Lecture 3; Theology 100 -312; ATO1 Lecture 3 Theological Developments 100 - 312 Dr. Ann T. Orlando...

Lecture 3; Theology 100 -312; ATO 1

Lecture 3Theological Developments100 - 312Dr. Ann T. Orlando

25 January 2011


Overview

Review of history 100 – 312 Scripture: what is it; how shall we interpret it How (if at all) to use philosophy Liturgical and spiritual developments; Church

leadership Introduction to Augustine This week’s readings NB: This lecture uses Scripture as the thread; other threads could

have been chosen: Christology, Theodicy, Church authority (Ecclesiology), Anthropology, Ethics, Spirituality; these threads combine together to form the complete story of the early Church


Third Strand: Philosophical Background(from first lecture) Athenian Philosophy Before Alexander

Socrates and Plato: Platonism (and indirectly skepticism); Academy

Aristotle: Plato’s student, founder of Lyceum and Aristotelianism Hellenistic Philosophy (see Acts 17:18)

Epicurus, fought in Alexander’s army; opposed to Plato, founder of Epicureanism; the Garden Rabbinic word for ‘atheist’ derived from Epicurus

Zeno: opposed to Epicurus, founder of Stoicism; the Stoa Example: Prolog to John’s Gospel

Neo-Platonism centered in Alexandria 250 AD Note that ancient philosophy was considered a way of life; not an academic

discipline Catholic Christianity has always used contemporary philosophical methods

as the language of theology and as an aid to interpret the Bible; philosophy as the handmaid of theology. Example: Virtue


History Overview 100-312

Roman Empire at its height (Second Century) Christians suffer waves of persecutions, local in

Second Century; Empire wide in Third Century (worst under Decius and Diocletian)

Orthodox (Catholic) Church honors martyrs; but struggles to determine what to do about lapsed; orthodox Church opposed to Donatists

Early Christian theologians develop arguments supporting Christianity (Apologies)

Rome recognized as the ‘capital’ of Christianity


Issues Surrounding Christian Scripture The OT (Septuagint): in or out?

Relation of creator God to Father of Jesus Christ How can there be suffering if the creator God is a good God? (theodicy

problem) Is God anthropomorphic; as OT might indicate? Relation to Judaism

What is in NT? Paul primary or Gospels What literature about Jesus is sacred What writings of early believers is in/out (e.g., First Letter of Clement,

Epistle of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermes) Answers to these questions determined which books considered

authoritative by various Christian groups In this era many Christian groups selected books to support their theology;

Canon is from Greek word for rule or measure Stoic philosophical term


2nd C Gnosticism

Gnosticism is really a ‘catch all’ term for several groups of early Christians which shared some beliefs, usually with a Platonic philosophical background

Gnostic is from Greek, gnosis, knowledge Most Gnostic Christians believed:

Jesus was divine, not human (docetism); Jesus was the son of Sophia (Wisdom) and God the Father Physical, material world was, at best, irrelevant, at worst

evil Believers have special, secret, knowledge of divine things But only a few are believers; most humans do not have

souls


2nd C Gnosticism: Scripture and Gnosticism Gnostics rejected the OT

God of OT was evil, creator God God of OT was anthropomorphic, not spiritual

Gnostics accepted many different types of literature about Jesus Gospel of Truth, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip;

Recent discovery (1945) of many Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, Egypt

Key Gnostic: Valentinus, early 2nd C, Alexandria and Rome


2nd C Marcion: OT Out; only Paul, Luke In NT Most important impetus for development of

Scriptural canon was Marcion (c. 110-160) Wealthy sea captain, who carefully studied Christian

literature Initially part of orthodox Roman church

Decided that only Paul and parts of Luke were canonical

Opposed to Judaism and so rejected OT Left Roman church to start his own church; spread

very rapidly around Mediterranean; Marcionites in West for next 200 years; in East much longer


Defenders (Developers) of Orthodoxy 2nd Century defenders of orthodoxy

St. Ignatius of Antioch St. Justin Martyr St. Irenaeus Tertullian

Note how these people from different parts of Empire knew of each other; network of orthodox believers;

Rome, Antioch, Alexandria centers for large, famous Christian schools


St. Justin Martyr (100 – 165) and Tatian Justin and his Christian school at Rome seems to have been

very well known Justin used many Stoic concepts in his apologies (he was after

all writing at time of Marcus Aurelius) Tatian was from Syria; came to Rome to study with Justin Tatian wrote the first harmony of gospels that is extant (Justin

may also have developed one, now lost) Tatian’s harmony became canonical, used in liturgies in Syria Harmony developed and used specifically against Marcionites Tatian eventually became a gnostic, encratite sect


St. Irenaeus (120-200)

Born in Asia Minor (120-200) Knew Polycarp; who knew Ignatius of Antioch Immigrated to Lyon, France; became Bishop Wrote extensively against Gnostics

(Valentinus in particular) and Marcion Recognized orthodox Church in Rome as

having primacy Quotes Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Probably died a martyr


Tertullian (160-215)

Born in Carthage, North Africa; trained as a lawyer First Latin theologian; much of vocabulary of theological Latin

originated with him; but also wrote some works in Greek Sacrament Trinity

Vehement works against Marion and gnostics More works extant from him than any other 2cd C author Critical influence on Cyprian (3rd C) and Augustine (4th C) Questioned some (but not all) use of philosophy in theology,

“What has Athens to do with Jerusalem” Near end of his life may have become a Montanist

Breaks with Rome over discipline


2nd C: MontanistsContinuing Prophecy In ‘NT’ Started by Montus, Prisca, Maximillia late 2cd

Century in Asia Minor Believed in continuing prophecy and

revelation led by Holy Spirit Believed apocalypse immanent Believed that once Baptized, sins could not

be forgiven (similar to Donatists); Church only for pure


Christian ‘Systematic’ Theologian: Origen (185-254) Born in Alexandria; towering giant over Eastern theology; many subsequent

debates trace to how to interpret Origen May have studied in same philosophical classes as Plotinus; also knew St.

