Date of Award
1990
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Theology
First Advisor
Joseph T. Lienhard
Second Advisor
Patrick W. Casey
Third Advisor
Ronald J. Fienstra
Fourth Advisor
William J. Kelly
Abstract
It has generally been assumed by historical theologians that there was no significant development in the theology of the Holy Spirit until after the question concerning the Son's relationship to the Father had been dogmatically defined at the Council of Nicaea (325). Recent historical scholarship has called into question the adequacy of viewing the Council of Nicaea as the historical and doctrinal pivot point that earlier generations of scholars thought it was. This calls for a renewal of studies of the theology of the fourth century in general and the theology of the Holy Spirit in particular.
One of the key bishops at the Council of Nicaea was Eusebius of Caesarea (born A. D. 260, died A. D. 339). Historians of theology have tended to pass over the study of Eusebius' theology—assuming either that Eusebius was a historian, not a theologian, or that his theology simply reproduced the thinking of Origen. With the renewal of studies in fourth century theology has come a new understanding of Eusebius as a theologian in his own right and a new interest in what Eusebius' theology was.
One area of Eusebius' theology that has been neglected is his theology of the Holy Spirit. This dissertation seeks to address that lack and so contribute both to the new understanding of Eusebius of Caesarea the theologian and to the study of the development of the theology of the Holy Spirit.