DOCSLIB.ORG

Graceful Speech

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Graceful Speech Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page iii GRACEFUL SPEECH An Invitation to Preaching Lucy Lind Hogan Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page vii Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Part One: Becoming a Preacher Chapter One Graceful Speech: Christian Communication 3 Chapter Two A Great Cloud of Witnesses 15 Chapter Three You the Preacher: Growing into the Preaching Life 31 Chapter Four The Virtuous Preacher: Even in “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad” Weeks 51 Part Two: Crafting the Sermon Chapter Five Fish of Every Kind: Getting to Know Our Listeners 69 Chapter Six Where to Begin: Empty Pitchers and Living Water 87 Chapter Seven Detectives of the Divine 107 Chapter Eight The Sermon Journey 121 Part Three: Communicating the Gospel Chapter Nine Putting It Together 137 Chapter Ten Seasons and Festivals: Preaching Special Occasions 157 Chapter Eleven Open My Lips 173 Chapter Twelve Communicating the Gospel: Looking Forward 191 Epilogue Workers in the Field 205 Works Cited 207 vii Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page xi Introduction Each and every day, each and every hour, maybe each and every minute, some- where in God’s globe, the people whom God created and into whom God breathed the breath of life, gather to hear the good news of God’s saving love for them. They sing and shout praises to God and learn how to live in the fel- lowship that gives them a glimpse of the heavenly community that awaits them. And each and every day, every hour, perhaps every minute, whether we call it preaching, a homily, teaching, or proclamation, someone stands before a community declaring the good news. When I tell people what I do, I am often met with a puzzled look, followed by the question, “Can you teach people how to preach?” To which I joyfully respond, “Of course!” Preaching is, to quote Thomas Edison, an intriguing mixture of inspiration and perspiration. Preachers are called by God and inspired by the Holy Spirit. But preaching is also a practice and art that can be studied and learned. Preach- ers are able to improve and grow in their preaching by listening to God and listening to skilled preachers and teachers. And so I offer this book to you, adding it to the marvelous collection of preaching textbooks that date back to the early history of the church, with the goal of strengthening the preaching of the church. As I began this project, I asked preachers what they thought should be included in a preaching textbook. What had they learned in their preaching classrooms that they used every day? What did they wish that they had learned in their preaching classes, but didn’t? What did they want to tell those who were just learning how to preach? Many of their comments and suggestions are woven into this book. I would like to single out one comment, however. xi Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page xii xii Introduction When I asked a friend what he wanted new preachers to know, his response was quick and certain: “Tell them that people are listening to what they say!” And I would agree. He is correct; people do listen. As I write this introduction I am celebrating the twenty-fourth anniversary of my ordination as a deacon in the Episcopal Church. At my ordination I was given a Bible and reminded that the book was “the sign of your authority to proclaim God’s Word.” But while I was in seminary I had begun to learn that people do listen. During the spring of my first year of field work, the Third Sunday of Lent, I was given the opportunity to preach at the principal service. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I looked at the readings assigned for that day, only to discover that they included Jesus’ warning that, “unless you repent, you will all perish,” just as those who had been killed by Pilate or by the collapsing tower of Siloam. I worked carefully, preparing my sermon. I was ready, but as I finished preaching and looked out at the faces in the congrega- tion, I realized that preaching was much more than my hard work and my study. Their silence told me something had happened that was far beyond my beginner’s ability. I had done my best, but God had taken my message to a depth I would never have thought possible. I learned that the people were listening. They were hungry to hear the word of God. And I knew that what I had learned in my preaching classes had helped to make that moment possible. It is my goal in writing this book that you will learn how important you are in the preaching equation. I hope that you will begin a process of reflection and study that will help you to become the best preacher God would have you to be. To this task I bring many years of experience in the Episcopal Church. I bring the experience of being both welcomed and rejected as a servant of God. When I entered seminary in 1976, the Episcopal Church voted to ordain women as priests. But while the first regularly ordained women were ordained in 1979, acceptance is taking a great deal longer. Over the years I have had the privilege of getting to know and preach before many congregations. They have taught me what it means to be a preacher. You will find my sacramental background woven through this book. I bring experience as a teacher. Since 1987 I have taught preaching at Wes- ley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. I write, therefore, out of an experience of teaching at a school