(Originally written December 7, 2006 in Book 11)
The History of Philosophy vol. 2
Chapter 5 - The Medieval Interval
Plato and Aristotle dominated the Classical period. Augustine and Aquinas dominated the Medieval period; but, lived 8 centuries apart. Augustine and Aquinas dealt with different problems, whereas Plato and Aristotle dealt with the same problems.
The Dark Ages
The barbarian conquering of Rome caused enormous stress. The barbarians were incapable of sustaining such a complex culture like Rome's.
The collapse of a uniform society caused man to primarily focus on staying alive.
The Classical philosophy was lost to Europe in the Dark Ages.
Literacy declined to the point that Charlemagne complained that the clergy did not know enough Latin to interpret the Scriptures.
The Church
Anything surviving from the Roman World in the Dark Ages was due to the Church.
Christianity made converts out of the pagan and Arian barbarians.
"By the end of the Dark Ages, Christianity was more widely spread and Orthodoxy more firmly entrenched than before the barbarian invasions began" (Jones, 142).
The Rise of the Papacy
The early Church was ruled by bishops, not by the Pope.
The doctrine of Papal primacy made the Pope the head of the Church and gave it temporal authority.
A Christian king was subject to the Pope.
Pope Gregory VII in the 11th century pulled papal primacy to its extreme. The power of the Popes stopped Europe from instituting a unified government until the rise of nationalism in the early Modern period.
Monasticism
While the Papacy drove the Church to become a secular power, the spiritual nature was preserved by two things:
1) Monasticism
2) The Friars
Monasticism began in the 5th and 6th centuries A.D.
Monasticism got its credibility from St. Benedict.
Humility was the top virtue in monastic life.
The monastic movement constantly reformed to maintain a spiritual primacy over a temporal primacy. Though it wasn't perfect it worked well enough.
The Friars of St. Francis
Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
Francis of Assisi was a mystic reformer and founded the Order of the Friars Minor.
He was dedicated to poverty, simplicity and good works.
He achieved a large measure of success in inflaming the hearts of the average man with the love of God.
The main difference between now and the Dark Ages is that men in the Dark Ages were ready at any moment to be touched by the otherworldly.
Feudalism
Particularism began to grow in the fragmented ruins of the old Empire.
Men with property gained power as central governments were too weak to perform duties.
"Immunity" was granted to land owners by the central government which gave them the power of controlling their lands with no government interference.
Small peasant farmers would "commend" their lands to these large land owners. "Commendation" was the act of giving up one's land for protection and security. The ones who commended their lands would live on them and work them still, but they would no longer own the land.
Charlemagne (742-814) organized a strong central government and was crowned Emperor by the Pope. But his kingdom collapsed shortly after his death.
Feudalism was born out of the rapid commending process that followed the collapse of Charlemagne.
Authority and power and administration became inextricable from land ownership.
Medieval society was dominated by the concept of status, not the concept of citizenship.
The Middle Ages had a very fragmented society.
Chivalry
Chivalry was an ideal that emphasized private honor and public service.
Along with the Church and feudalism Chivalry marked the culture of the Middle Ages.
St. Louis, King of France
Louis IX was born in 1214 and set out to recapture Jerusalem in 1248. It failed, but he tried again in 1270.
Louis IX described chivalry as "upright" and "worthy".
Uprightness involved courage, modesty, charitableness, sobriety, faithfulness and justice.
Louis IX saw sin as a disease, much like Augustine.
Louis IX did not extend his notions of charity and humility to the Jews.
Louis IX distrusted education. As St. Francis, Louis IX was satisfied with simple faith.
Louis IX saw outward dignity as vital in society. His count was elaborate and attendants were lavishly dressed to show their rank.
Feudalism was so deeply entrenched in Louis IX's society that his closest friend and biographer, Sire de Joinville would not swear an oath of allegiance to Louis' family in the event he died in Crusade because Joinville was not his liegeman.
Art and Letters
Architecture
The 12th and 13th centuries were a period of great artistic blossoming.
Vaulted circling and stained glass windows marked the new Gothic style. The abbey church of St. Denis, the Cathedral of Noyon, Enlis, Paris, Rheims and the Sainte Chapelle are perfect examples of the Gothic style. The architecture reflected Christian piety.
Painting and Poetry
Painting and poetry moved from static, unmoving depictions to depictions of living, breathing men in nature.
It focused on the world, but their was still an otherworldly element: case in point - Dante.
The chasm between the otherworld and this world was removed. The two worlds were no longer bitter hostiles at war with each other.
