On the Incomprehensible Nature of God (Fathers of the Church Patristic Series) 0813210275, 9780813210278

Table of contents :
CONTENTS
Select Bibliography
Abbreviations
Introduction
Pre-Arian Chronology
Arianism and Nicaea
Athanasius and the Decline of Arianism
Chrysostom and the Anomoeans
Montfaucon's Notices
On the Incomprehensible Nature of God
Homily I
Homily II
Homily III
Homily IV
Homily V
Homily VI
Homily VII
Homily VIII
Homily IX
Homily X
Homily XI
Homily XII
Indices
General Index
Index of Holy Scripture

Citation preview

THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH A NEW TRANSLATION

VOLUME 72

THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH A NEW TRANSLATION

EDITORIAL BOARD Hermigild Dressler, O.F.M. The Catholic University of America Press Editorial Director

Robert P. Russell, O.S.A.

Thomas P. Halton

Villanova University

The Catholic University of America

Robert Sider

Sister M. Josephine Brennan, I.H.M.

Dickinson College

Marywood College

FORMER EDITORIAL DIRECTORS Ludwig Schopp, Roy J. Deferrari, Bernard M. Peebles

Richard Talaska Editorial Assistant

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ON THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE NATURE OF GOD

Translated by

PAUL W. HARKINS Professor Emeritus Xavier University Cincinnati, Ohio

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS Washington, D.C.

Nihil Obstat: REVEREND HERMIGILD DRESSLER, O.F.M. Censor Deputatus

Imprimatur: REV. MSGR. JOHN F. DONOGHUE Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Washington

September 2, 1982

The nihil obstat and imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the nihil obstat and the imprimatur agree with content, opinions, or statements expressed.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data John Chrysostom, Saint, d. 407. On the incomprehensible nature of God. (Fathers of the Church~ v. 72) Translation of: Peri akataleptou. September 2, 1982. Bibliography: p. vii-xii Includes indexes. 1. God-Knowableness-Sermons. 2. Eunomianism-Sermons. 3. Sermons, Greek-Translations into English. 4. Sermons, English-Translations from Greek. 1. Harkins, Paul W. (Paul William), 1911II. Title. III. Series. BR60.F3C42 [BR65.C43] 270s [231] 83-1984 ISBN 0-8132-1027-5 (pbk.)

Copyright © 1984 by THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS, INC. All rights Teserved

CONTENTS

Page Select Bibliography ................................. Vll Abbreviations ...................................... xiii Introduction ....................................... 3 Pre-Arian Christology ......................... 3 Arianism and Nicaea .......................... 14 Athanasius and the Decline of Arianism ........ 17 Chrysostom and the Anomoeans ............... 19 Montfaucon's Notices .......................... 38 On the Incomprehensible Nature of God

Homily I " ................................... 51 Homily II .................................... 71 Homily III ................................... 95 Homily IV ................................... 115 Homily V .................................... 137 Homily VI ................................... 164 Homily VII .................................. 184 Homily VIII ................................. 212 Homily IX ................................... 233 Homily X .................................... 244 Homily XI ................................... 270 Homily XII .................................. 286 Indices General Index ............................... 311 Index of Holy Scripture ....................... 349

