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Durham E-Theses The character of Christ: the correlation of moral philosophy and Christology in Anglican theology 1830-1870 Sedgwick, Peter Humphrey How to cite: Sedgwick, Peter Humphrey (1982) The character of Christ: the correlation of moral philosophy and Christology in Anglican theology 1830-1870, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/7661/ 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 ABSTRACT Revd. Peter Sedqwick. The Correlation of Moral Philosophy and Christology in Anglican Theology, 1830-1870 The thesis argues that the influence of eighteenth-century moral philosophy on Victorian theology is seriously neglected. Its period is 3 830-187Q, but it looks baqk to Butler's work, and forward to thepublication of Lux Mundi in 1889. Moral philosophy conceptualized the idea of a moral agent in ways seminal for a theology of the humanity of Christ (or The Character of Christ). Tractarian systematic theology was concerned about this and informed on it. It reflects the influence of moral philosophy in its epistemology of faith ind its presentation of Christology, quite apart from ethical issues. Chapter One is an introduction justifying the theoretical position lying behind the chronological narrative and outlining the controversies that existed in 1830 in moral philosophy and Christology. Chapter Two shows the achievement of Butler in turning Anglican moralism into philosophical rigour and a theology of divine providential action. Chapter Three begins with the revival of systematic theology in 1830 by Newman and Robert Wilberforce, and demonstrates the complex inter• relationship of character, Christology and epistemology. Chapter Four contrasts the Anglican reception of the Butlerian tradition in moral philosophy with its handling by Mill* Determinism and agnosticism are the legacy which philosophical radicalism bequeathed to the nineteenth century theologian therefter. Chapter Five offers a freewill defence by Seeiey, Newman's view of Seeiey, and the greatest mid-Victorian attack on agnosticism, the 1866 Bamptons of Henry Liddon. This results in a virtual rejection by Liddon of the use of moral philosophy by previous theologians, and the establishment of a theological ghetto. Chapter Six summarizes the narrative, demonstrates that Lux Mundi revived the use of moral philosophy in using Bradley and Green, and draws further theoretical, conclusions on the relationship of character, moral philosophy and Christology. / - 3 - DECLARATION None of this material has been submitted for any previous degree. It is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the result of joint research. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. PREFACE At every stage I have benefited from discussion with others. This thesis takes up my interest in English political philosophy, which I studied for a History degree at Cambridge, ethics, which I taught at Birmingham University from 1979-1982, and most of all Christology. I must in particular thank my academic supervisor, the Rev. Professor Stephen Sykes, for patiently bringing together my chaotic thoughts into this thesis. He suggested the initial subject, and without him it would never have become a unified subject. His time and insight has been incalculable. I must also mention my debt to many colleagues in the Birmingham University Department of Theology. Most of all I must thank Rev. Dan Hardy for his deep knowledge of historical theology and philosophy. This work would not have been possible without much financial assistance. In particular I am grateful to the Department of Education for an initial grant, the Bishop of Durham in appointing me to a small parish as a base for research, and to the Cleaver Trustees for a generous grant. Lastly, I must mention how much I owe to the loving support of my wife Helena, who gave me the determination to persevere through academic and parish commitments. It is dedicated to her. "THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST" THE CORRELATION OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND ' CHRISTOLOGY IN ANGLICAN THEOLOGY 1830-1870 A thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by PETER HUMPHREY SEDGWICK The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Department of Theology University of Durham July 1982 \ •. 