Science
Bartholomew the Englishmen
Bartholomew was one of the most popular science writers of the Middle Ages.
He used Aristotle only in a way to describe it in a very confusing manner.
Science was mixed with heresy and old wives tales.
Aristotle and Medieval Science
It took time to assimilate Aristotle to science.
Men in the Middle Ages were more concerned with salvation, not with accumulating the facts.
Vincent Beauvais
Bartholomew and Vincent Beauvais were very unscientific.
The Universities
Some monastic and cathedral schools popped up after Charlemagne's renaissance.
The Universities slowly arose over Europe to satisfy the new hunger for knowledge slowly awakened over the 8th-11th centuries.
Philosophy during the Medieval Interval
The cultural problem for the 13th century philosopher was to find a place for these this-worldly ends in a scheme of life that still had a basically otherworldly orientation. The success of Aquinas lies in solving this central problem.
There was virtually no philosophical development in the 8 centuries between Augustine and Aquinas, save for Boethius, Isidore of Seville and John Scotus Erigena.
John Scotus Erigena
John Scotus Erigena (ca. 810-877) was born in Ireland. He studied Greek in an Irish monastery at a time when Greek was nearly lost in all the west.
He travels to France in 847 and taught at Paris in the palace school that Charlemagne founded.
He was involved in deep theological topics like Free Will and the Eucharist. He avoided the extreme forms of predestination, but went too far and was condemned as a Pealagian. His views were condemned in 855. Then his views on the Eucharist were condemned (he denied the Doctrine of Transubstantiation)
He decided to take a safer task of translating Greek into Latin.
John Scotus Erigena was deeply concerned with synthesis. As a Christian, Erigena must have a synthesis, an overarching philosophy that fit with the Catholic dogma.
Nature
John began with the nature of reality.
He believed that things fall into two classes:
1) Things that are
2) Things that are not
Things that are not have different modes, they are modes of non-being
1) Sinful man
2) Changing particulars
3) Potential being
4) Things that are "beyond our intellect"
Things that are are those things that we can comprehend.
John Scotus Erigena's divisions are influence by Plato (most of the texts he translated were neoplatonic ones)
Like Plato and the Neoplatonists, John identified the form of the Good with God.
God
According to John, God is "beyond being" and thus, not to be. John had a problem in attempting to reconcile Neoplatonic metaphysics and Christian dogma.
John held that there were two ways for finite minds to approach God:
1) An affirmative way
2) A negative way
The affirmative way consists of stating things like God is being, God is good, etc. These assertions are neither wholly true nor wholly false.
Every positive or affirmative statement about God must be supplemented by a negative statement.
Instead of stating the negative and positive about God as "God is being and not-being" he stated then like "God is super being"
John Scotus Erigena believed that God was truly Good, but to say that God was good was misleading because it wasn't the whole truth.
Creation
John Scotus Erigena started with a paradox in dealing with creation. If God made the world He must move, but how can He who is immutable move?
John asserted that the concepts of making and creation (like the concepts of being and goodness) applied to God in only a metaphorical sense.
He also asserted that the transcendence of the the Creator and the dependence of the creature (Two vitally important Church doctrines) were contradictory.
Theophanies
John held the world to be a "theophany" of God (an appearance of God). It is not an illusion, but the chosen method of God to reveal Himself to man. Human minds are a part of this theophany and thus their understanding is a part of God's theophany.
Knowledge is Illumination
"Everything that exists is an aspect of the divine nature reflected from some perspective or other" (Jones, 179).
Knowledge is fundamentally an act of grace by God in which He illumines our mind.
Four-Fold Division of Nature
While nature is truly one and beyond being, the human mind divides and classifies as was God's intention. There are four divisions of nature:
1) God - the nature that creates and is uncreated
2) The Platonic archetypes - the nature that creates and is created
3) The Physical World - the nature that does not create and is created
4) God - The nature that does not create and is not created
"God issues into the world and returns from it to Himself" (Jones, 180).
God is not conscious until he creates His mind. The archetypes are the divine images of God. They do not exist independently. They are the divine mind.
The archetypes (primordial causes) are the sources of the essences of the particulars in the physical world.
The primordial causes are: goodness, being, life, wisdom, truth, intelligence, reason, virtue, justice, health, greatness, omnipotence, eternity and peace. While we view them as a plurality, they are really a unity.
Anything that exists in the physical world that is describable as one of these primordial causes is so because it takes part (a finite part) in them.
The physical world has being by participating in the various primordial substances.
Is John's view Christian?
There are some Neoplatonic interpretations of nature that readily fit within the framework of Catholic Christianity.
