Tag Archives: cappadocians

Karl Barth: Church Dogmatics II/1 (Doctrine of God), review

Posted on November 12, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

Barth’s volume is largely divided into two parts:  Our knowledge of God’s Revelation and God Himself. Per the latter, he famously rephrases the attributes of God as God’s perfections (more on that later).  This review will give a (very short) … Continue reading →

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One Being/Three Persons (Thomas Torrance)

Posted on October 28, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

The homoousion is a decisive step in the life of the church.  It guarantees how we understand the internal relations in the Trinity.  Not only are the persons homoousion, but so are the relations. “Only in Christ is God’s self-revelation … Continue reading →

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Pannenberg, Systematic Theology (Vol. 1)

Posted on October 20, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

Some important sections. Largely eclipsed by his student Robert W. Jenson. Outstanding remarks on the Vincentian canon, the spirituality of God, and Gregory Palamas. He gives critical reflection on the Cappadocian fathers. Evaluation: Hard to recommend to most students and … Continue reading →

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Gregory, On God and Christ

Posted on September 5, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

One critical fault:  The translator opts for “But monotheism we hold in honor” when all other renditions have “But Monarchy is what we hold in honor.” As Gregory is contrasting Christianity with Judaism, a simple monotheism doesn’t make sense. The … Continue reading →

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Review: Morality after Calvin

Posted on July 24, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

Summers, Kirk.  Morality After Calvin.  New York: Oxford, 2017. Kirk Summers documents and illustrates the problems facing the Genevan church after Calvin’s death, as illustrated in Theodore Beza’s Cato. While Beza will defend natural law, he has no interest in constructing a … Continue reading →

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Analytic Outline, Balthasar’s Cosmic Liturgy

Posted on January 17, 2018 by J. B. Aitken

This isn’t an outline of the whole book–only the first half.  That is where Balthasar’s discussion on Person and Nature is.  I first read this book in 2010 when I was new to Maximus the Confessor.  Those were heady days.  … Continue reading →

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St Basil: On Social Justice

Posted on April 1, 2017 by J. B. Aitken

The book is a collection of homilies St Basil wrote during the famine that hit Cappadocia.  The book exhibits his sheer rhetorical power.  One almost wept with pity in his homily on those who lend at interest.  One problem, though: … Continue reading →

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Notes on person and will

Posted on May 30, 2016 by J. B. Aitken

The Two Energies of Christ Person operates by will. Will is a property of nature and energy is operation proper to that nature. So in Christ Incarnate there are two will and two operations proper to each nature, but the divine … Continue reading →

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Outline Torrance Trinitarian Faith

Posted on December 13, 2015 by J. B. Aitken

Chapter 1 1.  Christ is himself the content of God’s self-revelation We know the Father through his Son. Christ’s vicarious humanity he did not come in a man but as man. Christ ministers the things of God to man and … Continue reading →

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