first three of his kinds of being are derived indirectly from Aristotle's moving-not-moved,
moving-and-moved, moved-but-not-moving. The fourth kind of being in John's system, that
which neither creates nor is created, is derived from the doctrine of Dionysius, that all things
return into God.
The unorthodoxy of John the Scot is evident from the above summary. His pantheism, which
refuses substantial reality to creatures, is contrary to Christian doctrine. His interpretation of the
creation out of "nothing" is not such as any prudent theologian could accept. His Trinity, which
closely resembles that of Plotinus, fails to preserve the equality of the Three Persons, although
he tries to safeguard himself on this point. His independence of mind is shown by these
heresies, and is astonishing in the ninth century. His Neoplatonic outlook may perhaps have
been common in Ireland, as it was among the Greek Fathers of the fourth and fifth centuries. It
may be that, if we knew more about Irish Christianity from the fifth to the ninth century, we
should find him less surprising. On the other hand, it may be that most of what is heretical in
him is to be attributed to the influence of the pseudo-Dionysius, who, because of his supposed
connection with Saint Paul, was mistakenly believed to be orthodox.
His view of creation as timeless is, of course, also heretical, and compels him to say that the
account in Genesis is allegorical. Paradise and the fall are not to be taken literally. Like all
pantheists, he has difficulties about sin. He holds that man was originally without sin, and when
he was without sin he was without distinction of sex. This, of course, contradicts the statement
"male and female created he them." According to John, it was only as the result of sin that
human beings were divided into male and female. Woman embodies man's sensuous and fallen
nature. In the end, distinction of sex will again disappear, and we shall have a purely spiritual
body. * Sin consists in misdirected will, in falsely supposing something good which is not so.
Its punishment is natural; it consists in discovering the vanity of sinful desires. But punishment
is not eternal. Like Origen, John holds that even the devils will be saved at last, though later
than other people.
* Contrast Saint Augustine.