John's metaphysics is a rational system, but is in danger of collapsing into subjectivism and mysticism.
The mystic elements were too strong for a Christian standard at his time. A private mystical basis was not the solution the Church as an institution was looking for.
John's fourth level (not-created and non-creating) seems to destroy individuality. Man's eternal salvation is done through a return to God by all souls. It is not exactly Kosher with the Church. It is blasphemy and heresy.
John's neoplatonism also renders sin and evil as unreal.
John also had to interpret the Scriptures rather loosely.
He also used the writings of St. Dionysius the Areopagite as an almost canonical authority. Unfortunately, St. Dionysius the Areopagite was later shown to be a fake.
The Neoplatonic Problem
Neoplatonic metaphysics and Christian Dogma are antagonistic. The problem was to include some deeply entrenched Neoplatonic ideals of the Middle Ages into Christianity.
The Controversy over Universals
The thinkers of the 11th century were logicians, not metaphysicians. They focused their energy on two very technical problems:
1) The status of universals
2) the relation between the spheres of faith and reason
It was desirable, if only for pragmatic reasons, to prove the Christian truths.
Reason was an indispensable weapon agains infidels and heretics.
Men of the Middle Ages basically agreed there were three modes of cognition
1) Revelation
2) Reason
3) Perception
The problem of universals and the scope of faith and reason was (and is) an interrelated problem.
Showing posts with label St. Francis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Francis. Show all posts
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
The 13th Century
(Originally written July 29, 2006 in Book 5)
The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
Chapter XII - The 13th Century
The great men of the 13th century were:
1) Innocent III
2) St. Francis
3) Frederick II
4) Thomas Aquinas
Pope Innocent III reigned from 1198-1216. Innocent III was a shrewd politician and assured Papal supremacy in Sicily, Portugal and Aragon. After resistance, King John conceded England under Papal supremacy.
He destroyed the Albigenses, a heretical group in southern France. He "rooted out heresy, happiness, and culture from southern France" (Russell, 442).
He had Emperor Otto deposed by the German people.
"Innocent III was the first great pope in whom there was no element of sanctity" (Russell, 443).
He codified Canon Law, increasing the power of the Curia.
Frederick II became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire through Innocent's endorsement. Innocent III would die before Frederick II assumed the position of a formidable antagonist to the Church.
Frederick II was the son of Henry IV and Constance (heir to the Sicilian throne). His childhood was marred with Sicilian wars with Muslims, Germans, Pisans, and Genoese.
The culture of Sicily was a combination of Arabic, Italian, Greek, Byzantine and German cultures.
Frederick II spoke six languages fluently and wittily. He was familiar with Arabic philosophy. He was a Hohenstaufen and could thus be considered German. He was culturally akin to Italians however.
Frederick II's problems with the papacy came when he refused to go on crusade. He was excommunicated later by Pope Gregory IX for not going on crusades and waging war in Lombardy.
He married the daughter of the King of Jerusalem and after the king's death calls himself the king of Jerusalem, infuriating the Pope. He integrated Muslims back into Jerusalem, thus further infuriating the Pope.
Eventually peace was restored between Emperor and Pope in 1230.
He systematized the laws of Sicily (where he was also king).
He founded an important university at Naples.
He freed up trade.
He was once again excommunicated in 1237 for waging war against the Lombards.
His successors after his death in 1250 were not as powerful and the Papacy absorbed power and Italy was left divided.
The heresies of the 13th century are important to study:
The Carthi or Albigenses were the largest sect of heresy at the time. They existed primarily in Northern Italy and Southern France. The Carthi were dualists. They regarded the Old Testament God as wicked. They regarded matter as evil. They believed that virtuous men had no resurrection of the body. They believed that the wicked would suffer transmigration into the bodies of animals. For this they were vegetarians, even abstaining from eggs, cheese, and milk. They ate fish because they did not think that fish reproduced sexually. They despised sex, even inside of marriage. They did not object to suicide. They interpreted the New Testament entirely literally. One who was persecuted offered his defense by claiming that he ate meat, lied and swore like any other good Catholic.
The genealogy of the Carthi is interesting. Carthi (from) Bogomiles (in Bulgaria) - a fusion of Manichaeans and Paulicians. The Manichaeans were founded by Mani and once had Augustine as a proponent.
The Paulicians were followers of Marcion. They were an Armenian sect. They rejected:
1) Infant baptism
2) Purgatory
3) The invocation of the saints
4) The Trinity
5) The Jewish elements of Christianity
The other important heresy of the 13th century were the Waldenses. They were followers of Peter Waldo.
