Abstract
I argue that the classical doctrine of the eternal processions (CDEP) is inconsistent with the doctrine of creation ex nihilo (DCEN). More specifically, I argue that the metaphysical entailments of each doctrine are inconsistent with one another. According to the CDEP, God must be atemporal and immutable to avoid entailing some sort of ontological subordination obtaining between the Son and Spirit to the Father. On classical understandings of immutability, and thus atemporality, God experiences no change whatsoever, be that change intrinsic or extrinsic. According to the DCEN, there is a state of affairs in which God exists without the universe, and there exists a state of affairs in which God exists with the universe, entailing – at minimum that God extrinsically changes. As a result, the CDEP and the DCEN are inconsistent with one another and cannot both be affirmed within the same coherent theological system. One of the two, or both, should be rejected.
Zusammenfassung
Ich argumentiere, dass die klassische Lehre von den ewigen Hervorbringungen (CDEP) mit der Lehre von der Creatio ex nihilo (DCEN) unvereinbar ist. Genauer gesagt, argumentiere ich, dass die metaphysischen Folgerungen beider Lehren nicht miteinander vereinbar sind. Nach dem CDEP muss Gott atemporal und unveränderlich sein, um zu vermeiden, dass eine Art ontologische Unterordnung des Sohnes und des Geistes unter den Vater entsteht. Nach dem klassischen Verständnis der Unveränderlichkeit und damit der Atemporalität erfährt Gott keinerlei Veränderung, sei sie nun inhärent oder extrinsisch. Nach dem DCEN gibt es einen Zustand, in dem Gott ohne das Universum existiert, und einen Zustand, in dem Gott mit dem Universum existiert, was zumindest zur Folge hat, dass Gott sich extrinsisch verändert. Infolgedessen sind der CDEP und der DCEN miteinander unvereinbar und können nicht beide innerhalb desselben kohärenten theologischen Systems bejaht werden. Eine der beiden, oder beide, sollten abgelehnt werden.
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