v

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Texts and Translations

Due, Fronton du (Fronto Dueaeus). Ad populum Antiochenum adv. Iudaeos, De incomprehensibili Dei natura, De sanctis deque diversis eiusmodi argumentis homiliae 77 (Paris 1602 and 1609). Savile, Henry. S. Iohannis Chrysostomi opera omnia 8 vols. (Eton 1612). Title actually in Greek only. Due, Fronton du (Fronto Dueaeus). S. Iohannis Chrysostomi opera omnia 12 vols. (Paris 1636-42). Maucroix, Mr. de, trans. Homelies ou sermons de saint Jean Chrysostome au peuple d'Antioche, augmentez en ceUe seconde edition des homelies sur l'incomprehensibilite de Dieu contre les Anomeens. (Paris 1689). Montfaucon, Bernard de. S. Iohannis Chrysostomi opera omnia 13 vols. (Paris 1718-38 and Venice 1734-41). Second edition by T. Fix (Paris 1834--39; reprinted by J.-P. Migne in PG 47-61; Paris 1863 [earlier printings of vol. 48: 1859] ). Jeannin, M., trans. Saint Jean Chrysostome Oeuvres completes 11 vols. (Bar-leDuc 1863-67). Bareille,J. Oeuvres completes de S.Jean Chrysostome 12 vols. (Paris 1865-73). Montfaucon's text with French translation. Danielou, J. (Introduction), Malingrey, A.-M. (Texte critique et notes), Flaceliere, R. (Traduction). Jean Chrysostome sur l'incomprehensibilite de Dieu, Vol. 1: Homelies I-V, SC 28 bis (Paris 1970). Other Patristic Texts and Translations Augustine, St. Confessions, trans. V. Bourke, FOTC 21 (New York 1953). Basil, St. Adversus Eunomium libri 5, PG 29.498-774 (Paris n.d.). Cyril ofJerusalem, St. The Works of Saint Cyril ofJerusalem, Vol. 1, trans. L.P.

McCauley and A.A. Stevenson, FOTC 61 (Washington, D.C. 1969). _ _ Catecheses mystagogicae 5, PG 33.1066-1128 (n.d.). Epiphanius, St. Panarion or Adversus haereses, PG 41.174--1200 and PG

42.9-832 (Paris 1863). Eunomius. Apologia, PG 30.835-68 (Paris 1888). Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History, 2 vols. trans. K. Lake and J.E. Oulton, The Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, Mass. 1926-32). Histoireecc/esiastique, trans. G. Bardy, SC 31, 41, 55, 73 (Paris 1952-60). Gregory of Nyssa, St. Contra E unomium, vol. 1, ed. W. Jaeger (Leiden 1960). ___ In Canticum Canticorum, vol. 6, ed. W. Jaeger (Leiden 1960). ___ In Ecclesiasten, vol. 5, ed. W. Jaeger (Leiden 1962). ___ The Lord's Prayer and The Beatitudes, trans. H. Graef, ACW 18 (Westminister, Md. 1954). Hilary of Poi tiers, St. The Trinity, trans. S. McKenna, FOTC 25 (New York 1954).

