Meeting of Hebrew (Faith) and Greek (Reason) Thought: two Foundational roots of Western Civilization Augustine: “I believe in order to Understand” Centered on Nature of Sin and Forgiveness (Grace)
Hebrew understanding of Creation, Sin, and grace shaped early Church’s understanding Greek philosophy helped Church Fathers make greater sense of Hebrew Scriptures and form foundational doctrines of the Church
Modern/Scientific Perspective Religious Perspective Philosophical (Greek) What is the meaning of existence? Why anything? Ontological: tends to the impersonal: the totality of existence Explores relationships between material things in time Religious (Hebrew) Meaning taken from more personal, subjective perspective Gilkey: “Creation as response to meaning” Power of Myth/Story: “Remember who your Patron is” and honor Covenant
Moderns (Scientific)Ancients (Religious) Universe seen as setting for impersonal interactions over billions of years Focuses on physical, observable phenomena Creates/tests theories Questions?: Does this fit into other previous systems? Creation viewed more Personally, psychologically Sought to understand and/or legitimize their society/govt Told stories/Narratives to understand meaning of life Questions?: Does this ring true to my experience?
Complete dependence on God: Faith must proceed Reason God does not give reasons….we must trust *When trust is eroded, things go wrong (Covenant broke, evil ensues)
Motif of Seduction Original Sin: Pride: want to be like God Hint of Grace present Even when we distrust, rebel, God still cares, still loves When humans are called to responsibility, God goes after them (Grace)
Evil caused by own lack of trust Meaning of Image and Likeness of God? Through grace, we become more like God
After Fall, still Image of God, not Likeness (Fallen, sinful) Likeness? A gift of Grace Christ as Perfect Likeness restores our likeness, or possibility of likeness
God as Patron of Israel (more social sense) God fulfills his responsibilities even when other party (us) does not Grace as “Abundance of God’s favor”: Christians personalized idea of Grace
Adam and Eve as innocent babes or kind of “Super-man and Super woman who committed the worst of all sins?
Can God Suffer? God makes self vulnerable, as opposed to Greek version of unchanging, intellectual god
“It was grace that made me love and call out to God” Was there even when didn’t want it Doctor of Grace: central to all his writings What is the actual relationship between God and humans? Everything debated in the Church after and including now were covered by these two
Pelagius A lay monk Wealthy Spiritual director around Rome Urged Christian perfection Be counter-cultural Manicheans major opponent Historical Background Emperor Constantine converted Empire to Christianity Many superficial conversions Pelagius shocked and dismayed
1. Human Freedom and Responsibility 2. Life of Love and Virtue 3.Need for Good Works 4. Example of Christ: “Be Perfect like Christ” 5. Rewards of Difficulty and Suffering Tended to isolate individuals: tended to overlook how interconnected we are Gift of Grace? Augustine: given to faithful Pelagius: given to those who choose to be holy
Augustine If grace doesn’t transform, no hope of redemption Knowledge not enough Is an inherent poverty of the human heart Free will but, before grace, no freedom Pelagius When talks of grace, talking mainly of knowledge