The pneumatic dimension of the christology of the Greek Fathers

This article by Michel Stavrou, drawn from a paper delivered at the Pro Oriente Foundation symposium in Vienna in 2001, examines the pneumatic dimension of Christology in the Greek Fathers. The study adopts a historical and theological approach, surveying the patristic traditions from Irenaeus of Lyon to the Byzantine theologians of the fourteenth century. The central idea is that the Christology of the Greek Fathers cannot be separated from a reflection on the Holy Spirit: the two complementary movements — Christ giving the Spirit and the Spirit constituting Christ — reflect a fundamental intra-Trinitarian reciprocity. The article sheds decisive light on the Filioque controversy, showing that the Latin formula would benefit from being interpreted as a Per Filium, and draws direct consequences for ecclesiology, soteriology, and contemporary ecumenical dialogue.