of the East . . . and the progressive and systematizing theology of the West" (Schaff 2014, p. 2403).
"§132. The Athanasian Creed." (pp. 2404-2411).
Schaff provides a substantial bibliography for the Athanasian Creed. This creed is regularly considered the third of the ecumenical confessions, and signals the end of the orthodox development of description of the Trinity (Schaff 2014, p. 2405). Schaff presents it both in Latin and English, also including "parallel passages from Augustine and other older writers" (Schaff 2014, p. 2405).
The Athanasian Creed is not considered to be by Athanasius or even from his time period. Schaff finds no trace of it through the third or fourth centuries (Schaff 2014, p. 2408). In the Greek church it first appears in the eleventh or twelfth century. Tellingly, those manuscripts omit the concept of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son (Schaff 2014, p. 2409). Schaff dates the composition to the mid fifth century, no later than 570, and probably in Gaul (Schaff 2014, p. 2409).
The brief articles of the Athanasian Creed sum up the relationship of the persons of the Trinity to one another in such a way as to answer the various Christological debates of the early church (Schaff 2014, p. 2410). The Trinity is one in substance but three in persons. Christ has the entirety of a divine and a human nature. Those who deny these tenets are condemned. It is necessary to believe in the real and living triune God who saves through the divine/human Jesus.
Schaff closes the segment with a brief bibliography of works concerning the controversies about Origen (Schaff 2014, p. 2410-2411) He proceeds in section 133 to discuss that controversy from the end of the fourth century.
7/8/25
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter IX. Theological Controversies, and Development of the Ecumenical Orthodoxy." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 2327-2561). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (sections 117-160).
"§131. The Post- Nicene Trinitarian Doctrine of Augustine." (pp. 240-2404).
Schaff observes that the Greek church largely ended inquiry about the Trinity with the Nicene Creed. However, in the West, Augustine carried the work farther, pointing toward the development of the Athanasian Creed, which Schaff takes to be dated in the fifth century (Schaff 2014, p. 2400). Schaff summarizes Augustine's developments.
First, Augustine demonstrated that consubstantiality rejected subordinationism. While God is of one substance in three persons, the essence is unified, so no person of the Trinity is inferior to another (Schaff 2014, p. 2400). The persons of the Trinity do not subsist individually, but as a whole.
Augustine taught that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, though primarily from the Father (Schaff 2014, p. 2401). He interpreted the Nicene Creed's statement of the Spirit proceeding from the Father as a polemical statement against those Pneumatomachi, who would make the Spirit part of the created order. In general, Augustine's view of the role of the Son in sending the Holy Spirit was broadly accepted in the West and in many parts of the East. The controversy over the filioque arose in the ninth century, in the context of debate about its inclusion in the creed as an alteration (Schaff 2014, p. 2403). Schaff considers the root of the controversy not to be the actual doctrine. Rather, in his view, the issue is "the contrast between the conservative and stationary theology of the East . . . and the progressive and systematizing theology of the West" (Schaff 2014, p. 2403).
"§132. The Athanasian Creed." (pp. 2404-2411).
Schaff provides a substantial bibliography for the Athanasian Creed. This creed is regularly considered the third of the ecumenical confessions, and signals the end of the orthodox development of description of the Trinity (Schaff 2014, p. 2405). Schaff presents it both in Latin and English, also including "parallel passages from Augustine and other older writers" (Schaff 2014, p. 2405).
The Athanasian Creed is not considered to be by Athanasius or even from his time period. Schaff finds no trace of it through the third or fourth centuries (Schaff 2014, p. 2408). In the Greek church it first appears in the eleventh or twelfth century. Tellingly, those manuscripts omit the concept of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son (Schaff 2014, p. 2409). Schaff dates the composition to the mid fifth century, no later than 570, and probably in Gaul (Schaff 2014, p. 2409).
The brief articles of the Athanasian Creed sum up the relationship of the persons of the Trinity to one another in such a way as to answer the various Christological debates of the early church (Schaff 2014, p. 2410). The Trinity is one in substance but three in persons. Christ has the entirety of a divine and a human nature. Those who deny these tenets are condemned. It is necessary to believe in the real and living triune God who saves through the divine/human Jesus.
Schaff closes the segment with a brief bibliography of works concerning the controversies about Origen (Schaff 2014, p. 2410-2411) He proceeds in section 133 to discuss that controversy from the end of the fourth century.
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