Both the Catholic and Orthodox Church have been debating an issue called the Filioque for centuries. Basically the Orthodox Church claims that the Catholic Church has innovated in saying that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son(Filioque in Latin). This caused a small controversy in the 7th century but erupted in the 9th century with a guy named Photios of Constantinople. Today the Orthodox Church reveres him as a Saint and Pillar of Orthodoxy while the Catholic Church doesn’t think much of him. Photios wrote a book called Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit which argues against the Filioque doctrine.
Orthodox scholar John Meyendorff says the following about Photios in his book Byzantine Theology:
He knew, however, that the Latin Fathers favoured the Filioque, and refers specifically to Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome (although the first and the last can hardly be regarded as proponents of the Filioque); but he obviously had not read their writings. His refutation of the Latin position is therefore based on oral information alone.
– Byzantine Theology, pg 60
When Photios wrote his polemic against the Latin theologians he had to rely on oral information. Now this is similar to Muhammad. Muslims are quick to tell us that Muhammad was illiterate so he couldn’t have been able to read the literature available at this time. Muslims use this to prove that the Quran is a scientific miracle. The supposed scientific miracles couldn’t have been because Muhammad read them in a book. After all, Muhammad couldn’t read so everything was oral.
So who would you trust more in transmitting and understanding oral tradition; Muhammad or Photios? Well, Photios identified Latin theologians that taught this doctrine and engaged them specifically. How did Muhammad do compared to him?
Well, lets just put it this way. Muhammad wouldn’t have been able to understand the Latin doctrine of the Filioque like Photios could. After all, he didn’t know who the third person of the Trinity was. Photios knew well that it was the Holy Spirit. Muhammad on the other hand thought that the Virgin Mary was the third person of the Holy Trinity that the Christians believed in.
When Muhammad would have been asked to weigh in on the issue, he would have been confused. Verses 73, 75, and 116 show a clear understanding of Muhammad that Mary is part of the three that make up God according to the Christians.
So we have to conclude Photios was better at oral tradition than Muhammad. In fact, it wouldn’t be outrageous to say that he was far better since he at least knew all the persons of the Trinity. Good job Photios.
And God will say, “O Jesus son of Mary, did you say to the people, `Take me and my mother as gods rather than God?’“ He will say, “Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to. Had I said it, You would have known it. You know what is in my soul, and I do not know what is in Your soul. You are the Knower of the hidden.
– Surah 5:116
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