Athanasius devotes much of his writings and his life to discount and discredit the heretical writing of the Arians. Leithart puts it best when he says that Athanasius’ hermeneutics is “situated, always in the church…[and] is always embattled,” being that Athanasius always tried to stay true to scripture. Athanasius thought that he himself was combatting the devil in his writings, being that his work was part of larger battle of spiritual warfare raging within the church. One of Athanasius’ most common hermeneutical strategies that Leithart describes is using allegory to describe himself and his opponents in Biblical Terms. This “political theology” was commonly used throughout this time, but Athanasius, a well-read and well-learned scholar, commonly described himself in regard to biblical characters, and his opponents as biblical devils. Constantius, an avid supporter …show more content…
For example, Adam is not eternal, for he had a beginning, and before he was created he was dust. Considering that God created all things, nothing that has been created can “coexist with the ever-existing God.” This would mean that anything that was made by God would not be eternal from the beginning to the end of time, making it necessary for the Son to be eternally begotten by the Father, as He is equal in the triune Godhead. For Athanasius, “creation persists only through the continuous overflowing goodness of the Creator,” while Christ Himself does not need to be sustained, for He Himself is God in the trinity, and therefore does not need to be sustained in the same way that humans are sustained by the laws of nature. Leithart uses this strategy to point out the need for Jesus to be eternally generated, because if Jesus was created at a certain point in time, He would not in fact be God, but instead would be like humans who were all created at a certain point in
St. Augustine considers his mother as a crucial factor in his conversion to Catholicism. However through the analysis of his Confessions it leads me to believe that St. Augustine’s mother was not a decisive figure. Monica was in the background keeping him in thought and prayer however Augustine’s watershed moments came as a result of his own examination of readings as well as his conversations with his friends and mentors. Therefore I argue that Monica had delayed Augustine’s baptism and it was his own experiences that allowed him to come to God.
The idea of ‘Eternalism’ stems from the concept that the past, present and future are all equally real in comparison with one another. It can be seen to be the case the things from the past or the present can be seen to exist just as must as in the present. For example, the 12th February 2014 is equally as real as the 12th March 2014; they’re just in different parts of the timeline of time. Although some things are not in the same time period as us right now, such as a dinosaur, does not mean that they did not exist at all, and certainly “does not mean that they shouldn’t be on the list of all existing...
When Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) make this canvas , now very well know like "Lamentation over the dead Christ" as properly called this work between 1470 and 1480, produced a revolution in the history of art: A painting- from the quattrocento- was no longer simply a flat surface before the spectator, now this it gives the impression of entering the reality inside the environment, and it is represented together with the bold use of foreshortening and the renowned virtuosity of the painter with the prospect. According to video on You Tube: “The son of Mantegna called it The Foreshortened Christ” (Khan).
So it can be said that gnosis is secret knowledge revealed to man hat only get by someone or a
Saint Augustine’s On Faith and the Creed breaks down the Apostles Creed and expresses the essence of the Christian faith. The 11 chapters within On Faith and The Creed express many truths of the faith. Chapter one explains the origin of the creed and object of its composition. The Apostles Creed is a sufficient summary of the faith for beginners and those who who are more diligent in their faith. Many heretics have tried to corrupt the interpretation of the Apostles Creed. Yet, since it is written according to the scripture, the Apostles Creed is based on complete truth. Chapter two expresses the fact that eternity is exclusive. Saint Augustine talks about how the Apostles Creed will not truly be understood or impact a person if they are not
For instance, deception only relies on imperfection, while that is not God, which makes God a non-deceiver. The idea of God is something that would not just come naturally. It is not ordinary living and just thinking of God. The idea of God as a whole must be created by God. If humans are finite, and God is infinite, how could one possibly have the thought of such an infinite being?
Jesus, a name known by billions throughout the world. To each, this name means something different; savior, friend, philosopher, prophet, teacher, fraud, fake, liar. Some even believe that He is just an imaginary character from the minds of those who wrote about Him. The Westminster Dictionary of Theology describes apologetics as, "Defense, by argument, of Christian belief against external criticism or against other worldly views" (Apologetics 31-32). Though there are still many mysteries that surround the ongoing debate about Christianity, evidence can now prove some of what Christians took by faith before. Now, more than ever, there is information to prove the existence of this man that walked the earth more than two thousand years ago. Little remains of His life and works except for that which is contained within the pages of the Holy Bible. Throughout the past century alone, there have been numerous discoveries, both scientific and archeological; to further prove the existence of a man called Jesus and reinforce the Bible as a legitimate historical document. The validity of Christianity and Jesus Christ himself has been the center of religious controversy for centuries. Though His identity has not and probably never will be proven, He did exist. This paper will use apologetics to prove this so. Sufficient evidence proves the existence of Jesus and forms a firm basis for Christianity.
