“St. Athanasius of Alexandria &
the Divinity of the Holy Spirit"
Presented by Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap
Love & Sacrifice: 2006 Letter & Spirit Conference
Pittsburgh, PA
October 28, 2006

Father Thomas Weinandy’s talk focused primarily on the ideas of the Holy Spirit as presented by St. Athanasius in the 4^th Century, as well as a model of the Holy Spirit as actively participating in the Trinity. Father Weinandy speaks first of Athanasius fighting the heresy of Arianism and declaring that Jesus was indeed divine. He speaks of Athanasius then fighting the heresy of the Tropici (see 362) and showing that the Holy Spirit was indeed divine, but not merely a second Son of the Father, nor a Grandson of the Father.

In speaking of the ideas of the Holy Spirit as presented by St. Athanasius, Father Weinandy particularly points to Athanasius’ first letter to St. Serapion of Thmuis. For Father Weinandy, this letter highlights several concepts that we can learn about the Holy Spirit. First, everything received by the Son is given to the Holy Spirit. Second, the Holy Spirit cannot be a creature: all three Persons form one Triad, the Godhead, and therefore none of them are creatures. To declare otherwise is blasphemy. (In addition, but not relating to the Holy Spirit, when you say “Father” you are immediately implying a “Son.” Relationships in life and within the Trinity are extremely important as points of reference.) Third, the Holy Spirit is always referred to by the qualifier “the.” Fourth, if the Holy Spirit does what Scripture says He does, He must be God. We see in 1 Corinthians, for example, that “no one knows God…save the Spirit of God.” Only God can know Himself, as He is beyond the comprehension of His creatures. Fifth, to know the deep things of God (through the Holy Spirit), the Holy Spirit must be in God to know His mind. Without the Holy Spirit, we wouldn’t even know God as Father or Son. Sixth, since the Holy Spirit renews preachers, he must not need holiness to give holiness (as say, a highest creature would require). Seventh, the Holy Spirit is called the “quickening” or “life-giving” Spirit; yet, only insofar as the Holy Spirit shares in the incorruptible Life in the Father and the Son can He give incorruptible life. Eighth, in referring to the “unction” (under this link: need to scroll) or “seal” relative to the Holy Spirit, since the Word anoints us, the Holy Spirit transforms us. As we are baptized in the Holy Spirit in baptism, the Holy Spirit brings us to the Son who can cry out “Abba, Father!” Ninth, as temples of the God (which is exactly where God dwells), Christians hold the Holy Spirit, the divine God. Tenth, Athanasius speaks of the fact that the Holy Spirit must be divine since the Son is in the image of the Father and the Holy Spirit is in the divine image of the Son. (In turn, through our baptism, we bear the image of the Son.) Eleventh, the Holy Spirit, being God, must be incapable of change and corruption, because He has all Goodness and Truth. Twelfth, since God is everywhere, the Holy Spirit is everywhere. Thirteenth, we partake of the Holy Spirit, but He does not partake as He is divine in and of Himself. Fourteenth, the Holy Spirit is one, but creatures are many. As there is one Father and one Son, this oneness indicates that the Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is one in being with the Father and the Son (ie. homoousios, that is, “one substance”).

This all leads to Father Weinandy explaining a model of the Holy Spirit, from the writings of St. Augustine. The Father begets the Son eternally (in kairos). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father to the Son, because the Father loves the Son wholly and completely. The Son wouldn’t be the Son if he didn’t fully love the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as Love (since God is Love). That is, as the Father speaks the Word eternally in the (Holy) Spirit of Love, the Son cries "Abba, Father" in the (Holy) Spirit of Love.

This is the fourth in a series of my summaries of various scholastic papers which were presented (and have not been published as of yet) at the "Love & Sacrifice: 2006 Letter & Spirit Conference," which I attended in Pittsburgh, PA. -- Tom Reagan