St. Augustine of Hippo's Trinitarian theology is Nicene and
emphasizes three themes: divine transcendence, a Christological
epistemology, and a theology of ascent and deification. The Augustinian
notion of Christological participation is a promising starting point for
dialogue amongst contemporary Catholic and Orthodox theologians. While
many Thomists and followers of Lossky may balk at this notion
(preferring to emphasize either participation in the divine essence or
divine energies) two well respected contemporaries have advanced similar
positions on Christological participation. This short communication
focuses on the appraisal of the Trinitarian theologies of Giles Emery,
O.P, and Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon. The common ground
between Augustine (and Nicene orthodoxy at large), Emery, and Zizioulas
can become the fecund foundation for rapprochement. It is in the
hypostasis of Christ that the Christian learns of God and participates
in his divinity. It is through Christ, that man is deified. The ontology
of personhood as developed in St. Thomas Aquinas' commentary on the
Sentences and Zizioulas' theology can serve as the basis for new
metaphysical and systematic speculation on what being a "person" means.
Because Zizioulas normally relies on the theology of the Cappadocians as
his Patristic foundation, Augustine will have a special place in
helping bridge the gap between the Thomistic theology of Emery (founded
largely on Augustinianism) and the Eastern theology dependent on
Augustine's Eastern counterparts.
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