that, although it is a United Methodist sem- inary, has a wonderfully diverse student body. I teach students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, of a wide denominational background, students who will be serving both inner-city parishes and small, rural churches. You will find my ecumenical experience also woven through this book. And finally, you will find that this book reflects my background as a rhetorical scholar. I did my PhD work in rhetoric and communications and Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page xiii Introduction xiii have sought to bring that scholarly conversation to bear on my homiletical investigation. In the chapters that follow I invite you into an exploration of what it means to be a preacher, who God is calling us to be, and how we can be the best preacher possible. The first part of the book, chapters 1–4, is devoted to the issues that provide a foundation for us as preachers. Chapter 1 examines a theological understanding that I believe informs who we are and what we do. Chapter 2 takes a historical approach to questions that continue to be crucial in the preaching enterprise. Chapters 3 and 4 examine your role and identity as a preacher. In the second part of the book we turn our attention to the development of the sermon. Chapter 5 explores the identity and role of the listener in the preaching moment. Chapter 6 explores the preacher’s approach to Bible study. Chapter 7 examines the other resources available to preachers in the preparation of their sermon. Chapter 8 discusses the form and arrangement of the sermon. The final section of the book invites you to examine more effective ways to turn a written text into a sermon, the oral event of communicating the gospel. Chapter 9 focuses on language and illustration. In Chapter 10, we look at preaching for special occasions. Chapter 11 is devoted to the delivery and per- formance of the sermon. And in the final chapter I ask you to dream with me: Where is preaching going, and where should preaching be going in the future? You have been given a wonderful gift in your call to preach. It is my hope that this book will help you as you learn to live into that gift. Silver Spring, Maryland The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page 1 PART 1 Becoming a Preacher Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page 3 1 Graceful Speech: Christian Communication All spoke well of [Jesus] and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. Luke 4:22 The moment comes when our eyes are opened, and we see and realize that grace is infinite. Grace, my friends, demands nothing from us but that we shall await it with confidence and acknowledge it with gratitude. Isak Dinesen, Babette’s Feast My heart overflows with a goodly theme; . my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. Psalm 45:1–2 When people encounter the living God, they can’t keep silent. The Scriptures are filled with the stories of those who met the living God, those whose eyes were opened and who realized that God’s infinite grace poured over them. Likewise, the Scriptures are also filled with the words spoken by those grate- ful people and the songs they sang following those awe-filled moments. Moses could not remain silent after turning aside and standing before the bush that burned but was not consumed. Filled with the grace of God, he stood in Pharaoh’s court demanding the freedom of his people. Miriam saw the gra- cious love of God in the wind that drove back the sea, freeing the children of 3 Hogan--GracefulSpeech-REV 6/29/06 12:45 PM Page 4 4 Graceful Speech Israel.
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.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • 130 CTSA Proceedings 53 /1998
    130 CTSA Proceedings 53 /1998 TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY Topic: Divine Providence, Chance and the Problem of Evil Convener: Nancy A. Dallavalle, Fairfield University Presenters: Joseph A. Bracken, Xavier University Elizabeth A. Johnson, Fordham University Moderator: Barbara A. Finan, Ohio Dominican University This session was the first of two focusing on the Johnson-Bracken exchange (Johnson, "Does God Play Dice? Divine Providence and Chance," Theological Studies 57 [1996]: 3-18; Bracken, "Response to Elizabeth Johnson . , " Theo- logical Studies 57 [1996]: 720-30). The discussion continued in a second session hosted by the Theology and the Natural Sciences group. Johnson's article brings the theology of Thomas Aquinas into dialogue with contemporary science to give a fresh reading of the God-world relationship, Bracken's response suggests that his appropriation of the system of Alfred North Whitehead better serves con- temporary concerns for human agency. Bracken summarized the differences between his position and that of John- son as "a choice between two world views, with one world view basically gov- erned by the logic of objective cause-effect relationships and the other ruled by what I call the logic of intersubjectivity." The first, the world view of Thomas Aquinas, is governed by a "theological determinism" played out in a series of causes and effects. The second, the world view of Whiteheadian process, allows for the possibility of genuine self-creation as each moment of experience exer- cises its own integrity within the context of other causes. In the first, God orders all creation as the sole primary cause, in the second, the creature exercises primary causality, and God is dependent on creation for the realization of the divine plan.
