Thomas McCall and Michael Rea (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199216215
- eISBN:
- 9780191695995
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199216215.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Theology
Classical Christian orthodoxy insists that God is Triune: there is only one God, but there are three divine Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who are somehow of one substance with one another. ...
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Classical Christian orthodoxy insists that God is Triune: there is only one God, but there are three divine Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who are somehow of one substance with one another. But what does this doctrine mean? How can we coherently believe that there is only one God if we also believe that there are three divine Persons? This problem, sometimes called the ‘threeness-oneness problem’ or the ‘logical problem of the Trinity’, is the focus of this interdisciplinary volume. It includes a selection of recent philosophical work on this topic, accompanied by a variety of essays by philosophers and theologians to further the discussion. The book is divided into four parts, the first three dealing in turn with the three most prominent models for understanding the relations between the Persons of the Trinity: Social Trinitarianism, Latin Trinitarianism, and Relative Trinitarianism. Each section includes essays by both proponents and critics of the relevant model. The volume concludes with a section containing essays by theologians reflecting on the current state of the debate.Less
Classical Christian orthodoxy insists that God is Triune: there is only one God, but there are three divine Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who are somehow of one substance with one another. But what does this doctrine mean? How can we coherently believe that there is only one God if we also believe that there are three divine Persons? This problem, sometimes called the ‘threeness-oneness problem’ or the ‘logical problem of the Trinity’, is the focus of this interdisciplinary volume. It includes a selection of recent philosophical work on this topic, accompanied by a variety of essays by philosophers and theologians to further the discussion. The book is divided into four parts, the first three dealing in turn with the three most prominent models for understanding the relations between the Persons of the Trinity: Social Trinitarianism, Latin Trinitarianism, and Relative Trinitarianism. Each section includes essays by both proponents and critics of the relevant model. The volume concludes with a section containing essays by theologians reflecting on the current state of the debate.
Adele Reinhartz
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195146967
- eISBN:
- 9780199785469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195146967.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The Gospels assert that Jesus is not the son of Joseph but of God, and point to Jesus' miracles, God's declarations, and other aspects of Jesus' extraordinary life as evidence for his divine sonship. ...
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The Gospels assert that Jesus is not the son of Joseph but of God, and point to Jesus' miracles, God's declarations, and other aspects of Jesus' extraordinary life as evidence for his divine sonship. The challenge for filmmakers lies in the visual nature of the film medium. How to illustrate this extraordinary paternity on the silver screen, when God as such cannot be portrayed visually? The biopics also employ a variety of techniques, including symbolism (e.g., lighting), and the portrayal of Jesus' miraculous deeds. A number of films also explore the possibility of skepticism — on the part of the audience and even on Jesus' part — regarding Jesus' divine identity.Less
The Gospels assert that Jesus is not the son of Joseph but of God, and point to Jesus' miracles, God's declarations, and other aspects of Jesus' extraordinary life as evidence for his divine sonship. The challenge for filmmakers lies in the visual nature of the film medium. How to illustrate this extraordinary paternity on the silver screen, when God as such cannot be portrayed visually? The biopics also employ a variety of techniques, including symbolism (e.g., lighting), and the portrayal of Jesus' miraculous deeds. A number of films also explore the possibility of skepticism — on the part of the audience and even on Jesus' part — regarding Jesus' divine identity.
Peter Widdicombe
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199242481
- eISBN:
- 9780191697111
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242481.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This introductory chapter sets out the purpose of the book, which is to examine the genesis of Athanasius' theology of God as Father and to analyse its structure against the background of the ...
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This introductory chapter sets out the purpose of the book, which is to examine the genesis of Athanasius' theology of God as Father and to analyse its structure against the background of the Alexandrian tradition. It is important to recognize that Athanasius was not the first Alexandrian to write about the divine fatherhood. He was writing within the context of an Alexandrian tradition of reflection on the fatherhood of God, a tradition in which the terms Father and Son were the determinative metaphors for theological discussion. The book also demonstrates that Origen believed that the affirmation God is Father lay at the heart of the Christian faith.Less
This introductory chapter sets out the purpose of the book, which is to examine the genesis of Athanasius' theology of God as Father and to analyse its structure against the background of the Alexandrian tradition. It is important to recognize that Athanasius was not the first Alexandrian to write about the divine fatherhood. He was writing within the context of an Alexandrian tradition of reflection on the fatherhood of God, a tradition in which the terms Father and Son were the determinative metaphors for theological discussion. The book also demonstrates that Origen believed that the affirmation God is Father lay at the heart of the Christian faith.