Peter Waldo founded the "Poor Men of Lyons". They were originally papally sanctioned, but were condemned for condemning immorality in the clergy too vocally. They then split from the church.
They existed in Lombardy and Bohemia, eventually paving the way for Jan Hus. They still exist today in the Alpines and in the US.
Heresy was combatted by the Pope in founding the Inquisition in 1233 by Pope Gregory IX.
The Inquisition was mainly performed by the Dominican and Franciscans.
The Church was in danger of a revolt in the 13th century, but was saved by mendicant orders.
St. Francis of Assisi was born around 1181 and died in 1226. He was well-to-do, but later devoted himself to poverty, despite furious family members. Pope Innocent III recognized St. Francis' followers as an order around 1210. St. Francis was one of the most lovable men in History and a saint among saints. But after his death the Franciscans fell into a trap.
"If Satan existed, the future of the order founded by Saint Francis would afford him the most exquisite gratification" (Russell, 450). Linehan - this is an off-hand remark that is completely unnecessary to the conversation. It is another cheap shot by Russell.
The Franciscans became another wealthy order in the Church hierarchy after Francis' death. They took an active role in the Inquisition and suppression of free thought.
Saint Dominic (1170 - 1221) devoted himself to combatting heresy. He founded his order in 1215.
The Dominicans were even more active in the Inquisition. They were devoted to learning. Dominicans provided two great philosophers intent on reconciling Aristotle to Christ:
1) Albertus Magnus
2) Thomas Aquinas
The Franciscans produced three great philosophers:
1) Roger Bacon
2) Duns Scotus
3) William of Occam
The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
Chapter XII - The 13th Century
The great men of the 13th century were:
1) Innocent III
2) St. Francis
3) Frederick II
4) Thomas Aquinas
Pope Innocent III reigned from 1198-1216. Innocent III was a shrewd politician and assured Papal supremacy in Sicily, Portugal and Aragon. After resistance, King John conceded England under Papal supremacy.
He destroyed the Albigenses, a heretical group in southern France. He "rooted out heresy, happiness, and culture from southern France" (Russell, 442).
He had Emperor Otto deposed by the German people.
"Innocent III was the first great pope in whom there was no element of sanctity" (Russell, 443).
He codified Canon Law, increasing the power of the Curia.
Frederick II became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire through Innocent's endorsement. Innocent III would die before Frederick II assumed the position of a formidable antagonist to the Church.
Frederick II was the son of Henry IV and Constance (heir to the Sicilian throne). His childhood was marred with Sicilian wars with Muslims, Germans, Pisans, and Genoese.
The culture of Sicily was a combination of Arabic, Italian, Greek, Byzantine and German cultures.
Frederick II spoke six languages fluently and wittily. He was familiar with Arabic philosophy. He was a Hohenstaufen and could thus be considered German. He was culturally akin to Italians however.
Frederick II's problems with the papacy came when he refused to go on crusade. He was excommunicated later by Pope Gregory IX for not going on crusades and waging war in Lombardy.
He married the daughter of the King of Jerusalem and after the king's death calls himself the king of Jerusalem, infuriating the Pope. He integrated Muslims back into Jerusalem, thus further infuriating the Pope.
Eventually peace was restored between Emperor and Pope in 1230.
He systematized the laws of Sicily (where he was also king).
He founded an important university at Naples.
He freed up trade.
He was once again excommunicated in 1237 for waging war against the Lombards.
His successors after his death in 1250 were not as powerful and the Papacy absorbed power and Italy was left divided.
The heresies of the 13th century are important to study:
The Carthi or Albigenses were the largest sect of heresy at the time. They existed primarily in Northern Italy and Southern France. The Carthi were dualists. They regarded the Old Testament God as wicked. They regarded matter as evil. They believed that virtuous men had no resurrection of the body. They believed that the wicked would suffer transmigration into the bodies of animals. For this they were vegetarians, even abstaining from eggs, cheese, and milk. They ate fish because they did not think that fish reproduced sexually. They despised sex, even inside of marriage. They did not object to suicide. They interpreted the New Testament entirely literally. One who was persecuted offered his defense by claiming that he ate meat, lied and swore like any other good Catholic.
The genealogy of the Carthi is interesting. Carthi (from) Bogomiles (in Bulgaria) - a fusion of Manichaeans and Paulicians. The Manichaeans were founded by Mani and once had Augustine as a proponent.
The Paulicians were followers of Marcion. They were an Armenian sect. They rejected:
1) Infant baptism
2) Purgatory
3) The invocation of the saints
4) The Trinity
5) The Jewish elements of Christianity
The other important heresy of the 13th century were the Waldenses. They were followers of Peter Waldo.