Athanasius of Alexandria lived from 296 AD to 373 AD. Athanasius was famously known for his writing on the incarnation. On the Incarnation of the Word is the work written by Athanasius that compiles classics of Orthodox theology. In this work, Athanasius significantly upheld the incarnation of Jesus Christ against the ridicule of the non-believers of the incarnation. Athanasius also explains in his work why God chose to contact the sinners on Earth in the form of life. Athanasius states, "The death of all was consummated in the Lord's body; yet, because the Word was in it, death and corruption were in the same act utterly abolished" (Athanasius, 17). He solved the problems with the contradiction of the incarnate by relying on both the church
A wonderful description of the nature of God’s existence that includes the absolute possession of characteristics that have to be uniquely God was said, “First, God must exist necessarily, which means that God’s existence differs from ours by not being dependent on anything or anyone else, or such as to be taken from him or lost in any way. God has always existed, will always exist and could not do otherwise than to exist. Also, whatever attributes God possesses, he possesses necessarily” (Wood, J., 2010, p. 191).
St. Augustine is a man with a rational mind. As a philosopher, scholar, and teacher of rhetoric, he is trained in and practices the art of logical thought and coherent reasoning. The pursuits of his life guide him to seek concrete answers to specific questions. Religion, the practice of which relies primarily on faith—occasionally blind faith—presents itself as unable to be penetrated by any sort of scientific study or inquiry. Yet, like a true scientist and philosopher, one of the first questions St. Augustine poses in his Confessions is: “What, then, is the God I worship” (23)? For a long time, Augustine searches for knowledge about God as a physical body, a particular entity—almost as if the Lord were merely a human being, given the divine right to become the active figurehead of the Christian religion.
A foundational belief in Christianity is the idea that God is perfectly good. God is unable to do anything evil and all his actions are motives are completely pure. This principle, however, leads to many questions concerning the apparent suffering and wrong-doing that is prevalent in the world that this perfect being created. Where did evil come from? Also, how can evil exist when the only eternal entity is the perfect, sinless, ultimately good God? This question with the principle of God's sovereignty leads to even more difficult problems, including human responsibility and free will. These problems are not limited to our setting, as church fathers and Christian philosophers are the ones who proposed some of the solutions people believe today. As Christianity begins to spread and establish itself across Europe in the centuries after Jesus' resurrection, Augustine and Boethius provide answers, although wordy and complex, to this problem of evil and exactly how humans are responsible in the midst of God's sovereignty and Providence.
Saint Thomas Aquinas was born around 1225 in his father’s castle Roccassecca, Italy and he was a Catholic Priest in the Dominican Order and one of the most important theologian and philosopher. He was ranked among the most influential thinkers of medieval Scholasticism since he combined the theological principles of faith with the philosophical principles of reason and the father of the Thomistic school of theology. St. Thomas Aquinas was a prolific writer and an influence of the Roman Catholic Church. In addition, he died on March7, 1274, at the Cistercian monastery of Fossanova, near Terracina, Latium, Papal States, and Italy. He was the son of Landulph; count of Aquino, Thomas the youngest child of eight and his mother, Theodora, was countess of Teano. Thomas's family members were considered to be of lower class even though they were descendants of Emperors Frederick I and Henry VI.
...ctions by stating, “The Devil struts his wide estate, and the law of God are mocked”, (pg 20). All his decisions are made upon his religion no matter what it may be. Also those who looked different were judged upon religion and not by whom they really were in the inside, but instead a Deviation. Through these examples it clearly shows that religion often influences one’s point of view.
The human deception is to believe that one is capable of saving themselves because their sin is not that bad; however, because of sins power, there is not any effort or means of people saving themselves. The only way of salvation is belief in Jesus Christ and his work upon the cross. Yet this self-saving thought continues to this day and was greatly influenced by a British monk name Pelagius.1 He believed that people were not born sinful, some could live a sinless life, and ultimately, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was unnecessary.
There are three main issues that Pope talks about in his long poem "An Essay on Man." First, the poet evokes a timeless vision of humanity in which the universe is connected to a great chain that extends from God to the tiniest form of life. Secondly, Pope discusses God's plan in which evil must exist for the sake of the greater good, a paradox not fully understandable by human reason. Thirdly, the poem accuses human beings of being proud and impious. Pope feels that man claims more insight into the nature of existence then he possesses.