CVSP 205 Oct.19, 2015 George Sabra

St Augustine in his study by Sandro Boticelli (1480)

 Human happiness and dignity come from obedience to the universal law.  “Nothing can be good for a man unless it helps to make him just, self-disciplined, courageous and independent; and nothing bad unless it has the contrary effect.” (Meditations Bk. 8)

 Mithraism (Mithras was a Persian and Indian sun-god).  All creatures believed to have sprung from the bull which Mithras slew before ascending into heaven.  Initiation into its mysteries guaranteed a member immortality and blessedness.

 Mani the prophet (ca )  A combination of Oriental, Persian and Christian ideas and teachings  Goal of religion: liberating man from the chains of Satan and darkness which are embedded in the physical world  A dualistic interpretation of ultimate reality

 One God: All-Good, All-Powerful  Creator out of Nothing  Jesus: the presence of God among human beings; perfect man and perfect God.  Church: the community of believers in Jesus  New Testament: the memory of Jesus, his words and deeds, and the early community’s interpretation of his person and teachings  Trinity: One God in three real ways of being the same God: Father/Creator – Son/Savior – Spirit/Sanctifier

Mani the prophet Mani the prophet

Plato

Jesus the Christ

 Faith and Reason  Western Christian mysticism  Shaper of Catholicism and Protestantism  Doctrine of “original sin”  Synthesis of Plato and Christianity  Discoverer of the subconscious? Anticipates Freud

 Books I-IX: a form of autobiography until his mother’s death. X-XIII: Augustine as expositor of the Bible; Neoplatonic analysis of memory, time, creation, exegesis of Genesis I