Clement of Alexandria (not to be confused with late 1st C Pope St. Clement) Along with Clement, Origen preserves the works of Alexandrian Jewish

philosopher and theologian Philo Traveled extensively, including to Rome and met with Hippolytus Wrote:

An apology, Contra Celsum Many Biblical commentaries, including on OT books Biblical scholarship: Hexapla comparing Hebrew, and several different

versions of Greek OT (not extant) Different ways to interpret Bible, especially OT allegorically (debt to

Philo) ‘systematic’ presentation of Christianity: On First Principles

Suffered persecution during Decius reign, eventually died from wounds Not declared a saint because of controversies about his ideas after he died


Styles of Scriptural Interpretation More literal; associated with Antioch

Paul of Samosata (3rd C) St. John Chrysostom (late 4th C)

Highly allegorical; associated with Alexandria; based on Stoic interpretive techniques Origen (3rd C) St. Gregory of Nyssa (4th C)

NB: Church now recognizes two senses of Scripture: Literal and Spiritual; Spiritual includes allegorical, tropological (moral) and anagogical (goal) see CCC


3rd C: Mani

Founder was Mani (215 - 277), Persian Synchristic combination of Gnostic and Montanist

Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism: “As once Buddha came to India, Zoroaster to Persia, and

Jesus to the lands of the West, so came in the present time, this prophecy through me, the Mani, to the land of Babylonia"

Very potent, well organized religion Accepts some aspects of NT Lasted for over a Millennium (Dominicans founded

to combat Cathars, a Manichean sect is 13th C) ‘Martyred’ by Persians


Main Points of Manichaeism Solve the theodicy problem by saying that

there are two gods: one evil, one good Material world associated with evil god Special knowledge comes from good god;

only available to initiated Manicheans Scripture includes parts of NT,

Zoroastrianism and works of Mani Mani considered himself reincarnation of Apostle

Paul and/or incarnation of Holy Spirit


New Philosophical Development: NeoPlatonism Plotinus (204-270) Alexandria, pagan philosopher

Considered himself a Platonist; wanted to defend Plato against gnostics

Knowledge of the One is available to everyone Steps to achieve spiritual unity with the One Material world is not bad (but not complete; completion only

in the One) Most important philosophical statement as solution

of theodicy problem: Evil is the absence of a good that should be there (see definition of evil in CCC)


Catholic Opposition to Manichaeism: St. Augustine (354-430) Born in North Africa Included here because most famous opponent of

Manichaeism in West; he was a Manichean hearer for 11 years

Towering giant of Western Christianity (even more than Origen was in the East)

Only limited knowledge of Greek; wrote in Latin Story of his move away from orthodox Catholic

Church toward Manichaeism and his return is chronicled in Confessions

Like Origen, developed rules for interpretation of Scripture


Liturgical and Spiritual Developments Limited sources Early liturgical descriptions:

Paul Jewish background to order and style of early liturgies The Didache late 1st C Justin Martyr, First Apology 2nd C Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition 3rd C

Spirituality Desert monks (from Greek meaning one, solitary) Popular Christian symbols: fish, anchor, good shepherd,

chi-rho, alpha-omega Early baptismal creeds (Apostle’s creed) Tradition of fasting on Wednesday and Friday (Didache)


Church Organization

Bishops, presbyters (elders, priests), deacons Based on Biblical divisions

Bishop as leader very early on (Ignatius) Bishops selected by presbyters and people; confirmed and

ordained by local bishops in area Presbyters primary mission was to help bishop

teach, assist at liturgy Deacons run the ‘business’ of Church; feed poor,

manage Church property and cemeteries; assist Bishop at Easter vigil baptisms


Readings

Chadwick, Ch 1 in McManners More difficult reading than Vidmar Also more nuanced and much more insightful Read all carefully, especially p. 29 before you write your

papers Justin Martyr First Apology P21-67 (p 255-288)

Does Justin go too far in his comparison of Jesus with gods of Greek and Roman myths P21, 22?

Notice how Justin embraces OT, while distancing Christianity from Judaism P30-53

Plato borrowed from OT P59, 60 Early description of Christian worship P 65-67


Readings (cont.)

Irenaeus; read it all carefully Importance of apostolic succession Importance of four Gospels Exegesis of Acts 15 and Galatians 2 Role of Mary in plan of salvation Importance of Plato

Origen Use Scripture to explain Scripture Levels of understanding Importance of apostolic succession Refers to Pope St. Clement (like Irenaeus) Read P 1,2,4,6,9 most carefully


Readings (cont.)

Augustine Confessions Book III Read it all carefully Lust vs. love i, ii, iii Importance of philosophy iv Note why Augustine turns away from Catholic Christianity v Note some of his descriptions of Manichean customs vi, x Discussion on evil as absence of good vii Natural law, justice, local custom vii, viii Reaction of Monica; especially her dream in which she

sees Augustine standing next to her on the same rule xi, xii


CCC

115-120 on the senses of Scripture 75-79 on importance of apostolic succession Read definition of evil in glossary

Lecture 3; Theology 100 -312; ATO1 Lecture 3 Theological Developments 100 - 312 Dr. Ann T. Orlando...

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Transcript of Lecture 3; Theology 100 -312; ATO1 Lecture 3 Theological Developments 100 - 312 Dr. Ann T. Orlando...