Peter Waldo founded the "Poor Men of Lyons". They were originally papally sanctioned, but were condemned for condemning immorality in the clergy too vocally. They then split from the church.
They existed in Lombardy and Bohemia, eventually paving the way for Jan Hus. They still exist today in the Alpines and in the US.
Heresy was combatted by the Pope in founding the Inquisition in 1233 by Pope Gregory IX.
The Inquisition was mainly performed by the Dominican and Franciscans.
The Church was in danger of a revolt in the 13th century, but was saved by mendicant orders.
St. Francis of Assisi was born around 1181 and died in 1226. He was well-to-do, but later devoted himself to poverty, despite furious family members. Pope Innocent III recognized St. Francis' followers as an order around 1210. St. Francis was one of the most lovable men in History and a saint among saints. But after his death the Franciscans fell into a trap.
"If Satan existed, the future of the order founded by Saint Francis would afford him the most exquisite gratification" (Russell, 450). Linehan - this is an off-hand remark that is completely unnecessary to the conversation. It is another cheap shot by Russell.
The Franciscans became another wealthy order in the Church hierarchy after Francis' death. They took an active role in the Inquisition and suppression of free thought.
Saint Dominic (1170 - 1221) devoted himself to combatting heresy. He founded his order in 1215.
The Dominicans were even more active in the Inquisition. They were devoted to learning. Dominicans provided two great philosophers intent on reconciling Aristotle to Christ:
1) Albertus Magnus
2) Thomas Aquinas
The Franciscans produced three great philosophers:
1) Roger Bacon
2) Duns Scotus
3) William of Occam
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Chapter 3 - Pythagoras
(Originally written July 1, 2006 in Book 2)
The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
1974
Chapter 3 - Pythagoras
Pythagoras was one of the most important men intellectually of all time. Mathematics as a demonstrative deductive argument began with Pythagoras.
Native of Samos circa 532 BC, Pythagoras was either a son of an important citizen or the child of Apollo.
Pythagoras disliked Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos and his artistic, immoral, pirate government and left. Pythagoras settled in Croton in Southern Italy, one of the most populated and greatest Greek cities in Italy. The Greek cities in Italy fought each other fiercely. Croton was known for its medicine.
Pythagoras founded a society of disciples that became influential in Croton. Eventually the citizens turned agains them and Pythagoras and his followers left for Metapontion Calso in Southern Italy where he died.
While he quickly became a legend after his death, he in reality founded a school of mathematics.
Pythagoras founded a religion based on the transmigration of souls and the sinfulness of eating beans.
Here are some of Pythagoras' rules:
"1. To abstain from beans
2. Not to pick up what has fallen.
3. Not to touch a white cock.
4. Not to break bread.
5. Not to step over a cross bar.
6. Not to stir the fire with iron.
7. Not to eat from a whole loaf.
8. Not to pluck a garland.
9. Not to sit on a quart measure.
10. Not to eat the heart.
11. Not to walk on highways
12. Not to let swallows share one's roof.
13. When the pot is taken off the fire, not to leave the mark of it in the ashes, but to stir them together.
14. Do not look in a mirror beside a light.
15. When you rise from the bed clothes, roll them together and smooth out the impress of the body" (Russell, 31-32).
Pythagoras believed:
1. The soul is immortal
2. The soul transformed into other kinds of things
3. Reincarnation of the soul
Like St. Francis, Pythagoras is reported to have preached to animals.
Pythagoras' society:
1. held men and women as equals
2. held common property
Three types of men according to Pythagoreans:
1. Low - the buyers and sellers
2. Middle - Participants
3. High - Onlookers/contemplators
Pythagoras was a disinterested scientist. Pythagoras devoted himself to the joy of enlightenment of theory and mathematics.
Pythagoras based his life and ethical theory on contemplation, pure thought.
Pythagoras' influence was huge on a number of people and movements: Plato, Descartes, Kant, Euclid, Christian Theology and Personal Religion.
Religion has been influenced by mathematics ever since Pythagoras. Kant, Plato, Aquinas, Augustine, Spinoza and others blended religion and reasoning.
Christianity derived the theory of Christ as the Word and led theology to produce rational proofs for God and morality because of Pythagoras.
The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
1974
Chapter 3 - Pythagoras
Pythagoras was one of the most important men intellectually of all time. Mathematics as a demonstrative deductive argument began with Pythagoras.
Native of Samos circa 532 BC, Pythagoras was either a son of an important citizen or the child of Apollo.
