3 - 4 pm (CET)

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Christoph Markschies (BBAW)

Two very different forms of reflection of ancient Christianity have sought to think about what was before all time. In an exoteric theory of principles, presented in the form of a myth, the students of the urban Roman christian author Ptolemy in the last third of the second century attempted to describe an inner divine development before all time. The Alexandrian presbyter Arius, in the first third of the fourth century, also attempted to conceptualize an inner-divine development before all time with the oft-quoted formula ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν. This Chronoi Talk will first attempt to reconstruct the initial intention and the substantive point of both descriptive views. Then it will be shown how, for heresiological reasons, both views are deliberately misunderstood and what linguistic means (e.g., in the translation of ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν) are used to do so. Finally, it will be claimed that the idea to describe developments before all time necessarily leads into certain logical problems, and that these problems do not arise only from the sharp disputes about the right faith.

The recording of this talk will be uploaded soon, please check back for updates.