Peter Widdicombe
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199242481
- eISBN:
- 9780191697111
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199242481.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter summarizes the discussions of Origen's thought in Chapters 1 to 4. The continuity in Origen's thought about God as Father, over time and in various kinds of writings, reflects the fact ...
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This chapter summarizes the discussions of Origen's thought in Chapters 1 to 4. The continuity in Origen's thought about God as Father, over time and in various kinds of writings, reflects the fact that there is a continuity of theological intention, method, and themes in his work as a whole. His theology is worked out within the parameters of Middle Platonist philosophical assumptions, but the theme of the fatherhood of God is evidence of his biblical and theological orientation. The sense of the personal relation of Father and Son and of the plurality and mutuality of the divine life permeates the whole of Origen's writings and has a significant impact on his thinking about the nature of salvation.Less
This chapter summarizes the discussions of Origen's thought in Chapters 1 to 4. The continuity in Origen's thought about God as Father, over time and in various kinds of writings, reflects the fact that there is a continuity of theological intention, method, and themes in his work as a whole. His theology is worked out within the parameters of Middle Platonist philosophical assumptions, but the theme of the fatherhood of God is evidence of his biblical and theological orientation. The sense of the personal relation of Father and Son and of the plurality and mutuality of the divine life permeates the whole of Origen's writings and has a significant impact on his thinking about the nature of salvation.
Kevin Madigan
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195322743
- eISBN:
- 9780199785407
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195322743.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
In the tenth book of De Trinitate, Hilary of Poitiers gave extended consideration to the motive and meaning of three prayers from the passion narrative: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup ...
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In the tenth book of De Trinitate, Hilary of Poitiers gave extended consideration to the motive and meaning of three prayers from the passion narrative: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt 26:39); “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34); and “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit” (Luke 23:46). All three prayers were used by the Arians in an attempt to establish the ontological inferiority of the Son to the Father. In fact, Hilary states that the latter two prayers comprise, together, the “chief weapons” in the Arian campaign to deny the divinity of the Son. This chapter focuses upon key ancient and medieval inquiries into the question: why did the Incarnate Son pray?Less
In the tenth book of De Trinitate, Hilary of Poitiers gave extended consideration to the motive and meaning of three prayers from the passion narrative: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matt 26:39); “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34); and “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit” (Luke 23:46). All three prayers were used by the Arians in an attempt to establish the ontological inferiority of the Son to the Father. In fact, Hilary states that the latter two prayers comprise, together, the “chief weapons” in the Arian campaign to deny the divinity of the Son. This chapter focuses upon key ancient and medieval inquiries into the question: why did the Incarnate Son pray?
Jon M. Robertson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212606
- eISBN:
- 9780191707360
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212606.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter briefly analyses Origen's view of the mediation of God through the Word, which gives background to the study of the three 4th-century theologians, as well as providing a methodological ...
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This chapter briefly analyses Origen's view of the mediation of God through the Word, which gives background to the study of the three 4th-century theologians, as well as providing a methodological framework for this study. It is shown that contrary to the opinion of many, Origen actually emphasized a ‘unity of substance’ between the Father, Son, and Spirit, which entailed incorporeality (with its concomitant invisibility) and the utter simplicity of being which only belongs to ‘the species of deity’ (deitatis species). Origin also wanted to maintain the distinction between the Father and Son, even as he asserted their mutual activity. As a consequence of this ‘substantial unity’ between the Father and the Son, a true mediation of the knowledge of God can take place through the Son. It is only through the divine nature itself that the knowledge of God can be obtained. Only God is a proper mediator of God.Less
This chapter briefly analyses Origen's view of the mediation of God through the Word, which gives background to the study of the three 4th-century theologians, as well as providing a methodological framework for this study. It is shown that contrary to the opinion of many, Origen actually emphasized a ‘unity of substance’ between the Father, Son, and Spirit, which entailed incorporeality (with its concomitant invisibility) and the utter simplicity of being which only belongs to ‘the species of deity’ (deitatis species). Origin also wanted to maintain the distinction between the Father and Son, even as he asserted their mutual activity. As a consequence of this ‘substantial unity’ between the Father and the Son, a true mediation of the knowledge of God can take place through the Son. It is only through the divine nature itself that the knowledge of God can be obtained. Only God is a proper mediator of God.
