Irenaeus of Lyons and the Theology of the Holy Spirit

264 Pages·2012·1.27 MB·English

by  Anthony Briggman

OXFORD EARLY CHRISTIAN STUDIES
GeneralEditors
GillianClark AndrewLouth
THE OXFORD EARLY CHRISTIAN STUDIES series includes scholarly
volumesonthethoughtandhistoryoftheearlyChristiancenturies.Covering
awiderangeofGreek,Latin,andOrientalsources,thebooksareofinterestto
theologians, ancient historians, and specialists in the classical and Jewish
worlds.
Titlesintheseriesinclude:
PossidiusofCalama
AStudyoftheNorthAfricanEpiscopateintheAgeofAugustine
EricaT.Hermanowicz(2008)
JustinianandtheMakingoftheSyrianOrthodoxChurch
VolkerL.Menze(2008)
TheChristocentricCosmologyofStMaximustheConfessor
TorsteinTheodorTollefsen(2008)
Augustine’sTextofJohn
PatristicCitationsandLatinGospelManuscripts
H.A.G.Houghton(2008)
HilaryofPoitiersontheTrinity
FromDeFidetoDeTrinitate
CarlL.Beckwith(2008)
TheEasterComputusandthe
OriginsoftheChristianEra
AldenA.Mosshammer(2008)
TheLettersofJerome
Asceticism,BiblicalExegesis,andthe
ConstructionofChristianAuthorityinLateAntiquity
AndrewCain(2009)
BasilofCaesarea,GregoryofNyssa,andthe
TransformationofDivineSimplicity
AndrewRadde-Gallwitz(2009)
TheAsceticismofIsaacofNineveh
PatrikHagman(2010)
PalladiusofHelenopolis
TheOrigenistAdvocate
DemetriosS.Katos(2011)
OrigenandScripture
TheContoursoftheExegeticalLife
PeterMartens(2012)
Irenaeus of Lyons and
the Theology of the
Holy Spirit
ANTHONY BRIGGMAN
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,OxfordOX26DP
OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship,
andeducationbypublishingworldwidein
Oxford NewYork
Auckland CapeTown DaresSalaam HongKong Karachi
KualaLumpur Madrid Melbourne MexicoCity Nairobi
NewDelhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto
Withofficesin
Argentina Austria Brazil Chile CzechRepublic France Greece
Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore
SouthKorea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam
OxfordisaregisteredtrademarkofOxfordUniversityPress
intheUKandincertainothercountries
PublishedintheUnitedStates
byOxfordUniversityPressInc.,NewYork
#AnthonyBriggman2012
Themoralrightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted
DatabaserightOxfordUniversityPress(maker)
Firstpublished2012
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,
withoutthepriorpermissioninwritingofOxfordUniversityPress,
orasexpresslypermittedbylaw,orundertermsagreedwiththeappropriate
reprographicsrightsorganization.Enquiriesconcerningreproduction
outsidethescopeoftheaboveshouldbesenttotheRightsDepartment,
OxfordUniversityPress,attheaddressabove
Youmustnotcirculatethisbookinanyotherbindingorcover
andyoumustimposethesameconditiononanyacquirer
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Dataavailable
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Dataavailable
TypesetbySPIPublisherServices,Pondicherry,India
PrintedinGreatBritain
onacid-freepaperby
MPGBooksGroup,BodminandKing’sLynn
ISBN 978–0–19–964153–6
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
For Kelly
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgements
Finishingabookisahappymoment,notleastbecauseitprovidesanoppor-
tunity to recognize those who have made the completion of this project and
thepreservationofmysanitypossible.Theexpressionsofgratitudecontained
inthesewordsarethesmallesttokenofmyappreciation.
This book is a revised and expanded version of the doctoral dissertation
IwroteatMarquetteUniversity,directedbyMichelBarnes.Imustfirstthank
theDepartmentofTheologyandthePresident’sCounciloftheUniversityfor
conferring two research fellowships to support this project: a Dissertation
Fellowship and a Rev. John P. Raynor, S.J., Fellowship. I greatly appreciate
thefinancialsupporttheyprovided,butevenmore,Iwasencouragedduring
thewritingprocessbytheregardthatledtotheawards.
My time at Marquette was marked by encounters with kind and generous
people.Myprofessorsnotonlyexcelledintheclassroom,butalsogavemuch
timeoutside theclassroom toanswer myquestions. Theirpersonal attention
to my interests and concerns made the study of theology a pleasurable and
rewarding task. My fellow students also made doctoral studies a pleasant
occupation. I think in particular of Mike Harris, Dan Lloyd, and Mike
Novak, with whom I spent time in class and out, though not as much as
timeoutofclassasIwouldhaveliked.
Five faculty members of the Theology Department consented to read and
evaluate this work in its dissertation form. I would like to thank Michel
Barnes, Ralph Del Colle, Deirdre Dempsey (who kindly agreed to fill in for
another board member), Alexander Golitzin, and William Kurz for the time
they invested in considering this study. I am particularly grateful to William
KurzandDeirdreDempsey,withwhomIhadnotstudiedbefore.Thispresent
