The main trends in the understanding of divine providence in the works of church thinkers of the IVth and Vth centuries

The author focuses on the main trends in the understanding of divine providence in the works of church thinkers of the IVth and Vth centuries. The holy fathers of this period continue the traditions of ante-Nicene theology, distancing the Christian understanding of the providence from pagan concepts. During this period, we find criticism of astrological fatalism, the epicurean denial of divine providence, and Aristotle’s concept of limited providence. The author suggests a correlation between three main Christological solutions and three main paradigms of the understanding of divine providence in the ancient philosophy. The study shows that one can find the following key lines in the development of the providence doctrine in the patristic writings of the period: Trinitarian, pastoral, exegetical and philosophical-anthropological.