Jon M. Robertson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212606
- eISBN:
- 9780191707360
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212606.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter analyses Eusebius of Caesarea's understanding of the radical transcendence of God the Father, which influenced his view of the Word as an intervening mediator between the Father and the ...
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This chapter analyses Eusebius of Caesarea's understanding of the radical transcendence of God the Father, which influenced his view of the Word as an intervening mediator between the Father and the created world. It argues that his concept of mediation is necessarily a ‘deictic’ one, i.e., one in which the mediator — while similar to that which it images — is not to be identified with it in any fundamental way. This is particularly evident in his presentation of ‘image’ theology. He favoured the illustration of image for the Father/Son relationship because he felt it pictured their similarity and non-identity, as well as described the eternal soteriological function of the Son in mediating knowledge of the Father. His comprehension of the Incarnation was that it reflected, at a new but not qualitatively different level, the ongoing mediating function of the Word.Less
This chapter analyses Eusebius of Caesarea's understanding of the radical transcendence of God the Father, which influenced his view of the Word as an intervening mediator between the Father and the created world. It argues that his concept of mediation is necessarily a ‘deictic’ one, i.e., one in which the mediator — while similar to that which it images — is not to be identified with it in any fundamental way. This is particularly evident in his presentation of ‘image’ theology. He favoured the illustration of image for the Father/Son relationship because he felt it pictured their similarity and non-identity, as well as described the eternal soteriological function of the Son in mediating knowledge of the Father. His comprehension of the Incarnation was that it reflected, at a new but not qualitatively different level, the ongoing mediating function of the Word.
Jon M. Robertson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199212606
- eISBN:
- 9780191707360
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199212606.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter demonstrates that Athanasius — as desirous of holding to a true monotheism as were others of his day — located the ‘oneness’ demanded by monotheism in the Godhead (or θέ οτης) within ...
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This chapter demonstrates that Athanasius — as desirous of holding to a true monotheism as were others of his day — located the ‘oneness’ demanded by monotheism in the Godhead (or θέ οτης) within which a plurality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exists. This view substantially differed from that of Eusebius of Caesarea and was a considerable theological issue at stake in the ‘Arian’ controversy; an issue which affected liturgy, worship, and the very identification of Christianity as a type of monotheism. The chapter begins by inspecting an early argument for the divine unity proffered by Athanasius in the Contra Gentes. It then analyses Athanasius' view of the unity of the ‘Godhead’ (θέ οτης) in Contra Arianos I, II, and III.Less
This chapter demonstrates that Athanasius — as desirous of holding to a true monotheism as were others of his day — located the ‘oneness’ demanded by monotheism in the Godhead (or θέ οτης) within which a plurality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exists. This view substantially differed from that of Eusebius of Caesarea and was a considerable theological issue at stake in the ‘Arian’ controversy; an issue which affected liturgy, worship, and the very identification of Christianity as a type of monotheism. The chapter begins by inspecting an early argument for the divine unity proffered by Athanasius in the Contra Gentes. It then analyses Athanasius' view of the unity of the ‘Godhead’ (θέ οτης) in Contra Arianos I, II, and III.
Brannon Ellis
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199652402
- eISBN:
- 9780191742002
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199652402.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Church History
For much of his career as a Reformer, John Calvin was involved in trinitarian controversy. Not only did these controversies span his career, but his opponents ranged across the spectrum of ...
