The Adventure of Orthodoxy October 25, 2013 Peter J.

Leithart

It ! a co""on co"#$aint that #atri!tic Trinitarian theo$o%y ob!cured the %o!#e$ by re$yin% on the #re"i!e! and cate%orie! of &ree' thou%ht. Thou%h rare$y a! extre"e a! Ado$f von (arnac', )ho c$ai"ed that the *icene +reed )a! a !y"#to" of an ,acute (e$$eni-ation. of the +hurch, theo$o%ian! today can #ut off a reco%ni-ab$y (arnac'ian !cent.

The rea$ity i! near$y the o##o!ite. In the #roce!! of a##$yin% #hi$o!o#hica$ cate%orie! to the &od of the %o!#e$, the +hurch /ather! !tretched (e$$eni!" to the brea'in% #oint. It )a! the heretic!, not the orthodox, )ho co)ered in the !afe haven of !ett$ed o#inion.

A! 0o)an 1i$$ia"! #ointed out in hi! c$a!!ic !tudy of Ariu!, &ree' "eta#hy!ic! a!!u"ed that the Ab!o$ute "u!t be free of re$ation!. 2n3re$atedne!! )a! the very definition of Ab!o$utene!!, becau!e a bein% in a nece!!ary re$ation "u!t be defined in re$ation to that to )hich he i! re$ated. The Ab!o$ute can on$y be tru$y ab!o$ute if it exi!t! on it! o)n, in i!o$ated Orienta$ !#$endor.

Athana!iu! 'ne) )hat he )a! about )hen he char%ed that Ariu! )a! a ,&ree'.. 1or'in% fro" co""on notion! of the Ab!o$ute, Ariu! natura$$y conc$uded that the /ather )a! a $one &od, )ithout re$ation, unti$ he created the 4on. Later anti3*icene theo$o%ian! )ent !o far a! to abandon the tit$e ,/ather. once they reco%ni-ed that ,/ather. i! a re$ationa$ ter" that i"#$ie! the exi!tence of a 4on. 5uno"iu! #referred the chi$$y tit$e ,the 2nbe%otten.6an au!tere bein% into )ho!e $a# one )ou$d not )i!h to c$i"b.

Orthodoxy, by contra!t, !hattered the &ree' Ab!o$ute. Tracin% out the i"#ort of bib$ica$ de!cri#tion! of the 4on a! the /ather ! ,radiance,. ,)ord,. and ,)i!do",. Athana!iu! in!i!ted that the 4on "u!t be co3eterna$ )ith the /ather. *o $i%ht can be )ithout radiance, and if the 4on i! radiance he "u!t have !hone fro" the /ather fro" eternity. *o &od )orthy of )or!hi# can be )ithout 1ord and 1i!do", !o if the 4on i! 1ord he "u!t have a$)ay! been in the /ather ! "outh. 7y denyin% the eternity of the 4on, Ariu! in!u$ted the /ather too8 If there )a! )hen the 4on )a! not, then there )a! a ,ti"e. )hen the /ather )a! a $i%ht )ithout radiance, a &od )ithout )ord, an Ab!o$ute foo$. Perha#! )ithout fu$$y rea$i-in% the havoc he )a! )rea'in% on &ree' thou%ht, Athana!iu! #ut for)ard a !tran%e ne) bein%, the re$ated Ab!o$ute.

0obert Jen!on ha! !#ent hi! $on% career #ointin% out that the co""on !en!e of 9editerranean anti:uity a!!u"ed that %od! )ere ti"e$e!!. Ti"e brin%! chan%e, decay, and death. I""unity to ti"e ! rava%e! )a! the "ain #er' of bein% divine, and it )a! a #er' that ancient )or!hi#er! ho#ed their %od! )ou$d !hare. *o !tory can be rea$$y true of &od. &od i! too #ure to !tic' hi! toe into the defi$e"ent! of hi!tory.

Jen!on ! ob!ervation! ex#o!e another of the #hi$o!o#hica$ "otivation! behind Ariani!". 4ince the hi%h &od ha! to be #rotected fro" contact )ith ti"e, the one )ho a##ear! a! Je!u! "u!t be !o"ethin% $e!! than the hi%h &od. It )a! the orthodox )ho once a%ain #roved adventurou!, )ith their c$ai" that ,one of the Trinity beca"e f$e!h. and their confidence that the !tory of I!rae$ and Je!u! i! &od ! o)n hi!tory )ith hi! #eo#$e.

A %eneration a%o, 0.P.+. (an!on ar%ued that Arian! )ere theo$o%ian! of the cro!!. At the heart of their faith )a! the #roc$a"ation of the crucified &od. 0ede"#tion, they in!i!ted, re:uired a "ore3than3hu"an death, but !ince the hi%h &od can t co"e into contact )ith death, that thorn3 cro)ned !ufferer on the cro!! "u!t be a $e!!er !o"eone. (e cannot be "ere$y hu"an6a hu"an death cannot redee"; but he a$!o cannot be &od either6&od can t !uffer $i'e that. (e ! %ot to be !o"ethin% in bet)een.

(an!on thou%ht that Arian! under!tood the ,!canda$ of the cro!!. better than the orthodox, but )here ! the !canda$ in &od !endin% a f$un'y to bear the !in! of hu"anity< That ! !afe$y (e$$enic, and the on$y !canda$ i! that &od )ou$d re$y on !o"eone e$!e to do the dirty )or'. To !ay, a! the orthodox did, that the 4on of &od !uffered in the f$e!h i! to #re!ent a %enuine !canda$ undrea"t of in #hi$o!o#hy. It i! to !ay that &od doe! hi! o)n dirty )or', confrontin% death in #er!on !o a! to !)a$$o) it u# in $ife.

The bi% !tory of ear$y Trinitarian theo$o%y )a! not an ,acute. or even a ,"i$d. ca!e of (e$$eni-ation, but rather )hat Jen!on ca$$! the ,evan%e$i-ation of "eta#hy!ic!.. A! the +hurch carried out her "i!!ion, the %o!#e$ invariab$y confronted 9editerranean theo$o%y, )hich u!ua$$y )ent by the na"e of ,#hi$o!o#hy.. At !o"e #oint!, the /ather! found they cou$d a%ree )ith that #re3exi!tin% theo$o%y, but at "any #oint!, +hri!tian theo$o%ian! cou$d re"ain faithfu$ to the %o!#e$ on$y by revi!in% "uch of )hat they thou%ht they 'ne). +he!terton cou$d have to$d u!8 Orthodoxy i! #reci!e$y the audacity to abandon !afe haven! to fo$$o) one )ho !uffered out!ide the %ate.

1hich "ean! that, )hether or not their !#ecific #ro#o!a$! are defen!ib$e, conte"#orary theo$o%ian! )ho )ant to revi!e "eta#hy!ic! Trinitarian$y continue a #ro=ect be%un by the +hurch /ather! they too :uic'$y di!"i!!. 0adica$i!" and orthodoxy e"brace, revi!ion and tradition 'i!! one another.

Peter J. Leithart is on the pastoral staff of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho, and senior fellow of theology and literature at New t. !ndrews College. "is most recent #oo$ is 7et)een 7abe$ and 7ea!t8 A"erica and 5"#ire! in 7ib$ica$ Per!#ective. "is pre%ious &'n the (uare) articles can #e found here. Image %ia *i$imedia Commons.