Augustine of Hippo and Elizabeth De La Trinite: a Conversation Across the Centuries
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
The Nicene Creed in the Church David R
Concordia Journal Volume 41 | Number 1 Article 3 2015 The iceN ne Creed in the Church David Maxwell Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.csl.edu/cj Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Maxwell, David (2015) "The icN ene Creed in the Church," Concordia Journal: Vol. 41: No. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://scholar.csl.edu/cj/vol41/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Concordia Journal by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maxwell: The Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed in the Church David R. Maxwell Pastors often introduce the recitation of the Nicene Creed with the phrase, “Let us confess our Christian faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.” But what do we mean when we identify the content of the faith with the words of the creed? And how does that summary of the faith actually function in the church? After all, if we are to be creedal Christians in any meaningful sense, we would like to see the creed play a more profound role in the church than merely as a text to be recited. But, from the position of one sitting in the pew, it is not always clear what that role would be. Therefore, I will identify and explore three of the ways the creed has functioned and still functions in the church. -
Augustine's "De Trinitate"
Theological Studies 64 (2003) AUGUSTINE’S DE TRINITATE AND LONERGAN’S REALMS OF MEANING NEIL ORMEROD [After reviewing various proposals concerning the structure of Au- gustine’s De Trinitate, the author presents a structural analysis of that work using the notion of “realms of meaning” found in Ber- nard Lonergan’s Method in Theology. It suggests that Augustine’s treatise comprises four distinct sections which present an account of the Trinity from the perspective of a biblically informed common sense (Books 1–4); of theory (Books 5–7); of interiority (Books 8–11); and finally of transcendence (Books 12–15).] Y ALL ACCOUNTS, Augustine’s De Trinitate is a complex and difficult B book. Augustine himself declared that it would be “understood only by a few.” Among the few cannot be included a number of contemporary trinitarian theologians for whom Augustine has become something of a whipping boy.1 Variously misrepresented and frequently misunderstood, a variety of theological sins have been laid at his feet, notably the sin of individualism, with more than a suspicion of modalism. Subsequently con- temporary trinitarian thought has turned wholesale from the Western tra- dition championed by Augustine and Aquinas to embrace the supposedly superior position of the East, particularly that of the Cappadocians. As Augustine scholar Michael Rene´Barnes has noted: “It is impossible to do contemporary trinitarian theology and not have a judgment on Augustine; NEIL ORMEROD received a Ph. D. in pure mathematics from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and his D. Theol. from the Melbourne College of Divinity. He is lecturer in theology at the Catholic Institute of Sydney and president of the Australian Catholic Theological Association. -
Creation and God As One, Creator, and Trinity in Early Theology Through Augustine and Its Theological Fruitfulness in the 21St Century
Creation and God as One, Creator, and Trinity in Early Theology through Augustine and Its Theological Fruitfulness in the 21st Century Submitted by Jane Ellingwood to the University of Exeter as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology in September 2015 This dissertation is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the dissertation may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this dissertation which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: _________Jane Ellingwood _________________________ 2 Abstract My primary argument in this thesis is that creation theologies significantly influenced early developments in the doctrine of the Trinity, especially in Augustine of Hippo’s theology. Thus this is a work of historical theology, but I conclude with proposals for how Augustine’s theologies of creation and the Trinity can be read fruitfully with modern theology. I critically analyse developments in trinitarian theologies in light of ideas that were held about creation. These include the doctrine of creation ‘out of nothing’ and ideas about other creative acts (e.g., forming or fashioning things). Irenaeus and other early theologians posited roles for God (the Father), the Word / Son, the Spirit, or Wisdom in creative acts without working out formal views on economic trinitarian acts. During the fourth century trinitarian controversies, creation ‘out of nothing’ and ideas about ‘modes of origin’ influenced thinking on consubstantiality and relations within the Trinity. -
