Lecture 6: The Trinity I - VIII Dr. Ann T. Orlando

Outline Historical Background Influences on Augustine Writing De Trinitate How to Approach the Structure Summary of Books I - VIII

Latin Background: Tertullian Father of Latin Theology (155-222) North African, deeply effected Cyprian And then both Catholic and Donatists in North Africa May of may not have been a lawyer; may or may not have been a Montanist In Against Praxesis uses word Trinity and describes Trinity as unity of persons (persona)

4th Century Christological and Trinitarian Controversies Who was Jesus Christ? What was the relationship between His divinity and humanity? What happened at the Incarnation? Recall that earliest heresy denied His humanity (docetism) How to describe the relationship of the “persons” in the Trinity? Three Gods? One God with three aspects? Controversies used technical philosophical language Controversies hinged on proper interpretation of Scripture: Proverbs 8:22 ff Genesis 1-3 John 1:1-14

Greek Background: Arianism Arius (256-336) studied in Antioch, ordained presbyter in Alexandria Jesus as Word, but Word created “there was when he was not” Wanted to firmly support monotheism But 4th C dispute also a dispute about Origen

A Neoplatonic Connection Augustine wants to convince the Neoplatonists of the need for a diving mediator, Jesus Christ See Book VII of Confessions By mid-4th C some Platonists adopted Arianism as the preferred form of Christianity One good creator God Jesus as the wisdom teacher Augustine may have written De Trinitate in part to address these philosophical tendency

Background to Nicene Creed Council of Nicea called by Constantine in 325 to resolve Arian controversy and bring unity to Church, and therefore unity to Empire Virtually all Eastern bishops and some Western bishops attended Bishop Alexander of Antioch succeeded in routing the Arian bishops

Nicene Creed Based on various “Rules of Faith” Lex orandi, lex credendi; the law of prayer is the law of faith What the Church prays is what the Church believes Based on Scripture, but wanted to be philosophically precise Used a word not found in Scripture: homoousia

Arianism after Nicea Continued to be a very potent heresy Also, politically well connected: Constantine may have been baptized by an Arian bishop His son, Constanstius, d. 360 took side of Arians; Sent Arian missionaries to Germany Alaric and the Goths who sacked Rome in 410 were Arian Christians His cousin, Julian the Apostate, d. 363 tried to return the Empire to paganism Of the claimants to Empire after Julian Valantinian I in West, pro-Nicene (although his mother was an Arian) Valens in East was a semi-Arian Finally ‘settled’ with Theodosius the Great, Council of Constantinople, 381, promulgates Nicene-Constantinople Creed, What we now have Note structure of CCC

St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) Like Augustine, a Neoplatonist who converted to Catholic Christianity Became bishop of Poitiers and taught St. Gregory of Tours Ardent foe of Arianism in the West Most important work was De Trinitate Influenced Augustine; see Trin. I.4.7; VI.10.11; XV.3.5

“Athanasian” Creed Not really from Athanasius, but a Latin Creedal statement from the 4th – 5th C In opposition to Arianism Referred to as ‘Athanasian’ because Athanasius was so forcefully anti-Arian Also known by its first words: quicumque vult or “Whoever wishes” Some attribute it to St. Hilary of Poitiers May have been part of an instruction to the Rude Augustine knows at least some aspects of this creed

Augustine and The Trinity Let me remember you, let me understand you, let me love you. Increase these things in me until you refashion me entirely. De Trinitate XV.28.51, from Concluding prayer. Meditation on Trinity probably the most important personal meditation by Augustine Always thinking about and writing about the Trinity Although opposed to Arians, Augustine’s Trinitarian works are far more than a refutation of Arianism Understood that the Trinity was ultimately mystery, but always looked for ways to approach that mystery

Writing De Trinitate I was a young man when I began these books on the Trinity which is the one true God, and I am now an old man as I publish them . Augustine to Bishop Aurelius of Carthage, Letter 174. Augustine started writing c. 399, finishing c 420. During this time, many eager to get Augustine’s thoughts on the Trinity started publishing sections without his approval And much to his annoyance; see Revisions 15 (42)

Manuscripts and Translations Latin manuscripts Pl 42 CCL 50 Complete English translations NPNF Series 1, Vol. 3 FC 45 WSA I.5 (Required)

Referencing De Trinitate Augustine divided the work into 15 Books Universally indicated by capital Roman numbers No chapters, no paragraphs Subsequent (Renaissance) editors of Augustine’s manuscript used varying indicators for chapter divisions within Books Indicated in the WSA text as lower and upper case Arabic numerals In WSA there is a separate division into Chapters I suggest we reference using Book. Lower case division. Upper Case division. Thus for example “The purpose of all the Catholic commentators I have been able to read…” should be references as I.4.7 (and ignore that this is in WSA Chapter 2) This will keep us using the standard reference systems found in all secondary literature

