1. Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction Chapter 2: The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, c.700-c.1500 Wiley-Blackwell 2010

2. On Defining the “Middle Ages” Difficulties with defining the scope of the Middle Ages By the 11th century, three major power centers: –Byzantium –Western Europe –The Caliphate Strain in relationships between east and west –The filioque controversy –Political rivalry between Rome and Constantinople –Final break (often) dated to 1054 Wiley-Blackwell 2010

3. Medieval Theological Landmarks in Western Europe The Carolingian renaissance –Charlemagne (742-814) and Alcuin (735-804) –Monastic schools and cathedral schools The rise of cathedral and monastic schools of theology –The “Rule of Benedict” –Women theological writers The religious orders and their schools of theology –Franciscans –Dominicans –Cistercians –Augustinians Wiley-Blackwell 2010

4. The founding of the universities Peter Lombard’s Four Books of the Sentences The rise of scholasticism The Italian Renaissance –Lack of scholastic theology in Italy –Physical reminders of the greatness of antiquity –Fall of Constantinople The rise of humanism –“Ad fontes” (back to the sources) –The Latin Vulgate and the Greek New Testament Wiley-Blackwell 2010

5. Medieval Theological Landmarks in Eastern Europe The emergence of Byzantine theology The iconoclastic controversy –Emperor Leo III –John of Damascus The hesychastic controversy –Simeon the New Theologian –Gregory Palamas The fall of Constantinople (1453) –Eastern Orthodoxy in Russia Wiley-Blackwell 2010

6. Key Theologians John of Damascus (c.676-749) –Iconoclastic controversy –The Fountain of Wisdom; “the Orthodox Faith” Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022) –Abbot of St. Mamas in Constantinople Anselm of Canterbury (c.1033-1109) –Proslogion (the ontological argument) –Cur deus homo (theory of the atonement) Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-74) –Summa contra Gentiles –Summa theologiae The “Five Ways” The principle of analogy Relation between faith and reason Wiley-Blackwell 2010

7. Duns Scotus (c.1265-1308) –The “subtle doctor” –Voluntarism v. illuminationism –Immaculate conception of Mary William of Ockham (c.1285-1347) –Ockham’s razor –Nominalism Erasmus of Rotterdam (c.1469-1536) –Christian humanism –Handbook of the Christian Soldier –First printed text of the Greek New Testament –Production of full texts of patristic works Wiley-Blackwell 2010

8. Key Theological Developments The consolidation of the patristic heritage –Augustine of Hippo The exploration of the role of reason in theology –Anselm faith seeking understanding I believe, that I may understand –Aristotle, “the Philosopher” –Apologetics (e.g., Aquinas’s Summa contra Gentiles) The development of theological systems The development of sacramental theology The development of the theology of grace Wiley-Blackwell 2010

9. The role of Mary in the scheme of salvation –“maculists” v. “immaculists” –Mary as coredemptrix? Returning directly to the sources of Christian theology –The Latin Vulgate and the Greek New Testament The critique of the Vulgate translation of Scripture –First printed Greek New Testament in 1516 –Translation errors in the Vulgate Matthew 4:17 - “do penance” or “repent” Luke 1:28 - “full of grace” or “favored one” Wiley-Blackwell 2010