16. MltS&>\ - 5 - TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTEP l INTRODUCTION . ... P CHAPTER 2. CHARACTER IN BISHOP BUTLER'S MORAL THEOLOGY: 1720-1740 .. 23 Introduction: The Relevance of Butler .. •• •• .. 25 I. Butler on Character - Preliminary Considerations .. 29 1. Summary of Argument • • • - • • • - 29 2. The Nature of Butler's Thought .. .- 31 (a) Theistic .. .. •• •• 31 (b) Lack of Christology •• •• -• • • 34 (c) Unsystematic • - • • - • • • • - 36 3. Implications for the Thesis • . •• •• •- 38 II. The Presuppositions of Butler's Arguments •• •• 39 1. Ethical Objectivity . • •• •• •• 40 2. Human Nature as a Basic Dat^m .. -. .. .. 44 3. Empiricism and Fact .. .. .. .. 47 4. Creation, Design and Teleology .- .. •• 49 5. The Unity of the Four Presuppositions •• •• 52 III. The Role of Character in Butler's Thought .- .. 53 1. The Defence of Personal Identity .. .. .. 55 2. Character Defined .. .. .. .. •• 60 (a) Passions . • • • . • • • • • • 66 (b) Self-Love . 67 (c) Benevolence . 70 (d) Conscience . - - 71 (e) Summary . .. .. .. 74 3. The Formation of Character by Moral Discipline . 78 (a) The Character of God . .. 79 (b) The Character of Men .. .. .. 82 (c) The Formation of Human Character by God .. 88 IV. Summary: The Contribution of Butler to Theology . 96 CHAPTER 3. NEWMAN AND WILBERFORCE: 1830-1850 .. .. .. •• 97 I. Introduction to Tractarian Theology . .. .. 99 II. Newman's Christology and Moral Philosophy .. .. 106 1. Introduction . .. 106 2. The Idea of Christianity .. .. .. .. Ill (a) The Nature of the Idea .. .. .. .. Ill (b) The Expression of the Idea . .. 117 (c) The Apprehension of the Idea .. .. .. 122 (d) Conscience and Apprehension .. .. .. 125 - 6 - 3 The "Indwelling of Ch^isf - • • • • • • - 1 4 - 4. The Return to the Gospels -• • - •• •• 14b 5. Pain, Sin and Ignorance in Christ •- •• •• 150 6. The Character of Christ in Men .. .. .. 159 7. Summary • • •• •• •• •• 164 III Wilberforce's Christology and Moral Philosophy .. 167 1. Introduction • • • • •• •• •• •• 167 2. Rationalism and Idealism -• •• •• 169 3. The Character of Christ in Scripture .. .. 180 4. Pain, Sin and Ignorance in Christ •• •• •• 190 5. The Character of Christ and Mediation .• .- 194 6. Summary - - •• .. •• •• •. 210 IV Summary - Newman and Wilberforce .• •• • • • . 211 CHAPTER 4. JOHN STUART MILL AND THE DETERMINATION OF CHARACTER .. .. 214 I. Introduction to Philosophical Radicalism .. .. 216 II. John Stuart Will 1. Inductivism •• •• .. 221 2. Determinism •- •• •• .. 225 3. The Attack on Christianity .. .. .. .. 229 4. Mill's own view of character .. .. -. .. 233 ON LIBERTY III, Summary • • .. .. .. .. 248 CHAPTER 5 THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST I. Introduction •- .. .. .. .. 253 II. John Seeley's Ecce Homo .. .. .. .. .. 254 III. Reactions to Seeley; Newman on Ecce Homo .. .. 262 IV. H.P. Liddon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 267 1. Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. 267 2. The 1866 Bamptons 271 3. The Character of Christ .. .. .. .. .. 274 4. The Knowledge of Christ .. .. .. .. .. 280 5. The Obedience and Work of Christ .. ,. .. 290 6. The Presence and Example of Christ today: His .. 295 Presence in the Old Testament 7. Summary .. .. .. .. .. .. 304 - 7 - CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSIONS . .. .. 30^ APPENDIX TO THE THESIS Chapter Two - Note on books used . .. .. 33C APPENDIX TWO. Edward Talbot's Memoirs of Mill and Liddon .. .. 332 REFERENCES To Chapter 1 33€ To Chapter 2 - - •• •• •• • • •• •• 341 To Chapter 3 345 To Chapter 4 . .. .. 362 To Chapter 5 •• •• •• •• • • •• •• 365 PRIMARY BIBLIOGRAPHY SECONDARY BIBLIOGRAPHY CHAPTER ONE Introduction The original intention of the enquiry of which this thesis is the fruit was to study the use of the phrase and concent "the character of Cirist" in late nineteenth and early twentieth century theology„ This was a period when pop• ular apologetic for Christianity, abandoning the traditional "proofs" from miracle and prophecy, turned for ammunition to the apparently more acceptable realm of moral personhood. what happened to this apologetic under the corrosive influence of modern psyckolo: y v/as, it appeared, a story demanding an analytic narrator. It turned out, however, that the laying of the requisite foundation for this enterpri e itself revealed a con• siderable lacuna in the state of theological scholarship» I'or whereas the histories of Victorian theology had often describ .d the