The Theological Journal of Emanuel University

Perichoresis

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>This essay demonstrates that Athenagoras’ theology is primarily concerned, not with the creative activity of God, as L.W. Barnard has argued, but rather with the immateriality of the divine nature and the unity of the Father and the Son. It is this two-fold basis of distinction and unity that makes the apprehension of God possible only by mind and reason. Since the divine nature is heavenly and immaterial, such apprehension cannot occur in the physical realm as promoted in pagan worship, but must take place in the mind through the Son, who is the Logos or Mind, the Reason and Wisdom of the Father. Athenagoras’ assertion that the immaterial God can only be apprehended by reason emphasizes the distinction between God and matter, while the unity of the Father and Son in God’s acts and teachings highlights the role of reason in the soul’s apprehension of the divine. One must be conformed to the Son, who is the Reason of God, in order to apprehend God the Father, and Athenagoras evokes the ethical dimension of reason in the soul’s apprehension of the divine. As the soul follows the Son in obeying his teachings, it is conformed to the Son, thereby becoming rational and engaging in rational worship, focusing on the heavenly rather than the earthly. Thus it is in ethical conduct that Christians are essentially pure in spirit and rational in worship, as they are directed by the Son, who is unified with the Father, to apprehend the immaterial God.</abstract>

Abstract

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Keywords

<article-title>Athenagoras on the Divine Nature: The Father, the Son, and the Rational</article-title>

Athenagoras on the Divine Nature: The Father, the Son, and the Rational

{"article-title":"Athenagoras on the Divine Nature: The Father, the Son, and the Rational"}

Perichoresis is covered by the following services: <UL> <LI>ATLA Religion Database </LI> <LI>Base d’information bibliographique en patristique / Bibliographic Information Base in Patristics (BIBP) </LI> <LI>CEJSH (The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities) </LI> <LI>CNKI Scholar (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) </LI> <LI>CNPIEC - cnpLINKer </LI> <LI>Dimensions </LI> <LI>DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) </LI> <LI>EBSCO </LI> <LI>ERIH PLUS (European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences) </LI> <LI>ExLibris </LI> <LI>Google Scholar </LI> <LI>Index Theologicus </LI> <LI>J-Gate </LI> <LI>JournalGuide </LI> <LI>JournalTOCs </LI> <LI>Naviga (Softweco) </LI> <LI>PhilPapers </LI> <LI>SCILIT </LI> <LI>SCImago (SJR) </LI> <LI>SCOPUS </LI> <LI>Ulrich's Periodicals Directory/ulrichsweb </LI> <LI>Web of Science - Emerging Sources Citation Index </LI> <LI>WorldCat (OCLC) </LI> <LI>X-MOL </LI></UL>

Perichoresis ist in den folgenden Services indiziert: <UL> <LI>ATLA Religion Database </LI> <LI>Base d’information bibliographique en patristique / Bibliographic Information Base in Patristics (BIBP) </LI> <LI>CEJSH (The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities) </LI> <LI>CNKI Scholar (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) </LI> <LI>CNPIEC - cnpLINKer </LI> <LI>Dimensions </LI> <LI>DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) </LI> <LI>EBSCO </LI> <LI>ERIH PLUS (European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences) </LI> <LI>ExLibris </LI> <LI>Google Scholar </LI> <LI>Index Theologicus </LI> <LI>J-Gate </LI> <LI>JournalGuide </LI> <LI>JournalTOCs </LI> <LI>Naviga (Softweco) </LI> <LI>PhilPapers </LI> <LI>SCILIT </LI> <LI>SCImago (SJR) </LI> <LI>SCOPUS </LI> <LI>Ulrich's Periodicals Directory/ulrichsweb </LI> <LI>Web of Science - Emerging Sources Citation Index </LI> <LI>WorldCat (OCLC) </LI> <LI>X-MOL </LI></UL>