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY of AMERICA Doctrina Christiana
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Doctrina Christiana: Christian Learning in Augustine's De doctrina christiana A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of Medieval and Byzantine Studies School of Arts and Sciences Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy © Copyright All Rights Reserved By Timothy A. Kearns Washington, D.C. 2014 Doctrina Christiana: Christian Learning in Augustine's De doctrina christiana Timothy A. Kearns, Ph.D. Director: Timothy B. Noone, Ph.D. In the twentieth century, Augustinian scholars were unable to agree on what precisely the De doctrina christiana is about as a work. This dissertation is an attempt to answer that question. I have here employed primarily close reading of the text itself but I have also made extensive efforts to detail the intellectual and social context of Augustine’s work, something that has not been done before for this book. Additionally, I have put to use the theory of textuality as developed by Jorge Gracia. My main conclusions are three: 1. Augustine intends to show how all learned disciplines are subordinated to the study of scripture and how that study of scripture is itself ordered to love. 2. But in what way is that study of scripture ordered to love? It is ordered to love because by means of such study exegetes can make progress toward wisdom for themselves and help their audiences do the same. 3. Exegetes grow in wisdom through such study because the scriptures require them to question themselves and their own values and habits and the values and habits of their culture both by means of what the scriptures directly teach and by how readers should (according to Augustine) go about reading them; a person’s questioning of him or herself is moral inquiry, and moral inquiry rightly carried out builds up love of God and neighbor in the inquirer by reforming those habits and values out of line with the teachings of Christ. -
Love and the Knowledge of God in Augustine's De Trinitate
LOVE AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN AUGUSTINE'S DE TRINITATE LOVE AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN AUGUSTINE'S DE TRINITATE By MARTIN WESTERHOLM, B.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts McMaster University © Copyright by Martin Westerholm, August 2009 MASTER OF ARTS (2009) McMaster University (Religious Studies) Hamilton, ON TITLE: Love and the Knowledge of God in Augustine's De Trinitate AUTHOR: Martin Westerholm, B.A. (McMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Professor P. Travis Kroeker NUMBER OF PAGES: v, 130 11 Abstract: This thesis offers a close reading of Augustine's De Trinitate that is aimed at addressing the vexed question of the unity of the work. The most influential 20th century interpretation of De Trinitate holds that Augustine moves from a theological examination of the nature of the Trinity based on scripture to a philosophical investigation based on the structure of the human mind. This interpretation has led to the misconceptions that Augustine espouses a form of natural theology and separates theological doctrine from the concerns of the practical life. This thesis shows that De Trinitate is unified around the methodological rule that only the mind that loves God is capable of knowing him. This means, first, that Augustine's procedure is improperly characterized as natural theology; and, second, that, in making love a prerequisite for, and means to, knowledge of God, the ethical question of the ordering of love is inseparable from doctrinal concerns. This thesis shows that De Trinitate offers a coherent and compelling moral ontology in which the perceived tensions in Augustine'S theology of love can be reconciled. -
The Ineffectiveness of Hermeneutics. Another Augustine's Legacy In
The ineffectiveness of hermeneutics. Another Augustine’s legacy in Gadamer Alberto Romele To cite this version: Alberto Romele. The ineffectiveness of hermeneutics. Another Augustine’s legacy in Gadamer. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, Taylor & Francis, 2015, 75 (5), pp.422-439. 10.1080/21692327.2015.1027789. hal-01303281 HAL Id: hal-01303281 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01303281 Submitted on 17 Apr 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. The Ineffectiveness of Hermeneutics. Another Augustine’s Legacy in Gadamer Alberto Romele Institute of Philosophy, University of Porto COSTECH Laboratory, University of Technology of Compiègne This article builds on Gadamer’s rehabilitation of the Augustinian concept of inner word (ver- bum in corde). Unlike most interpretions, the thesis is that the Augustinian inner word does not show the potentialities, but rather the ineffectiveness of ontological hermeneutics. In the first section, it is argued that for the later Augustine the verbum in corde is the consequence of a Word- and Truth- event. In the second section, the author suggests that Gadamer has properly understood the verbum in corde as a matter of faith. -