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Ignatius of Antioch, St. The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch, trans. J Kleist, ACW 1 (Westminster, Md. 1946). Irenaeus, St. Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, trans. JP. Smith, ACW 16 (Westminster, Md. 1952). _ _ Adversus haereses libri 5, PG 7 (pars prior) 433-1118; PG 7 (pars secunda) 1119-1224 (Paris 1857). John Chrysostom, St. Baptismal Instructions, trans. P.W. Harkins, ACW 31 (Westminster, Md. 1963). ___ Discourses againstJudaizing Christians, trans. P.W. Harkins, FOTC 68 (Washington 1979). ___ Homilies on the Gospel of St. John, trans. Sr. Thomas Aquinas Goggin, FOTC 33 and 41 (New York 1957 and 1960). ___ Sur laprovidence de Dieu, trans. A.-M. Malingrey, SC 79 (Paris 1961). ___ Sur l'incomprehensibilite de Dieu [De incomp. 1-5], introd.J Danielou; text and notes A.-M. Malingrey; trans. R. Flaceliere, SC 28 bis (Paris 1951). Justin Martyr, St. The Writings ofJustin Martyr, trans. T. Falls, FOTC 6 (New York 1948). Marius Victorinus. Theological Treatises on the Trinity, trans. Sf. Mary Clark, FOTC 69 (Washington, D.C. 1981). Novatian. Novatian Presbyter: De trinitate, trans. R.J. Simone, FOTC 67 (Washington, D.C. 1974). Origen. Homilies on Genesis and Exodus, trans. R.E. Heine, FOTC 71 (Washington, D.C. 1982). Socrates. Historia ecclesiastica libri 7, PG 67.30-842 (Paris 1864). Sozomen. Historia ecclesiastica libri 9, PG 67.854-1630 (Paris 1864). Tertullian. Apologetical Works, trans. R Arbesmann et aI., FOTC 10 (New York 1950). ___ Treatises on Penance, trans. W.P. LeSaint, ACW 28 (Westminster, Md. 1959). Theodore of Mopsuestia. Les H omelies catechetiques de Theodore de M opsueste, ed. R Tonneau and R Devreesse, Studi e Testi 145 (Vatican City 1949). Theodoret. Haereticarum fabularum compendium, PG 83.335-556 (Paris 1864). Bible The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament and Apochrypha with an English Translation (London n.d.). Septuaginta, ed. A. Rahlfs, 2 vols. (Stuttgart 1935). The Jerusalem Bible, ed. A. Jones (Garden City, New York 1966). The New American Bible, trans. Members of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, sponsored by the Bishop's Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (Paterson, New Jersey 1970). Biblia sacra juxta vulgatae exemplaria, ed. A.C. Fillion, 8th ed. (Paris 1921). Novum testamentum graece et latine, ed. A. Merk, 7th ed. (Rome 1951). Novum testamentum graece, ed. K. Aland, M. Black, C. Martini, B. Metzger, A. Wilkgren, 26th ed (Stuttgart 1979). Brown, R.E., Fitzmyer, JA., Murphy, RE., ed. The Jerome Biblical Commentary (Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1968). Fuller, R.E.,Johnson, L., Kearns, C., ed. A New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London 1969).

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IX

McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible tMilwaukee 1965). Orchard, B., Sutcliffe, E., ed. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London 1953). Other Works Acta sanctorum, vol. 4 (Venice 1748). Albert, P. S.Jean Chrysostome considere comme orateur populaire (Paris 1858).

Amann, E. "Melece d'Antioche," DTC 10.1 520-31. Ammianus Marcellinus. Rerum gestarum libri29, 3 vols. trans. J Rolfe, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, Mass. 1939). Arendzen, JP. "Docetae," CE 5 70-72. _ _ "Ebionites," CE 5 242-44. _ _ "Gnosticism," CE 6 592-602. _ _ "Manichaeism" CE 9 591-97. _ _ "Marcionites," CE 9 645-49. Arndt, W. and Gingrich, F.W. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 4th ed. (Chicago 1952). Attwater, D. St. John Chrysostom (Milwaukee 1939). Aubineau, M. "Un nouveau 'Panegyricon Chrysostomien' pour les fetes fixes de l'annee liturgique," Analecta bollandiana 92 (1974) 79-96. Balducelli, R. "The Apostolic Origins of Clerical Continence: A Critical Appraisal of a New Book," Theological Studies 43 (1982) 693-705. Bardy, G. "St. Jean Chrysostome," DTC 8.1 660-90. _ _ "Justin (Saint)," DTC 8.2 2254-56. ___ "Manicheisme," DTC 9.2 1841-95. _ _ "Monarchianisme," DTC 10.22193-2209. _ _ "Montanisme," DTC 10.2 2355-70. _ _ "Paul de Samosate," DTC 12.1 46-51. _ _ Paul de Samosate (Louvain-Paris 1923). _ _ "Valentine," DTC 15.22497-2519. Bareille, G. "Docetes," DTC 4.2 1480-84. _ _ "Docetisme," DTC 4.2 1484-1501. _ _ "Eusebe de Nicomedie," DTC 5.2 1539-52. Barry, W. "Arianism," CE 1 707-10. _ _ "Arius," CE 1 718-19. Baur, C. "John Chrysostom," CE 8 452-57. _ _ John Chrysostom and His Time: Vol. 1 Antioch, Vol. 2 Constantinople, trans. Sister M. Gonzaga (Westminster, Md., 1960-61). ___ S. Jean Chrysostome et ses oeuvres dans l'histoire litteraire (Louvain 1907). Bertrans, F. Mystique de Jesus chez Origime (Paris 1951). Besse, J "Basile (Saint)," DTC 2.1 441-59. Bois, J "Constantinople (I" Concile de)," DTC 3.1 1227-31. Boularand, E. "Les Debuts d'Arius," Bulletin de litterature ecclesiastique 65 (1974) 175-203. Brightman, F.E., ed. Liturgies Eastern and Western, Vol. 1 (Oxford 1967). Brown, R.E. "Does the New Testament Call Jesus God?" Theological Studies 26 (1965) 545-73. ___ "The Pater Noster as an Eschatological Prayer," Theological Studies 22 (1961) 175-208. Burger, D.C. A Complete Bibliography of the Scholarship on the Life and Works of St. John Chrysostom (Evanston 1964).