    [Show full text]
  • Augustine of Hippo and Elizabeth De La Trinite: a Conversation Across the Centuries
    College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses School of Theology and Seminary 2008 Augustine of Hippo and Elizabeth de la Trinite: A Conversation across the Centuries Vernon W. Goodin College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/sot_papers Part of the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Goodin, Vernon W., "Augustine of Hippo and Elizabeth de la Trinite: A Conversation across the Centuries" (2008). School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses. 748. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/sot_papers/748 This Graduate Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Theology and Seminary at DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. It has been accepted for inclusion in School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO AND ELIZABETH de la TRINITÉ A CONVERSATION ACROSS THE CENTURIES by Vernon W. Goodin 3935 3rd Street South Moorhead, MN 56560 A Paper Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology of Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Theology with a Concentration in Systematics. SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY Saint John’s University Collegeville, Minnesota March 5, 2008 APPENDIX 2: FORM FOR DIRECTOR’S SIGNATURE This Paper was written under the direction of Signature of Director Sr. Helen Rolfson, OSF Typed name of Director Goodin -1 APPENDIX 3: FORM FOR LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT Vernon W.
    [Show full text]
  • ST. PETER's SEMINARY / KING's UNIVERSITY COLLEGE at the University of Western Ontario Winter 2012 Systematic Theology 5212B
    ST. PETER’S SEMINARY / KING’S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE at The University of Western Ontario Winter 2012 Systematic Theology 5212B - Doctrine of God Tuesday, 7:00-10:00, Room 102 John Dool, 432-5726, x272, [email protected] Office hours by Appointment A. COURSE DESCRIPTION The development of the Church’s understanding of God as Triune. Biblical, patristic, medieval, and contemporary approaches to the mystery of God are considered. Special attention is given to the connection of Trinitarian doctrine to the experience of salvation. (3 hours; antirequisite: the former Dogmatic Theology 201A). B. GOALS This course will assist students to grow in the following knowledge, skills and attitudes: Knowledge: To gain an appreciation for the biblical foundations, key historical developments, and contemporary questions and avenues of thought in regard to the mystery of the Triune God. To gain a sound understanding of the key doctrinal teachings of the church, how and why they developed, and the erroneous positions to which they responded. To gain a sound understanding of the intertwining of the doctrine of the Trinity and the mystery of human salvation. Skills: To learn to integrate principles of Trinitarian thought into one’s independent exploration of theological issues. To learn to relate traditional teachings to contemporary questions and issues. To learn to identify and constructively critique the Trinitarian perspective in a given text or thinker. Attitudes: To grow in recognition of the benefit of shared dialogue and shared exploration of theological issues. To develop a sensitivity to the nature and limitations of our language about God. To grow in a sense of the centrality of the mystery of the Trinity to Catholic faith and practice and to develop an openness to ongoing exploration of that mystery.
    [Show full text]
  • A Short Note on Karl Rahner's Affirmation That “The Trinity of the Economy of Salvation Is the Immanent Trinity and Vice
    A short note on Karl Rahner’s affirmation that “the Trinity of the economy of salvation is the immanent Trinity and vice versa.” I In his “Remarks on the dogmatic treatise ‘de Trinitate’”,1 Karl Rahner famously formulated the axiom that “the Trinity of the economy of salvation is the immanent Trinity and vice versa.”2 Rahner restated this proposition in his subsequent book, The Trinity.3 Of Patristic origin, the traditional distinction between the economic and the immanent Trinity is similar to the Platonic distinction between the Idea and its appearance. Similar descriptions are of the ‘substantial’ and the ‘revealed’ Trinity or of God ‘in Godself’ and God ‘for us’. The immanent Trinity is an attempt to formulate the Godhead outside the limitations of time and space. It includes ideas concerning the relations between the divine persons within the Godhead. The economic Trinity is the manner in which the Trinity is made known (self- communicated) within the historical process of salvation. In the immanent Trinity each of the three divine persons has distinguishing attributes that are traditionally considered to operate only within the divine being. These inner works, the opera ad intra, are distinguished from the opera ad extra — the activities by which the Trinity is known outwardly. The opera ad extra are traditionally considered never to be the works of one person of the Trinity exclusively, though they can be “appropriated” to one. II Writing in 1974, Rahner found that (Roman Catholic?) Christians seemed almost ‘monotheist’ in practice. We should consider more precisely, he argued, which person of the Trinity is involved in, for instance, the Incarnation.4 According to Rahner, our (again, Catholic?5) doctrines of grace and of the creation are similarly monotheistic, not trinitarian.