The Twentieth Century Trinitarian Renaissance the Locus
REFORMED SCHOLASTICISM AND THE TRINITARIAN RENAISSANCE Gijsbert van den Brink 1. Introduction: The Twentieth Century Trinitarian Renaissance The locus which provokes the most energetic research and lively debate in contemporary systematic theology is no doubt the doctrine of the divine Trinity. As David Cunningham observes, “[o]nce threatened by its relative scarcity in modern theology, the doctrine of the Trinity now seems more likely to be obscured by an overabundance of theologians clustered around it.”1 And in what would become his last book the late Stanley Grenz points to the same fact, when he indicates that “exploring the triunity of God has developed into one of the most popular theolog- ical pursuits . , encompassing the efforts of thinkers representing nearly every ecclesiological tradition and theological persuasion.”2 Indeed, during the twentieth century both Eastern Orthodox and West- ern theologians from all major traditions (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed etc.) came to reaffirm the doctrine of the Trinity as the result of careful reflection on the biblical narratives concerning God’s concrete action in the world in the coming of the Messiah and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the huge resurgence of interest in the doc- trine of the Trinity and, more widely, in trinitarian theology, can be con- sidered as a first-rate ecumenical event. I will not delve into the background and motives behind this remark- able movement here—an issue as intriguing as it is complex.3 Rather, given this volume’s focus on some of the themes which have the profes- sional interest of Willem van Asselt and on which he has done such 1 David Cunningham, These Three are One: The Practice of Trinitarian Theology (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1998), 19. -
Augustine's New Trinity: the Anxious Circle of Metaphor
Augustine’s New Trinity The Anxious Circle of Metaphor* by Eugene Webb University of Washington Augustine of Hippo (354–430) would hardly have been pleased to hear himself described as an innovator. Like any other Church leader of his time, he would certainly have preferred to be thought of as a voice of the Church’s tradition rather than an originator of any aspect of it. Recent scholarship, however, has come increasingly to see him as the source of some of the most distinctive features of the Western Christian tradition. He is now recognized not only as the originator of the doctrine of Original Sin and the peculiarly western interpretation of the doctrine of the Trinity, but also as a major force in shaping for subsequent generations of Christians the relationship between the Church’s spiritual role and its role as a power in the social and political world. With this recognition of the innovativeness of Augustine’s thought has also come the question of how his original contributions are to be evaluated. How well, for exam- ple, did he understand the tradition he was trying to interpret? How well considered were his innovations? Did they introduce not only new perspectives, but perhaps also distortions of the tradition? Elaine Pagels, for example, in her recent book, Adam, Eve, and The Serpent, has said, regarding the influence of his doctrine of Original Sin: “Augustine would eventually transform traditional Christian teaching on free- dom, on sexuality, and on sin and redemption for all future generations of Christians. Where earlier generations of Jews and Christians had once found in Genesis 1–3 the affirmation of human freedom to choose good or evil, Augustine, living after the age of Constantine, found in the same text a story of human bondage.”1 She describes this as a “cataclysmic transformation in Christian thought” (Ibid.) and suggests that it is time Augustine’s distinctive contributions in this area were reexamined and reevalu- ated. -
The Unity of the Spirit: the Trinity, the Church and Love in Saint Augustine of Hippo
Durham E-Theses The unity of the spirit: the trinity, the church and love in Saint Augustine of Hippo Hoskins, John Paul How to cite: Hoskins, John Paul (2006) The unity of the spirit: the trinity, the church and love in Saint Augustine of Hippo, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2555/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 "The Unity of the Spirit": the Trinity, the Church and Love in Saint Augustine of Hippo John Paul Hoskins The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which It was submitted. No quotation from It, or information derived from It may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any Information derived from It should be acknowledged. -