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Butler, A. The Lives of the Saints, vol. 12, ed. H. Thurston and D. Attwater (London 1938). Campenhausen, H. von. The Fathers of the Greek Church, trans. S. Godman (New York 1955). Carnivet, P. "Meletian Schism," NCE 9 631. Carter, R.E. "The Chronology of St. John Chrysostom's Early Life," Traditio 18 (1962) 357-64. Cavallera, F. Le schisme d'Antioche (Paris 1905). Cayre, F. Manual ofPatrology and History of Theology, vol. I, trans. H. Howitt (Paris 1935). Chadwick, H. 'Justin Martyr, St." NCE 8 94-95. Chapman,]. "Monarchians," CE 10448-51. _ _ "Montanists," CE 10 521-24. _ _ "Paul of Samosata," CE 11 589-90. _ _ "Tertullian," CE 14 520-25. Clifford, C. "Acacius, Bishop of Caesarea," CE 1 81-82. _ _ "Athanasius, St.," NCE 1 996-99. Cochini, C. Origines apostoliques du dlibat sacerdotal (Paris 1981). Cross, F.L. The Early Christian Fathers (London 1960). Crouzel, H. "Origen and Origenism," NCE 767-74. _ _ Theologie de l'image de Dieu chez Origene (Paris 1955). Cummings, ].T. "Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint," NCE 6 791-94. Danielou,]. "L'incomprehensibilite de Dieu d'apres S.Jean Chrysostome," Recherches de science religieuse 37 (1950) 176-94. _ _ Origene (Paris 1948). De Clercq, V.C. "Acacius of Caesarea," NCE 1 62. ___ "Arianism," NCE 1 791-94. _ _ "Arius," NCE 1 814-15. _ _ "Eunomius of Constantinople," NCE 5 631. Delehaye, H. "Martyr et Confesseur," Analecta bollandiana 39 (1921) 20-49. _ _ Synaxarium ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae (Brussels 1902). Delehaye, H., ed. Acta sanctorum novum propylaeum (Brussels 1902). Delehaye, H. et al. Propylaeum ad acta sanctorum decembris (Brussels 1940). Devreesse, R. L'patriarchat d'Antioche (Paris 1945). Dodd, C.H. The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel (Cambridge, Eng. 1960). Dolger, F.J. "Das Segnen der Sinne mit der Eucharistie," Antike und Christentum 3 (1932) 231-44. Downey, G. A History of Antioch in Syria (Princeton 1961). ___ Antioch in the Age of Theodosius the Great (Norman, Okla. 1962). Dressler, H. "Irenaeus, St.," NCE 7 631-32. Duling, D.C. Jesus Christ Through History (New York 1979). Evans, E. Tertullian's Treatise against Praxeas (London 1948). Finegan,]. Lightfrom the Ancient Past 2nd ed. (Princeton N.]. 1959). Fritz, G. "Nicee (1