Exodus of Metaphysics: Two Paradigms of Patristic Philosophy
The article deals with patristic philosophy, which includes two fundamental paradigms underlying the eastern and western branches of Christianity. According to the paradigm of identity (Western tradition), essence and properties are identical in God. This leads to the concept of absolute divine simplicity. According to the paradigm of difference (Eastern tradition), the essence is fundamentally different from any kind of predication. This leaves the essence in situation of the complete ontological uncertainty. The paper presents the historical and philosophical foundations of these paradigms, as well as their role in the modern philosophical theology. In particular, the article shows that criticism of Alvin Plantinga relates only to the paradigm of identity and does not apply to the paradigm of difference.