The Forgotten Three Decades and Book IV of Augustine's on Christian
Colloquy Vol. 8, Fall 2012, pp. 86-101 The Forgotten Three Decades and Book IV of Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine Rensi Ke Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine (De Doctrina Christiana) is a treatise on how to teach and interpret the Scriptures (Williams 449). While previous research tended to consider the three decades that elapsed after the completion of the first three booKs of On Christian Doctrine as merely a literary fact, this paper aims to study the writing process of Augustine’s text with a specific focus on the thirty-year lapse between the first part (BooKs I-III) and the last part (BooK IV) of the work. Employing textual analysis and constant comparison method in the Grounded Theory, this paper concludes that as is demonstrated in Book I and restated in BooK IV, the writing of the BooK IV was planned in advance. Between 397 and 427, Augustine was involved in intensive writing tasKs and ecclesiastical responsibilities. Augustine’s writing was closely related with his debates with Manichees, Donatists, and Pelagius. These debates not only provided Augustine with an opportunity to enhance his own understanding of the Scriptures, which he focused on in Books I-III, but also offered a springboard for the development of his insights about Christian rhetoric in Book IV. The state of rhetoric at the end of the Classical Period was highlighted by Aurelius Augustinus, or Augustine (c. 354-430 AD), a saint of the Roman Catholic Church who “transformed rhetoric into an apparatus for biblical hermeneutics” (Williams 416). Among works of his maturity is On Christian Doctrine (De Doctrina Christiana), a treatise on how to teach and interpret the Scriptures (Williams 449). -
Scholasticism and the Problem of Intellectual Reform
Tilburg University Introduction Wisse, P.M.; Sarot, M. Published in: Scholasticism reformed Publication date: 2010 Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): Wisse, P. M., & Sarot, M. (2010). Introduction: Reforming views of reformed scholasticism. In P. M. Wisse, M. Sarot, & W. Otten (Eds.), Scholasticism reformed: Essays in honour of Willem J. van Asselt (Published on the occasion of the retirement of Willem J. van Asselt from Utrecht University) (pp. 1-27). (Studies in theology and religion; No. 14). Brill. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 30. sep. 2021 Reforming Views of Reformed Scholasticism Introduction Maarten Wisse and Marcel Sarot 1 Introduction The title of the present work is intentionally ambiguous: Scholasticism Reformed. It may be read, firstly, as a simple reversion of “Reformed scholasticism,” as indeed some of the contributions to this volume study aspects of the type of theology between the early Reformation and the Enlightenment that continued to use the traditional methods rooted in the medieval period. -
Confessions, by Augustine
1 AUGUSTINE: CONFESSIONS Newly translated and edited by ALBERT C. OUTLER, Ph.D., D.D. Updated by Ted Hildebrandt, 2010 Gordon College, Wenham, MA Professor of Theology Perkins School of Theology Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas First published MCMLV; Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 55-5021 Printed in the United States of America Creator(s): Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo (345-430) Outler, Albert C. (Translator and Editor) Print Basis: Philadelphia: Westminster Press [1955] (Library of Christian Classics, v. 7) Rights: Public Domain vid. www.ccel.org 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 11 I. The Retractations, II, 6 (A.D. 427) . 22 Book One . 24 Chapter 1: . 24 Chapter II: . 25 Chapter III: . 25 Chapter IV: . 26 Chapter V: . 27 Chapter VI: . 28 Chapter VII: . 31 Chapter VIII: . 33 Chapter IX: . 34 Chapter X: . 36 Chapter XI: . 37 Chapter XII: . 39 Chapter XIII: . 39 Chapter XIV: . 41 Chapter XV: . 42 Chapter XVI: . 42 Chapter XVII: . 44 Chapter XVIII: . 45 Chapter XIX: . 47 Notes for Book I: . 48 Book Two . .. 50 Chapter 1: . 50 Chapter II: . 50 Chapter III: . 52 Chapter IV: . 55 Chapter V: . 56 Chapter VI: . 57 Chapter VII: . 59 Chapter VIII: . 60 Chapter IX: . .. 61 3 Chapter X: . 62 Notes for Book II: . 63 Book Three . .. 64 Chapter 1: . 64 Chapter II: . 65 Chapter III: . 67 Chapter IV: . 68 Chapter V: . 69 Chapter VI: . 70 Chapter VII: . 72 Chapter VIII: . 74 Chapter IX: . .. 76 Chapter X: . 77 Chapter XI: . 78 Chapter XII: . 80 Notes for Book III: . 81 Book Four . 83 Chapter 1: . 83 Chapter II: . 84 Chapter III: .