versionbenefitsfromtheirkeenquestionsanderuditecomments.
This study is either informed by or contains research done under the
direction of Michel Barnes, Ralph Del Colle, Alexander Golitzin, and Andrei
Orlov.Iamthankfulfortheexpertisethateachofthesescholarsbroughttothis
materialandthewayinwhichtheyhaveguidedmyownunderstandingofit.
SusanBarnes,formerManagingEditorofCUAPress,readandcritiqueda
large portion of the first chapter in an effort to help me improve my writing
style. Readers of the present form of this material will never know just how
valuable her comments were. Lewis Ayres has read portions of this book at
variousintervals,includingtheentireworkinitspenultimateform.Thistext
anditsreadersbenefitfromhisperceptivecriticismsandsuggestions.Whether
in reading parts of this study for various presses or in offering professional
guidanceandwisdom,hiskindness andgenerosityhavebeen unfailing.Iam
grateful.
viii Acknowledgements
IamhonoredthatAndrewLouthandGillianClarkhavechosentopublish
this study in the prestigious series Oxford Early Christian Studies. Their
meticulous reading and astute comments and questions do them credit and
ensure the continuing significance of the series. At Oxford, Tom Perridge
kindly entertained my questions and saw this work through the acceptance
process with remarkable facility, while Tessa Eaton and Anne Leask ably
directeditsproduction.
MyrelationshipwithMichelBarnesbeganwithmyfirstdayofcoursework
at Marquette. He first served as my instructor in a course on Tertullian and
Irenaeus(thebeginningofmyfascinationwiththeBishopofLyons),thenas
myadvisorandinstructorofseveralmorecourses,andlastlyasthedirectorof
mydissertation.Inmanyways,thisstudyisanextensionofhisownresearch
thathegenerouslysharedwithme,amongothers,longbeforeitspublication.
IhavelearnedmanythingsfromMichel,includingtheimportanceoffoodto
a sound pedagogy, but I value nothing more than the friendship developed
overtheyears.
I suppose that some in-laws are not supportive when their son-in-law
decides to go back to school, but that has never been the case with Glenn
andShannonKurtz.Theirrespectformystudiesandencouragementhasbeen
unfailingandIamgrateful.IwouldnotbewhereIamnowwereitnotformy
own parents, David and Maria Briggman. Their different personalities and
interests have shaped my own, including my interest in both history and
theology.Iamthankfulfortheloveandsupportthateachofthemhasgiven
me.
Our daughter Katherine was born while I was writing the fourth chapter.
As a result, much of the second half of this work was written amidst sleep
deprivation,duringhernaps,andatobscenelyearlyhoursofthemorning—all
ofwhichwaswipedfrommymindbyjustoneofKate’ssmiles.Shehasbeen
thesourceofimmensejoyasonlyachildcanbe.Thesecondhalfofthisbook
waswrittenbyamoretiredbutmuchhappierfather.
AfewlinescannotbegintoexpressmygratitudeformywifeKelly.Without
hersupportandencouragementIwouldnothavebegunmydoctoralstudies
and I certainly would not have completed this project. I am blessed to have
married my best friend; she is the best person I know. Thank you for
everything,especiallyyourlove.Thisbookisasmuchyoursasitismine.
Portions of this book have appeared previously in press, in revised forms,
as ‘Measuring Justin’s Approach to the Spirit: Trinitarian Conviction and
BinitarianOrientation,’VC63(2009):107–37;‘TheHolySpiritastheUnction
ofChristinIrenaeus,’JTS61(2010):171–93;‘DatingIrenaeus’Acquisitionof
Theophilus’ Correspondence To Autolycus: A Pneumatological Perspective,’
SP45(2010):397–402;‘Re-evaluatingAngelomorphisminIrenaeus:TheCase
ofProof10,’JTS61(2010):583–95;andas‘RevisitingIrenaeus’Philosophical
Acumen,’VC65(2011):115–24.
Contents
Abbreviations xii
Preface xiv
Introduction 1
1. JustinMartyrandthePneumatologyoftheMid-SecondCentury 9
1.1 TrinitarianConvictions 11
1.2 IndistinctActivityofSpiritandWord:Binitarianismin
ConflictwithTrinitarianism 14
1.2.1 RebukingthePeopleofGod 14
1.2.2 TheMechanismofPrayer 15
1.2.3 AdorningtheMind 16
1.2.4 TheInspirationofProphecy 18
1.3 Spirit-Christologyin1Apol33andDial87–88:
TheSubordinationofTrinitarianConvictiontoBinitarian
Orientation 21
1.3.1 TheIncarnation 23
1.3.2 TheBestowalofSpiritualGifts 25
2. TheBeginningofaPneumatology 32
2.1 AgainstHeresies1 32
2.1.1 TheSpiritasCreator 32
2.2 AgainstHeresies2 37
2.2.1 TheDivinityoftheHolySpirit 38
2.2.1.1 TheDistinctionoftheWordandSpiritfromHumanity 38
2.2.1.2 TheDistinctionoftheWordandSpirit 40
2.2.2 TheCreatorGodasSpirit 41
3. PneumatologicalExpansion 46
3.1 Pentecost 46
3.2 The‘PillarandSupport’oftheChurch 51
3.3 TheWingedSpirit 53
4. TheEmergenceandDevelopmentofFoundationalThemes 59
4.1 TheUnctionofChrist 59
4.1.1 TheAnointingofJesus’HumanitybytheSpirit 61
4.1.2 TheEffectoftheAnointingbytheSpirit 66
4.1.2.1 TheAnointingSpiritistheHolySpirit 67