    [Show full text]
  • CATHERINE MOWRY Lacugna's CONTRIBUTION to TRINITARIAN
    Theological Studies 63 (2002) CATHERINE MOWRY LaCUGNA’S CONTRIBUTION TO TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY ELIZABETH T. GROPPE [Catherine Mowry LaCugna’s God for Us: The Trinity and Chris- tian Life (1991) constitutes a paradigm shift in present-day trinitar- ian theology. LaCugna was convinced that the standard paradigm of the economic and immanent Trinity was fraught with a variety of limitations. She offered as an alternative framework the principle of the inseparability of theologia and oikonomia, and within this struc- ture she developed a relational ontology of persons-in-communion. Her approach is a major contribution to the present renewal of the doctrine of the Trinity.] ATHERINE MOWRY LACUGNA’S God for Us: The Trinity and Christian C Life has proven to be a landmarkworkin the ongoing revitalization of trinitarian theology.1 This book, according to Michael Downey, “did more, perhaps, to stimulate thinking and discussion about the doctrine of the Trinity in Roman Catholic circles in the United States than any theo- logical worksince Karl Rahner’s The Trinity.”2 LaCugna wrote from the conviction that the doctrine of the Trinity is the cornerstone of systematic theology and an eminently practical teaching with radical consequences for Christian life. She also believed that the renewal of this doctrine—a doc- trine so often perceived as anything but practical—would require a recon- ceptualization of the very paradigm of the economic and immanent Trinity that Rahner’s The Trinity had used. She surveyed the tradition to find resources for an alternative approach and proposed the patristic distinction of oikonomia (the mystery of salvation) and theologia (the mystery of God) as a frameworkfor present-day trinitarian theology.
    [Show full text]
  • Tragic Creation: Hope for the Future—Moltmann's Creative (Mis)Reading of Hegel's Philosophy
    University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2018 Tragic Creation: Hope for the Future—Moltmann's Creative (Mis)Reading of Hegel's Philosophy John Michael Bechtold University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Bechtold, John Michael, "Tragic Creation: Hope for the Future—Moltmann's Creative (Mis)Reading of Hegel's Philosophy" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1439. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1439 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. TRAGIC CREATION – HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: MOLTMANN’S CREATIVE (MIS)READING OF HEGEL’S PHILOSOPHY __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by John M. Bechtold June 2018 Advisor: Dr. Edward P. Antonio ©Copyright by John M. Bechtold 2018 All Rights Reserved Author: John M. Bechtold Title: TRAGIC CREATION – HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: MOLTMANN’S CREATIVE (MIS)READING OF HEGEL’S PHILOSOPHY Advisor: Dr. Edward P. Antonio Degree Date: June 2018 ABSTRACT Christian theology, in its many and varied forms, and to the detriment of both the church and the world, is often built upon a shaky epistemological foundation.
    [Show full text]
  • TANNER and LACUGNA on the TRINITY and the SHAPING of HUMAN COMMUNITY Margaret Campbell Pilgrim Theolog
    THE TRINITY AS MODEL: TANNER AND LACUGNA ON THE TRINITY AND THE SHAPING OF HUMAN COMMUNITY Margaret Campbell Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity Abstract In the fifth chapter of Christ the Key, entitled “Politics,” Kathryn Tanner is critical of theologians who consider the Trinity to be a mod- el for the ordering of human society. She offers Christology as a sim- pler and more direct avenue than social trinitarianism for formulating judgments on social and political matters. While she includes Cath- erine LaCugna in her list of five important theologians who look to the Trinity as a model, Tanner makes very little reference to her in the course of the chapter. As a response to such near silence, this article examines LaCugna’s theology in the light of the arguments presented by Tanner, contending that, while there are some fundamental points of difference, there are also some significant similarities between Tan- ner’s and LaCugna’s views. The article concludes that the ideas of both scholars provide insights into ways in which the gospel and Christian doctrine can shape our thinking about living well in community. Keywords LaCugna (Catherine Mowry) 1952-1997, Tanner (Kathryn) 1957-, Trinity, Christology, Community – Religious aspects – Christianity, Relation (Theology) Introduction In her book, Christ the Key, Kathryn Tanner devotes the fifth chapter, entitled “Politics,” to a discussion of a tendency for contemporary theologi- ans to turn to the doctrine of the Trinity when looking to form judgments on social and political
    [Show full text]
  • Spirit Christology and Trinity in the Theology of David Coffey
    MATER DEI INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION A College of Dublin City University School of Theology SPIRIT CHRISTOLOGY AND TRINITY IN THE THEOLOGY OF DAVID COFFEY Declan J. O’Byrne (STL) Supervisor: Dr Dermot A. Lane Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy September, 2009 I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Doctor of Philosophy is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Signed: ID No.: Date: Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to Ray Moloney SJ at the Milltown Insti­ tute of Philosophy and Theology for first encouraging me to work on the theology of David Coffey. This work would not have been possible without the encouragement, guidance and generous patience of my supervisor Dermot A. Lane. His insights were invalu­ able in finding a helpful focus for the current work. I owe him great gratitude. I thank all the staff of the Mater Dei Institute of Education for their en­ couragement, and to Annabella Stover at Registry for all her practical assistance. Thanks too to the library staff of the Institute for their all their help in tracking down materials. I particularly acknowledge the kind assistance of the Institute in fa­ cilitating a trip to the United States to meet with and interview David Coffey. To David Coffey himself I express my gratitude for his encouragement, and for taking time to work through some important issues with me, both in person and by email.
