Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto

On September 7, 374 St Basil “the Great”, Bishop of Caesarea, was praying
with his people and glorifying the Holy Trinity in two related but distinct
ways:

(1) “Glory to the Father together with the Son and together with the Holy
Ghost [Holy Spirit]; (compare “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].”)

(2) “Glory to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.”

Some people there accused him of being illogical and contradictory in his
speech by using the two doxologies.

After pondering what they said and their reasons Basil decided to write a
treatise to explain that both doxologies are scriptural and orthodox and
necessary. Thus we have his book, “Treatise on the Holy Spirit.”

We may say that (1) is a coordinating doxology and is intimately connected
to the Great Commission of Jesus [Matthew 28] where he teaches that we are
to be baptized in “the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.” The use of the conjunction “with” or “and” places the Three
together on the same divine plane as Three Equals, related in a distinct
order, with the Father first in order. And each of the Three receives the
same glory as the other Two for each of the Three possesses the one and the
same identical Godhead/divine nature.

We may say that (2) is a statement of the logic of Christian worship,
prayer, service and consecration, which we find stated in many ways in the
New Testament and expressed in the great Liturgies of the Church. All is
offered to the Father through the one mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ who is
the Son of the Father, and in the Holy Spirit [in his presence and by his
power]. All is so offered because all [creation, redemption etc] has
previously come from the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit

Further we may say that (1) points to God as God is in Himself and unto
Himself as a Trinity of Persons in His own infinity and eternity (what
theologians have called “the Immanent Trinity’) while (2) points to God as
He has made Himself known in the work of creation, salvation, reconciliation
and redemption (what theologians have called “the Economic Trinity”).

Now the two forms of the doxology are needed in the one Church to be used by
all in order to preserve orthodox Christian understanding of God as The Holy
Trinity. If (1) stands alone then the Trinity can seem to be a doctrine
that has no practical application to Christian life on earth for God in his
Trinitarian bliss is remote. In contrast, if (2) stands alone then it may be
interpreted (as did the ancient Arians and Semi-Arians) as meaning that the
divinity of the Holy Spirit is an inferior kind to that of the Son and the
divinity of the Son is of an inferior kind to that of the Father.

In terms of the history of salvation [heilsgeschichte] as we find it set
forth in the Canon of the Old and New Testaments, we may say with Bishop
Gregory of Nazianzus, a friend of Bishop Basil, that the divinity of the
Father is revealed and recognized by the Old Testament, that the divinity of
the Son is revealed and recognized by the New Testament, and the divinity of
the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] while revealed in the New Testament is only
fully recognized when the same Spirit is present and active in the Church of
God. Thus the full confession of the Holy Trinity and the conscious and
systematic giving of glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Ghost [Holy Spirit] occurs after the period of the New Testament.

Perhaps modern charismatic Christians who rejoice in the presence of the
Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) and in the gifts and assurance he brings to God’s
people would benefit from pondering, meditating, and contemplating the
relation of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) to the Father and to the Son in
these two doxologies and the exposition of the same in “The Treatise on the
Holy Spirit” by St. Basil.

The Rev’d Dr. Peter Toon August 6, 2001