Pythagoras disliked Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos and his artistic, immoral, pirate government and left. Pythagoras settled in Croton in Southern Italy, one of the most populated and greatest Greek cities in Italy. The Greek cities in Italy fought each other fiercely. Croton was known for its medicine.
Pythagoras founded a society of disciples that became influential in Croton. Eventually the citizens turned agains them and Pythagoras and his followers left for Metapontion Calso in Southern Italy where he died.
While he quickly became a legend after his death, he in reality founded a school of mathematics.
Pythagoras founded a religion based on the transmigration of souls and the sinfulness of eating beans.
Here are some of Pythagoras' rules:
"1. To abstain from beans
2. Not to pick up what has fallen.
3. Not to touch a white cock.
4. Not to break bread.
5. Not to step over a cross bar.
6. Not to stir the fire with iron.
7. Not to eat from a whole loaf.
8. Not to pluck a garland.
9. Not to sit on a quart measure.
10. Not to eat the heart.
11. Not to walk on highways
12. Not to let swallows share one's roof.
13. When the pot is taken off the fire, not to leave the mark of it in the ashes, but to stir them together.
14. Do not look in a mirror beside a light.
15. When you rise from the bed clothes, roll them together and smooth out the impress of the body" (Russell, 31-32).
Pythagoras believed:
1. The soul is immortal
2. The soul transformed into other kinds of things
3. Reincarnation of the soul
Like St. Francis, Pythagoras is reported to have preached to animals.
Pythagoras' society:
1. held men and women as equals
2. held common property
Three types of men according to Pythagoreans:
1. Low - the buyers and sellers
2. Middle - Participants
3. High - Onlookers/contemplators
Pythagoras was a disinterested scientist. Pythagoras devoted himself to the joy of enlightenment of theory and mathematics.
Pythagoras based his life and ethical theory on contemplation, pure thought.
Pythagoras' influence was huge on a number of people and movements: Plato, Descartes, Kant, Euclid, Christian Theology and Personal Religion.
Religion has been influenced by mathematics ever since Pythagoras. Kant, Plato, Aquinas, Augustine, Spinoza and others blended religion and reasoning.
Christianity derived the theory of Christ as the Word and led theology to produce rational proofs for God and morality because of Pythagoras.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Notes on Creation
(Originally written February 15, 2006)
1) What famous 4th century theologian likened the Trinity to "the lover, the loved and love"?
- Augustine
2) The notion that creation consisted of God's giving form to pre-existent matter was taught by the great third century theologian?
- Origen
3) Which Catholic saint of the Middle Ages wrote the hymn that included "Brother sun" and "Sister moon"?
- Francis of Assisi
4) True or False: The Bible teaches that "virtue is its own reward"
The Doctrine of Creation
Biblical view of creation
creation "ex nihilo" (out of nothing)
First article of Apostles and Nicene creeds
(counters Marcion's notion of two gods: Jewish (Old Testament) and Christian (New Testament)
God of Creation is the God of redemption
Ancient views of creation
Greek Philosophy - ex nihilo, nihil fit (out of nothing cometh nothing)
Creation: god gave form to eternal matter
Dualism - Spirit & Matter
Bible - only God is eternal
Pantheism (Hinduism, etc.)
All is God - monism
Monism - only spirit truly exists
god is to the world as the soul is to the body
Bible: God transcends the world
Dialectical materialism (Marx) vs. Bible
Universe: no beginning; material ends
Bible: Matter created for spiritual ends
1) What famous 4th century theologian likened the Trinity to "the lover, the loved and love"?
- Augustine
2) The notion that creation consisted of God's giving form to pre-existent matter was taught by the great third century theologian?
- Origen
3) Which Catholic saint of the Middle Ages wrote the hymn that included "Brother sun" and "Sister moon"?
- Francis of Assisi
4) True or False: The Bible teaches that "virtue is its own reward"
The Doctrine of Creation
Biblical view of creation
creation "ex nihilo" (out of nothing)
First article of Apostles and Nicene creeds
(counters Marcion's notion of two gods: Jewish (Old Testament) and Christian (New Testament)
God of Creation is the God of redemption
Ancient views of creation
Greek Philosophy - ex nihilo, nihil fit (out of nothing cometh nothing)
Creation: god gave form to eternal matter
Dualism - Spirit & Matter
Bible - only God is eternal
Pantheism (Hinduism, etc.)
