Creator and creation, God and the human person, essence and energy in the theology of Athanasius of Alexandria

Viktor Zhukovskyy

Український Католицький Університет , Ukraine


Abstract

The article discusses the problem of the ontological distinction between God’s transcendence and immanence in the theological thought of Athanasius of Alexan­dria, a Church Father of the IV century. The author presents the main conceptual and terminological apparatus that Athanasius used in his antinomic approach to the “reconciliation” of apophatic and kataphatic images of God. He analyzes the key characteristics of these two dimensions of the nature of God. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the kataphatic approache in answering the question: how can God, who is completely ontologicaly removed from created reality, be at the same time actively present in the world and filling it. In this context the author analyzes the key notions, which express the “intradivine” remoteness and God’s active nearness in relation to created being.

Keywords:

Athanasius, apophatic, kataphatic, essence, condescension, divine energy, divine power, nature, grace

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Published
2018-12-16


Zhukovskyy, V. (2018). Творець і творіння, Бог і людина, сутність й енергія в богословській думці Атанасія Олександрійського. Vox Patrum, 67, 743–765. https://doi.org/10.31743/vp.3426

Viktor Zhukovskyy 
Український Католицький Університет



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