    [Show full text]
  • Making Sense of Nonsense: the Concept of the Trinity at the End of the 20Th Century
    1+1+1=1: Making Sense of Nonsense: The Concept of the Trinity at the End of the 20th Century Jennifer Anne Herrick Introduction Bernard Lonergan has commented wryly of trinitarian theology that ‘The Trinity is a matter of five notions or properties, four relations, three persons, two processions, one substance or nature, and no understanding’.1 This quip is aimed at Thomas Aquinas, who in Part One of the Summa Theologica spoke of the One God in terms of two processions, three persons, four relations and five notions. Douglas Ottati has similarly commented: ‘More than a few people regard trinitarian doctrine as the quintessential statement of Christian nonsense: 1+1+1=1’.2 Elizabeth Johnson agrees, arguing that in the West the triune symbol has been neglected, literalised and treated as a curiosity. She observes that the doctrine has become unintelligible and religiously irrelevant on a wide scale.3 At the end of the twentieth century, the problem for trinitarianism was to overcome this general perception of unintelligibility and irrelevance. The problem has concerned philosophers of religion and theologians alike. The late Catherine Mowry LaCugna has noted that philosophers have long pursued the question of the intelligibility and coherence of the Trinity and that theologians stand to learn from the philosophical exploration. At the same time, philosophers might profit from hearing a theological perspective.4 Over the past decade or so, many academic theologians have come to find the traditional language used of the Christian trinitarian God to be problematic. This 1 Gerald O’Collins, ‘The Holy Trinity: The State of the Questions’ in Stephen T Davis, Daniel Kendall and Gerald O’Collins (eds) The Trinity: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Trinity (Oxford, 1999) 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Quest for Truth in Augustine's De Trinitate John C
    Theological Studies 58 (1997) THE QUEST FOR TRUTH IN AUGUSTINE'S DE TRINITATE JOHN C. CAVADINI [Editor's Note: The author contextualizes Augustine's De Trini- tate by attending to themes and motifs of education and learn­ ing present throughout He makes a connection between Augus­ tine's reflections on the Trinity and his theory of signs and culture, and thereby offers an understanding of the relation between Augustine's theory of the Trinity and his account of the possibilities of individual and cultural transformation.] UGUSTINE OF HIPPO'S De Trinitate is, as he himself remarked, a A, difficult work,1 and its difficulty seems only to have increased over time. It is largely out of favor at present. First, because it seems to commentators so hopelessly speculative that it has appeared impos­ sible to locate within any social or polemical context that might some­ how mitigate its difficulty by affording some sense of what was at stake in its composition in the first place. Second, from a theological per­ spective, the De Trinitate is now held responsible for having hopelessly interiorized the Christian doctrine of God, for having restricted aware­ ness of God to awareness of the enigma of God's interior image within JOHN C. CAVADINI received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is currently chair and associate professor in the department of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He has recently authored The Last Christology of the West (University of Pennsylvania, 1993), and edited Gregory the Great: A Symposium (University of Notre Dame, 1996). He is preparing a translation of Alcuin of York's On the Faith of the Holy Trinity and Seven Books Against Felix of Orgel, as well as writing a book provisionally entitled Heroes and Martyrs: An Introduction to Augustine's City of God.
    [Show full text]