Different strategies of the Greek Fathers against the pneumatomachians

Abstract

Different sources describe the theology of the Pneumatomachians or Macedo­nians in the 4th century. They shared with the Arians the negation of the divinity of the Holy Spirit but were in disagreement with them about the Son. Different Greek Fathers wrote different answers and the study of their strategies seems of interest to better understand the heresy itself and its varieties. Epiphanius of Salamis, both in Ancoratus 65, 1 - 73, 9 and in Panarion 54 (74), presents a description of the Pneumatomachian heresy with a series of arguments to counter it. Equally impor­tant seem the Dialogi duo contra Macedonianos (PG 28, 1291-1338), transmitted in Athanasius’ Corpus, later attributed to Didymus, and still of discussed author­ship. The comparison of these different works on the background of Cappadocian pneumatology, in particular Basil’s De Spiritu Sancto and Gregory of Nyssa’s Adversus Macedonianos, may offer interesting insights from both the historical and theological perspective.