Editor-in-Chief Corin Mihaila, Emanuel University, Romania Deputy/Managing Editor Dinu Moga, Emanuel University, Romania International Advisory Board Torrance Kirby, McGill University, Canada Frank A. James III, Biblical Theological Seminary, United States of America Hamilton Moore, Irish Baptist College, United Kingdom André A. Gazal, North Greenville University, United States of America Ábráhám Kovács, Debrecen Reformed Theological University, Hungary Joshua R. Farris, University of St. Mary of the Lake, United States of America Frank G. Bosman, Tilburg University, the Netherlands †James McMahon, Albert Ellis Institute, United States of America Editors Systematic Theology Paul Negruţ, Emanuel University, Romania Patristics and Classical Languages Marius D. Cruceru, Emanuel University, Romania Applied Theology Adrian Giorgiov, Emanuel University, Romania Old and New Testament Studies Aurelian Botica, Emanuel University, Romania Historical Theology Dinu Moga, Emanuel University, Romania Technical Editor Dinu Moga, Emanuel University, Romania Language Editor Eunicia Ile, Emanuel University, Romania Contact <a href="mailto:perichoresis@emanuel.ro">perichoresis@emanuel.ro</a> Publisher De Gruyter Poland Bogumiła Zuga 32A Str. 01-811 Warsaw, Poland T: +48 22 701 50 15

<DIV align=left> Please submit your manuscripts to Perichoresis via email to: <A href="mailto:perichoresis@emanuel.ro">perichoresis@emanuel.ro</A> Open Access Statement The journal is an Open Access journal that allows a free unlimited access to all its contents without any restrictions upon publication to all users. <A href="https://sciendo-parsed-data-feed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/PERC/Open_Access_License.pdf">Open Access License</A> </DIV>

<DIV align=left> Perichoresis is the theological journal of Emanuel University, the only government-accredited Baptist university in Europe. As an institution of higher learning, Emanuel University promotes a traditionally conservative and trinitarian theology, protestant and evangelical, which is reflected in the articles of the contributors who are part of its academic staff. Articles written by people who share different religious views are also welcome provided that they are scientifically argued and focused on academic issues. Perichoresis is published in conjunction with the "Ethics and Society" Research Centre, also part of Emanuel University, which allows for the dialogue between a specifically Protestant-Evangelical morality and the philosophy of contemporary society to take the shape of well-argued contributions for the journal. Perichoresis does not collect article processing charges (APCs) or submission charges. The journal has an editorial review policy for invited papers, as well as double blind peer review for non-invited articles. Why subscribe and read Perichoresis, the Theological Journal of Emanuel University, is the only Romanian Baptist academic review in the field of theology (and cognate subjects, such as philosophy, religious philosophy, ethics, and church history) published exclusively in English throughout Romania. As a scientific journal, Perichoresis has a double purpose: on the one hand, to introduce valuable academic contributions from the English-speaking world to the Romanian academy and, on the other hand, to promote Romanian theological research on the global academic market. Why submit Perichoresis focuses on academic papers in all fields of theology (biblical-exegetical, dogmatic-historical, and pastoral-practical) and is fully recognized by the Romanian National Council for Scientific Research as a B Category academic journal. Archiving Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in <A href="https://www.portico.org/">Portico</A> - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections. Plagiarism Policy The editorial board is participating in a growing community of <A href="https://www.crossref.org/services/similarity-check/">Similarity Check System's</A> users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. </DIV>

Perichoresis

Athenagoras on the Divine Nature: The Father, the Son, and the Rational

D. Jeffrey Bingham
D. Jeffrey Bingham

Published Online: 06 Apr 2019

Volume & Issue: Volume 17 (2019) - Issue 1 (March 2019) - The Father, Son, and Spirit in Early Christian Theology, Second Century Examples. Editor: Paul A. Hartog

Page range: 55 - 64

Journal & Issue Details

Perichoresis

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References

Recent Articles

Perichoresis

Athenagoras on the Divine Nature: The Father, the Son, and the Rational

D. Jeffrey BinghamD. Jeffrey Bingham

Published Online: 06 Apr 2019

Volume & Issue: Volume 17 (2019) - Issue 1 (March 2019) - The Father, Son, and Spirit in Early Christian Theology, Second Century Examples. Editor: Paul A. Hartog

Page range: 55 - 64

Journal & Issue Details

Perichoresis

PDF Preview

References

Recent Articles

D. Jeffrey Bingham
D. Jeffrey Bingham