79. Christ's Conception and the Active Principle of the Holy Spirit

Summary

This lecture examines Thomas Aquinas’s theology of Christ’s conception, focusing on whether the Holy Spirit should be attributed as the active principle of the incarnation. Berquist explores the distinction between the work being common to the Trinity while being appropriated to the Holy Spirit, the preposition ‘of’ (de) in ‘conceived of the Holy Spirit,’ and addresses objections regarding the proper causality involved. The lecture also discusses whether Christ should be said to be ’tithed’ in Abraham and the implications for understanding Christ’s relationship to original sin.

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Active Principle of Christ’s Conception #

The conception of Christ’s body is a work of the entire Trinity, but is appropriated to the Holy Spirit specifically
This appropriation follows the pattern in the Apostles’ Creed: creation attributed to the Father, sanctification to the Holy Spirit
Three theological reasons justify this appropriation:
1. Love: The incarnation flows from God’s maximal love, which is appropriated to the Holy Spirit as the Love of Father and Son
2. Grace: Human nature’s assumption is purely gratuitous (not merited); grace is appropriated to the Holy Spirit
3. Sanctification and Sonship: The incarnation aims at making the assumed man holy and the Son of God, both appropriated to the Holy Spirit

The Preposition ‘Of’ (De) in ‘Conceived of the Holy Spirit’ #

The preposition de can designate two different relations:
1. Relation to bodily substance: The body is not consubstantial to the Holy Spirit, so more properly “ex Spiritu Sancto” (from the Holy Spirit)
2. Relation to the person assumed: The Son is consubstantial to the Holy Spirit, allowing use of “de Spiritu Sancto” (of the Holy Spirit)
Both prepositions are acceptable: the Nicene Creed uses ex in Greek; the Apostles’ Creed uses “by” in English
Ambrose distinguishes: what is ex quo (from) is either from substance or from power
- The Son proceeds ex substantia from the Father
- All creatures proceed ex power from God
- Mary’s body received its matter ex the Holy Spirit in this sense

The Role of the Holy Spirit vs. Other Divine Persons #

To the Father is attributed authority and origin with respect to the Son’s assumption
To the Son is attributed the assumption of flesh itself
To the Holy Spirit is attributed the formation of the body assumed
The angel’s words clarify the roles:
- “The Holy Spirit will come upon you” = preparing and forming matter
- “The power of the Most High will overshadow you” = the divine power (Christ) will overshadow the body with divinity, as incorporeal light casts shadow through body

The Holy Spirit as Efficient Cause, Not Seed #

Against the heretical view: The Holy Spirit does not function as seed (containing bodily substance that is transformed)
Correct view: The Holy Spirit functions as efficient cause forming the body through divine power and virtue
Jerome’s position (that the Holy Spirit is not the seed) is reconciled with Chrysostom and Damascene:
- If “seed” means active power, then the Holy Spirit (and the Son as Power of the Most High) can be compared to seed
- If “seed” means bodily substance transformed in conception, then the Holy Spirit is not seed—Jerome’s point stands

Objections and Responses #

Objection 1: The work is common to the Trinity; why attribute it to the Holy Spirit alone?

Response: The work is common but appropriated to the Holy Spirit to manifest His particular attributes (love, grace, sanctification)

Objection 2: The active principle in generation is the one giving seed; the Holy Spirit gives no seed, so should not be called the active principle

Response: The Holy Spirit acts as efficient cause through divine power and virtue, not through seed. The distinction between active and passive principles applies differently in divine and human generation.

Objection 3: If Christ is conceived of the Holy Spirit, there must be a commingling of the Holy Spirit with matter, which is false

Response: The preposition de designates two relations simultaneously: efficient causality (to the body) and consubstantiality (to the person), not commingling

Key Arguments #

Why Appropriation Is Necessary #

Scripture and Tradition use language suggesting the Holy Spirit’s special role (Luke 1:35: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you”)
Yet the Trinity acts as one in all external works (undivided is the work as undivided is the essence)
Solution: Appropriation manifests which divine attribute is most fitting to the work

