Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Little Fall-outs - Article 5/39

5. OF THE HOLY GHOST
THE Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

The eastern Christian church would take comfort from the word 'orthodox' – believing the right things. The west from 'catholic' – being everywhere. It is amusing to think that these two statements are not contradictory. This door is white; no it's not, it's rectangular.

But little Article 5 is the point of contention. It is fascinating that some of the great divisions in the way the world now is show a change of language – from Before Christ to Anno Domini, English to Latin. No wonder academic communities are gradually educating us to the better model of BCE (Before the Common Era) and CE (take a wild guess).

So the two issues over the wording of the creeds behind this Article are expressed in different languages. The first in Greek – the homoousios (of one substance) problem. What is the commonality between the persons of the Trinity? Is there a hierarchy? What sort of equal are they? O'Donovan points to the priority of the Father as the one who loves; the one who sends the Son.

The second dispute is expressed this time in Latin – filioque (and the son). Does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father ('he will send another comforter') or from the Father 'and the Son' as the Article states?

On such matters do churches separate and indeed, divide. Suffice it to say that theologians care but at grass roots Christians around the country are trying to work out what we can do together before we worry about what separates us. Indeed we have found so many things we can do together here in this little corner of the south-west, that our minds are distracted from that which separates us. Perhaps that's how things are meant to be. Father Tom may not be able to administer bread and wine to me but to the extent that it means something, we cannot doubt that the two of us are in some sort of communion which makes us content.

What the Article is trying to do, and I hope we still try to do, is to make the highest possible acclamation of the divinity of the Spirit of God (sometimes even called the 'Spirit of Jesus' in Acts). If somehow, mysteriously, the Spirit can be sent to dwell in humankind, and that spirit is the Spirit of God, how could it be any less divine than God? Separate, yet one. It is expressing that which causes all the trouble. Better to try and live it.

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