The Eternal Generation of the Son: The Christological Significance for Origen and Nicaea

In this article, I begin by outlining the development of the doctrine of the eternal generation in Origen and the resulting corollary of the eternal existence of creation. My focus then turns to the later Alexandrian tradition, whose unease with Origen’s understanding serves to introduce a discussion of Athanasius’s doctrine of the eternal generation, focused especially on his distinction between being and will and on the properly Christological orientation of his approach. Finally, I describe the resulting impact of the doctrine on the Christology of Nicaea. Through this investigation, I argue that, although Origen’s treatment exhibits significant shortcomings, the doctrine of the eternal generation served for both earlier (Origen) and later (Nicaea) Christology as the biblically ordained language through which the church was enabled to speak truly about the unity and distinction of the Father and Son, securing the status of the Son as equal in divinity with the Father while differentiating the two in ways that upheld biblical revelation.

“The Eternal Generation of the Son: The Christological Significance for Origen and Nicaea,” Crux 51 (2015): 13–23.