Structure of De Trinitate The structure has been a matter of debate in contemporary studies for over 50 years Depending on the perspective of the scholar, various structures can be found Human anthropology Trinitarian ‘systematic’ theology Trinity in the economy of salvation My view: Books I-VIII; what we believe about the Trinity, based on Scripture Books IX-XV; how we can grow in understanding of the Trinity moving towards love But Augustine himself gives us two synopses of his work “Sermon 52” Trin. Book XV.3.4-5 (pp 507-510)

“Sermon 52”: A Summary of De Trinitate Given for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord c. 410 Attempts to understand how the inseparable Trinity is manifested differently in Matt 3:13-17 Father’s voice Son is Baptized Spirit as dove Augustine suggests part of the problem is we cannot relate to the purely incorporeal Similarly concerned with Creedal statements relating to Jesus, but not Father or Spirit Neither Father nor Spirit born of the Virgin Mary or suffered Augustine suggests that the Incarnation is as much a mystery as the Trinity Looking for a likeness (imperfect though it is) to help us understand, Augustine suggests we look at ourselves Memory, Intellect, Will “Look, I’ve found three things operating in you, indicated separately, operating inseparably…” (Serm 52.23)

How “Sermon 52” Approximately Tracks De Trinitate WARNING: This is my reading Trin. Book Sermon 52 Key Issue I 2-3 Inseparable Trinity II-III 5-10 Mission of Persons of Trinity IV 11 Incarnation, Christ the Mediator V-VII 12-13 Arguments against the Arians VIII 14-16 Summary and moving toward understanding IX-X 17 Understanding the Trinity in creation XI-XIII 18-20 Beginning to find Trinity in memory, understanding, will XIV - XV 21-24 Ascending to the love of the Trinity

WSA Introduction General Outline Chiastic structure Books I-IV Mission of the Trinity, based in Scripture Book V- VII Philosophical and Linguistic Contemplation of Trinity Book VIII How God Communicates with us Book IX – XI Human Psychology (Soul) Book XII – XV Human history in relation to God in Scripture NB: I am not a big fan of this structure; see article by Crawford

De Trinitate Books I-IV Book I: Augustine addresses his readers Importance of Catholic tradition Rule for interpreting Scripture concerning the Trinity: Son is equal to Father in the form of God, less than the Father in form of a servant Book II: Mission of persons of Trinity does not change equality among them Old Testament theophanies Book III: Angels and miracles in Old Testament

De Trinitate Book IV Inseparability of persons of Trinity, but must be manifested to us separately because of our limitations Jesus Christ the Mediator Why did the Son become man Relation between Feast of Annunciation (Incarnation) and Good Friday IV.5.9 Refer to Letter 55 1.2; Christmas (Dec 25) not a sacrament Jesus Christ as sacrament, sacrifice, priest Definition of true sacrifice in IV.14.19 ; see also CoG Book X Offered by a holy and just priest What is offered is received from those for whom it is offered Offered without fault; a perfect offering

Books V - VII Book V: Analysis of words describing God Refutation of Arian language Spirit as datus, Son as natus Book VI: Question of interpretation of 1 Cor 1:24 the power and wisdom of God Refutation of Arians Book VII: Continuation of 1 Cor. 1:24 Study of Greek word hypostasis

Book VIII God is Truth, God is Good, God is Love Happiness is found in full knowledge and enjoyment of God But how can we love God if we do not (cannot) know Him? Definition of love: True love is that by which we should live justly by cleaving to the truth, and so for the love of men by which we wish them to live justly we should despise all mortal things. (VIII.7.10) There you are with three: the lover, what is being loved and love (VIII.10.14) Books XI – XV are how we ascend to the full enjoyment of the love of the Trinity in the happy life (See Crawford paper)

Assignment Begin with either (preferably BOTH): “Sermon 52” Trin. XV.3.4-5 You may find the discussion in WSA Introduction helpful Read De Trinitate Books I, IV, VIII (at a minimum) Translation MUST be by Edmund Hill, New City Press, 1991 Prepare paper #6 But let us rest our effort for a little while, not supposing that is has already found us what we are looking for, but as if finding a place where something has to be looked for…Thus we have said enough to provide ourselves as it were with a frame of a kind of warp on which we can weave what remains to be said. From Conclusion of Book VIII

Some works consulted Ayers, Lewis. “Remember that you are Catholic: Augustine on the Unity of the Triune God,” Journal of Early Christian Studies, Vol 8, Number 1, Spring 2001, pp 38-82. Crawford, Nathan. “The Sapiential Structure of Augustine’s De Trinitate,” Pro Ecclesia 19 (2010): 434–52.