All is God - monism
Monism - only spirit truly exists
god is to the world as the soul is to the body
Bible: God transcends the world
Dialectical materialism (Marx) vs. Bible
Universe: no beginning; material ends
Bible: Matter created for spiritual ends
Friday, February 10, 2006
Broad strokes of the Church from 300-600 AD
(Originally written in February 10, 2006 in Book 24)
Early Church (Christianized by 300 AD)
Church Growth (Christianized 300 - 600)
Late Growth (Christianized 600 - 800)
Early Church: Southern Spain, Northeast Africa (Carthage), Southern Gaul (Marseilles), Northern Gaul (Paris), Rome, Western Turkey (Constantinople), Parts of Egypt, Jerusalem to Damascus
Church Growth: Most of Europe, Most of North Africa, Turkey
Late Growth: Germany & Britain
300's - Century of the Church Fathers
313 - Edict of Milan
325 - Council of Nicaea
350 - St. Ulfilas goes to the Goths (Missionary from Constantinople)
381 - Nicene Creed enforced
First Germanic peoples were converted to Arian Christianity
400's
410 - Sack of Rome, Roman troops pull out of Britain (Britain reverts to Celtic paganism)
430 - St. Patrick is a missionary to Ireland. Ireland's Christianity develops outside of the collapse of Rome, therefore it has a differing character. Cities are important to the church on the continent due to thee Roman influence. Rural Ireland's church centers were the monasteries. The abbot (head of the monastery) is the most important Christian in Ireland, the bishop in continental Europe.
476 - Odoacer, Germanic Ruler, sits on the Roman throne
500's
Visigoths (Spain) and other Germanic Christians were Arian.
500 - The Baptism of the Frankish King Clovis. He was converted directly from Paganism to Roman or Orthodox Christianity. Clovis consolidated tribes and gained more control of Gaul. Clovis attempted to gain the favor of the bishops in Gaul. Clovis marries a Roman Catholic princess. About 7,000 Germanic Warriors decided as a group (with Clovis) to convert and were baptized as Catholic Christians.
527 - 65 - Justinian, the Roman Emperor attempts to reconquer parts of the Western part of the Empire. He pushes the Vandals out of North Africa and pushes the Germanic tribes out of Italy. He codifies the Roman law. He built the great Church in Constantinople. Really starts enforcing Orthodoxy.
550 - Benedict of Nursia (Italian Monk) set up the rhythm and pattern for monastic life in the west. Most clerics at this time come from the nobility.
131 Christians:
Bernard of Clairvaux
- Born into low Nobility
- He joined the Cistercians and lived an ascetic life which caused severe health problems
- Founded 60 Cistercian monasteries
- Wrote the rule for the Knights Templar
- Led the rally for the 2nd Crusade
Dominic
- Noble from Spain
- Devoted his life to poverty
- Preached to the Albigensians (heretics)
- Formed the Dominican Order of priests
- Aquinas was a Dominican
Innocent III
- First Pope to declare himself, "Vicar of Christ"
- Real name - Lotario Scotti
- Born into the Italian nobility
- One of the youngest Popes ever
- Purged the Church of disloyal officials, unneeded extravagance and replaced nobles with monks
- Saw the position of the Pope as ruler over all: "less than God but more than man, judging all other men, but himself judged by none
- Slaughtered the Albigensians
Catherine of Siena
- Devoted herself to a religious life at age 7 after seeing a vision
- Catherina Benincasa was born into middle class life, she was the 23rd of 25 kids
- Born the same year as the plague came to Europe
- Claimed to have an invisible stigmata
- Refused to marry
- Joined the Dominican Order of Penance (Dominican 3rd order) in 1363. This order was of lay persons who lived in their own home and were known by their dress and deeds for the poor
- By age 19 she attracted a following by her superb sanctity and fiesta personality
- She had a vision in which Jesus put a ring on her finger, signifying a marriage (spiritual marriage) to Christ
- She cared for plague victims
- Wrote letters to sinners, and to reform the church
- She convinced the Pope to return to Rome from France
- Died at age 33
- Declared a "Doctor of the Church" in 1970 (1 of 32 Doctors and 1 of 2 women Doctors)
John Wycliffe
- his bones were dug up 43 years after his death and burned and thrown into the River Swift
- English priest
- told Parliament not to pay Rome as they were saving for an incoming invasion from France because Christians were to be poor and the Church was rich enough
- Stated that the pope and the Church were second to the authority of Scriptures
- Wrote against Church doctrines of transubstantiation, indulgences and repudiated confession
- Began to translate the Bible into English for all to read
Francis of Assisi
Devotional Classics
7. Strive always to Praise God
- His message to the birds was for them to be grateful to God because God takes care of them
8. They sang a wonderful song
At the end of his message to the birds he blessed them and they all at once got up and left. They all sang to the Lord
Early Church (Christianized by 300 AD)
Church Growth (Christianized 300 - 600)
Late Growth (Christianized 600 - 800)
Early Church: Southern Spain, Northeast Africa (Carthage), Southern Gaul (Marseilles), Northern Gaul (Paris), Rome, Western Turkey (Constantinople), Parts of Egypt, Jerusalem to Damascus
Church Growth: Most of Europe, Most of North Africa, Turkey
Late Growth: Germany & Britain
300's - Century of the Church Fathers
313 - Edict of Milan
325 - Council of Nicaea
350 - St. Ulfilas goes to the Goths (Missionary from Constantinople)
381 - Nicene Creed enforced
First Germanic peoples were converted to Arian Christianity
400's
410 - Sack of Rome, Roman troops pull out of Britain (Britain reverts to Celtic paganism)
430 - St. Patrick is a missionary to Ireland. Ireland's Christianity develops outside of the collapse of Rome, therefore it has a differing character. Cities are important to the church on the continent due to thee Roman influence. Rural Ireland's church centers were the monasteries. The abbot (head of the monastery) is the most important Christian in Ireland, the bishop in continental Europe.
