THE DOCTRINE OF SAINT BASIL THE GREAT'S ABOUT DISTINCTION BETWEEN ESSENCE AND ENERGY

Abstract

The doctrine Saint Basil the Great's about distinction between God's essence and God's energy which has arisen in the course of long-term fight of Saint Basil against the heresy of Arius is researched in this article. The basic principle of the heresy of Arius is that God the Son is not born, but only created by God the Father. God the Son is the original creation, and, therefore, there is not God. The doctrine Saint Basil the Great's arises, strictly speaking, as reaction to heresy of Evnomy who was the most radical follower of Arius. According to Evnomy, the Son isn't similar in anything to the Father and, therefore, the essence of the Son isn't similar to essence of God Father. God is entirely known and there is absolutely simple. To connect absolute not cognoscibility of God to cognoscibility of God, complexity and plurality of God to absolute simplicity of God, Saint Basil allocates two conditions of existence of God, namely: existence "in essence" and existence "out of essence". Saint Basil separates God's essence from God's numerous actions and properties as which he understands energy. God's essence is entirely not learned, but God is learned on the numerous actions and energy.  God's essence is absolutely simple, but God is difficult and diverse on the numerous actions.