The teaching of Denis Péteau on sanctification

Petr Ivanovich Bylico PhD in theology, associate professor, The Orthodox Institute of Religion studies and Church Arts (15 linia Vasilievskogo Ostrova, dom 2, St. Petersburg, Russia, 199034), IvanBulyko@yandex.ru

Bylico P. I. The teaching of Denis Péteau on sanctification, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2015, vol. 4, pp. 18–33.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2015-00002

Language: Russian

The article studies a scholastic theaching of Denis Pétau whose theology deals with the question of sanctification of a man. The author gives an accurate account of his viewpoints. According to Peteau, sanctification is the exceptional property of the Holy Spirit. This statement is grounded in the specifics of the latter among other Persons of the Holy Trinity. Spirit is substantially present in souls of men. Denis Pétau sees such inhabitation as a New Testament reality. Although the righteous of the Old Testament was also given by the Holy Spirit, it wasn’t His visible mission. Speaking on sanctification, the theologian makes reference to Cyril of Alexandria, who used the term “ousiados’’ to signify ounion of the Divine and human natures. Denis Pétau tries to extend this principle, explaining union between God’s and man`s souls, but faces some difficulties, that are also analysed in the article.
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Key words: sanctification, Holy Spirit, substantial union, filiation, justification, Gift, Divine missions, created grace, Uncreated Grace, soul

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/bylico-i-p-2015-en/

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