476 - Odoacer, Germanic Ruler, sits on the Roman throne
500's
Visigoths (Spain) and other Germanic Christians were Arian.
500 - The Baptism of the Frankish King Clovis. He was converted directly from Paganism to Roman or Orthodox Christianity. Clovis consolidated tribes and gained more control of Gaul. Clovis attempted to gain the favor of the bishops in Gaul. Clovis marries a Roman Catholic princess. About 7,000 Germanic Warriors decided as a group (with Clovis) to convert and were baptized as Catholic Christians.
527 - 65 - Justinian, the Roman Emperor attempts to reconquer parts of the Western part of the Empire. He pushes the Vandals out of North Africa and pushes the Germanic tribes out of Italy. He codifies the Roman law. He built the great Church in Constantinople. Really starts enforcing Orthodoxy.
550 - Benedict of Nursia (Italian Monk) set up the rhythm and pattern for monastic life in the west. Most clerics at this time come from the nobility.
131 Christians:
Bernard of Clairvaux
- Born into low Nobility
- He joined the Cistercians and lived an ascetic life which caused severe health problems
- Founded 60 Cistercian monasteries
- Wrote the rule for the Knights Templar
- Led the rally for the 2nd Crusade
Dominic
- Noble from Spain
- Devoted his life to poverty
- Preached to the Albigensians (heretics)
- Formed the Dominican Order of priests
- Aquinas was a Dominican
Innocent III
- First Pope to declare himself, "Vicar of Christ"
- Real name - Lotario Scotti
- Born into the Italian nobility
- One of the youngest Popes ever
- Purged the Church of disloyal officials, unneeded extravagance and replaced nobles with monks
- Saw the position of the Pope as ruler over all: "less than God but more than man, judging all other men, but himself judged by none
- Slaughtered the Albigensians
Catherine of Siena
- Devoted herself to a religious life at age 7 after seeing a vision
- Catherina Benincasa was born into middle class life, she was the 23rd of 25 kids
- Born the same year as the plague came to Europe
- Claimed to have an invisible stigmata
- Refused to marry
- Joined the Dominican Order of Penance (Dominican 3rd order) in 1363. This order was of lay persons who lived in their own home and were known by their dress and deeds for the poor
- By age 19 she attracted a following by her superb sanctity and fiesta personality
- She had a vision in which Jesus put a ring on her finger, signifying a marriage (spiritual marriage) to Christ
- She cared for plague victims
- Wrote letters to sinners, and to reform the church
- She convinced the Pope to return to Rome from France
- Died at age 33
- Declared a "Doctor of the Church" in 1970 (1 of 32 Doctors and 1 of 2 women Doctors)
John Wycliffe
- his bones were dug up 43 years after his death and burned and thrown into the River Swift
- English priest
- told Parliament not to pay Rome as they were saving for an incoming invasion from France because Christians were to be poor and the Church was rich enough
- Stated that the pope and the Church were second to the authority of Scriptures
- Wrote against Church doctrines of transubstantiation, indulgences and repudiated confession
- Began to translate the Bible into English for all to read
Francis of Assisi
Devotional Classics
7. Strive always to Praise God
- His message to the birds was for them to be grateful to God because God takes care of them
8. They sang a wonderful song
At the end of his message to the birds he blessed them and they all at once got up and left. They all sang to the Lord
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