Why the Holy Spirit Is Not the Father #

The question is whether the Holy Spirit should be called father of Christ (as an efficient principle)
Thomas’s answer: No
Reasoning:
- Fatherhood in generation requires both active causality AND likeness of species
- The Holy Spirit has neither:
  - No likeness of species to Christ’s body (Spirit is not corporeal)
  - No perfect notion of sonship (Christ’s perfect sonship is from eternal generation, not from formation)
- The Virgin is called mother because she supplies matter of the same species (human matter for human body)

Important Definitions #

Appropriation (appropriatio): The attribution of a divine work (common to the Trinity) to one person to manifest a particular divine attribute or perfection
De vs. Ex:
- De suggests relation of consubstantiality or formal relation
- Ex suggests relation of efficient causality or material derivation
Efficient cause (causa efficiens): The power or agent that produces an effect; the Holy Spirit acts this way in forming Christ’s body
Passive principle: The receptive capacity in matter that makes a transformation natural; Mary’s body provided this through the generative power
Active principle: The generative power that actively forms or shapes matter into a new being
Seed (semen): Either active power for generation or the bodily substance transformed in conception (two senses causing confusion)

Examples & Illustrations #

On the Distinction Between Active and Passive Principles #

In generation of animals, the male provides active principle (seed); female provides passive principle (matter)
In plants, both active and passive powers are mixed, so no distinction of male/female
In art, the carpenter prepares wood (passive); the sculptor induces form (active)
In Christ’s conception, the Virgin’s generative power prepares matter; the Holy Spirit supernaturally forms it

On the Two Senses of ‘Seed’ #

Sense 1 - Active Power: “The Holy Spirit as seed” = the Holy Spirit as active generative power (Chrysostom and Damascene’s position)
Sense 2 - Bodily Substance: “The Holy Spirit as seed” = false, since the Holy Spirit is not bodily substance (Jerome’s position)
Thomas’s Resolution: Both are correct when the ambiguous term is clarified

The Overshadowing Analogy #

The angel says: “The power of the Most High will overshadow you”
Overshadow: Just as incorporeal light becomes visible through casting shadow on a body, so divinity (incorporeal) becomes visible through the human body assumed
This illustrates how the divine Son assumes a human body, not by commingling but by personal union

Notable Quotes #

“The work of conception is common to the whole trinity, nevertheless, according to some way, it is attributed to individual persons.”

“To the father is attributed authority, right? The origin, with respect to the person of the son. To the son is attributed the assumption of the flesh. But to the Holy Spirit, the formation of the body, which is assumed by the son.”

“Just as the power of the soul, which is in the seed, forms the body in the generation of other men. So the power of God, which is the son… through the Holy Spirit, formed the body that he assumed.”

“What is exotic quo, right? It’s either from the substance or from its power. From the substance has the Son who is from the Father. But from the power has from God all things.”

Questions Addressed #

Q1: Should the effecting of Christ’s conception be attributed to the Holy Spirit rather than the Father or Son? #

A: The work is common to the Trinity, but it is appropriated (attributed for theological purposes) to the Holy Spirit to manifest the divine attributes of love, grace, and sanctification

Q2: Can Christ properly be said to be “conceived of the Holy Spirit” (de Spiritu Sancto)? #

A: Yes. The preposition de designates two relations: (1) the efficient causality of the Holy Spirit to the body, and (2) the consubstantiality of the Son to the Holy Spirit. Both senses are present in the statement, making it suitable.

Q3: What is the difference between Jerome’s position and that of Chrysostom and Damascene regarding the Holy Spirit as ‘seed’? #

A: The apparent disagreement dissolves when “seed” is clarified: if it means active power, the Holy Spirit is correctly called seed; if it means bodily substance, the Holy Spirit is not seed. Both are true in their respective senses.

Q4: Should the Holy Spirit be called the Father of Christ according to the flesh? #

A: No. Fatherhood requires both active causality and likeness of species. The Holy Spirit provides efficient causality but lacks likeness of species to Christ’s body and does not generate Christ in the perfect sense (which derives from eternal generation). Therefore, the titles are: the Son is from the Father eternally; the body is formed by the Holy Spirit; the Virgin is mother because she supplies matter of the same species.

Q5: Does the commingling of the Holy Spirit with matter occur in the conception? #

A: No. The preposition de does not imply physical commingling. Rather, it designates the relation of efficient causality (the Holy Spirit as agent) to the body and the relation of consubstantiality (the Son as person) to the divine persons.