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Cyril of Alexandria developed an intriguing conception of the Spirit as the "fragrance" of God. The Spirit is "a living and active fragrance from the substance of God, a fragrance that transmits to the creature that which comes from God and ensures participation in the substance which is above all substances." This is both a Trinitarian point, and a soteriological one: by the indwelling Spirit we begin to give off the "aroma" of God. As we offer ourselves in living sacrifice through the Spirit, our aroma is well-pleasing. Lots of great spin-offs are possible here.
Another quotation: "If in effect the fragrance of aromatic plants impregnates clothing with its own virtue and in some way transforms into itself that in which it finds itself, how does the Spirit not have the power, since it issues from God by nature, to give by itself to those in which it finds itself the communication of the divine nature?"
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 at 05:45 PM
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