Abstract:
The aim of this article is to demonstrate how Systematic
Theology in the third millennium utilises facets from the legacy of the Cappadocian fathers.
The focal point is the influence on present-day Trinitarian theology. Aspects which are
discussed include matters of metaphysics, philosophy, morality and spirituality. The influence
of the legacy of the Cappadocian fathers concerns the challenge which diversity and plurality
create in systematic theology. This legacy is explored by means of the ‘lived experiences’ of the
life stories of the Cappadocians. These narratives illustrate a shift from the ‘impersonal’ to the
‘personal’, from ‘disengaged abstraction’ to ‘relational participation’. The latter is referred to
as ‘a pastoral doctrine of the Trinity’ by Paul S. Fiddes. The emphasis on ‘economical ontology’
confirms the Cappadocians’ relevance for a present-day ethical discourse and the ‘aesthetics
of a feeling for the Other’.
