Review article

The Homoousios Theology of Basil of Ancyra

Drago Tukara ; Catholic Faculty of Theology in Đakovo, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Đakovo, Croatia

Abstract

The article is divided into two sections. The first section depicts the figure of Basil of Ancyra. The section is aimed at calling attention to his importance in all the different aspects of the events which occurred in the circles of theologians in merely one decade of the 4th century. It is an undisputed fact that, due to his intellectual and theological education, Basil of Ancyra was an active promoter of the theological impostations and, at the same time, the motivating force for further considerations related to Trinitarian theology. His agility and resourcefulness in given political and religious circumstances served as an appropriate sign to his friends and opponents on how to act to reach the goal. In theological thinking of the 4th century Basil himself was provoked by others; he would find himself in a situation where he had to use his theological viewpoint to react against the existing theological positions, either defined or in the process of being defined. Thus we can say that at one moment he is acting behind the scenes, but also becomes the most prominent figure of the ideas of the homoousios theology and accordingly a strong opponent to others.
In the second section the author brings to light the very homoousios theology. This theology can also be called ‘theology of middle-ground approach’, which, according to its positions, neither belongs to orthodox theology, nor to the extreme Arian stream. Hence it was necessary to depict the basic theological terms; their similarity and difference. The article exposes the biblical and non-biblical arguments in the campaign to define the relationship between the Father and the Son. In his homoousios theology Basil of Ancyra gives emphasis to the arguments that can be found in the Holy Scripture, which, taken in their explicit or broader sense, provide him with the justified reasons to fight against the others. The author of the article thus reveals the biblical substantiation of the homoousios theology.

Keywords

Basil of Ancyra; homoousios theology; homoousious; homoiousios; anomoios; relationship between the Father and the Son; birth; synod; Syrmium

Hrčak ID:

67249

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/67249

Publication date:

29.4.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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