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For much of his career as a Reformer, John Calvin was involved in trinitarian controversy. Not only did these controversies span his career, but his opponents ranged across the spectrum of theological approaches — from staunch traditionalists to radical antitrinitarians. Remarkably, the heart of Calvin's argument, and the heart of others' criticism, remained the same throughout: Calvin claimed that the only-begotten Son of the Father is also, as the one true God, ‘of himself’. This book investigates the various Reformation and post-Reformation responses to Calvin's affirmation of the Son's aseity (or essential self-existence), a significant episode in the history of theology that is often ignored or misunderstood. Calvin neither rejected eternal generation, nor merely toed the line of classical exposition. As such, these debates turned on the crucial pivot between simple unity and ordered plurality — the relationship between the processions and consubstantiality — at the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity. This book's aim is to explain the historical significance and explore the theological implications of Calvin's complex solidarity with the classical tradition in his approach to thinking and speaking of the Triune God. It contends that Calvin's approach, rather than an alternative to classical trinitarianism, is actually more consistent with this tradition's fundamental commitments regarding the ineffable generation of God from God than its own received exposition.Less
For much of his career as a Reformer, John Calvin was involved in trinitarian controversy. Not only did these controversies span his career, but his opponents ranged across the spectrum of theological approaches — from staunch traditionalists to radical antitrinitarians. Remarkably, the heart of Calvin's argument, and the heart of others' criticism, remained the same throughout: Calvin claimed that the only-begotten Son of the Father is also, as the one true God, ‘of himself’. This book investigates the various Reformation and post-Reformation responses to Calvin's affirmation of the Son's aseity (or essential self-existence), a significant episode in the history of theology that is often ignored or misunderstood. Calvin neither rejected eternal generation, nor merely toed the line of classical exposition. As such, these debates turned on the crucial pivot between simple unity and ordered plurality — the relationship between the processions and consubstantiality — at the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity. This book's aim is to explain the historical significance and explore the theological implications of Calvin's complex solidarity with the classical tradition in his approach to thinking and speaking of the Triune God. It contends that Calvin's approach, rather than an alternative to classical trinitarianism, is actually more consistent with this tradition's fundamental commitments regarding the ineffable generation of God from God than its own received exposition.
M. A. Aldrich
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622097773
- eISBN:
- 9789882207585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622097773.003.0061
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
The mosaic of Old Peking is complete. The Italian diplomat Daniele Vare struggled with the dilemma of cultural relativism during his postings in Peking. Vare wrote novels set during the Qing and ...
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The mosaic of Old Peking is complete. The Italian diplomat Daniele Vare struggled with the dilemma of cultural relativism during his postings in Peking. Vare wrote novels set during the Qing and Republican eras. One day, he dreamed up a dramatic incident. A Qing official remonstrates against the emperor's willingness to issue a decree for reform. The official submits a memorial protesting the contents of the decree. He is ignored. To persuade the Son of Heaven of the sincerity of his protest, the official mortally stabs himself in the courtyard of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The great divide between Vare and his teacher is described. As Stanley Karnow once quipped to fellow foreign devil Dick Hughes, “the Far East is a university in which no degree is ever granted”.Less
The mosaic of Old Peking is complete. The Italian diplomat Daniele Vare struggled with the dilemma of cultural relativism during his postings in Peking. Vare wrote novels set during the Qing and Republican eras. One day, he dreamed up a dramatic incident. A Qing official remonstrates against the emperor's willingness to issue a decree for reform. The official submits a memorial protesting the contents of the decree. He is ignored. To persuade the Son of Heaven of the sincerity of his protest, the official mortally stabs himself in the courtyard of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The great divide between Vare and his teacher is described. As Stanley Karnow once quipped to fellow foreign devil Dick Hughes, “the Far East is a university in which no degree is ever granted”.
Luigi Gioia
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199553464
- eISBN:
- 9780191720796
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553464.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Early Christian Studies
The analysis of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit establishes its Christological and soteriological grounds first and compares them with the sections of the treatise where his inner‐Trinitarian origin, ...
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The analysis of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit establishes its Christological and soteriological grounds first and compares them with the sections of the treatise where his inner‐Trinitarian origin, identity, and properties are dealt with more systematically. The Holy Spirit is gift. In the case of the Holy Spirit, the notion of gift acquires a crucial connotation: not only does it evoke the fact that the Holy Spirit is given, but also that he is freely given and at the same time that he freely gives himself. If freedom is one of the defining features of a gift, the Holy Spirit fulfils this condition in the highest conceivable degree. Then, the fact that Scripture presents the Holy Spirit as belonging to the Father and to the Son, as being the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the common charity through which Father and Son love each other. The answer to the question of how crucial is the doctrine of the filioque to Augustine's Trinitarian theology is just as crucial as the understanding of inner‐Trinitarian life as life of love.Less
The analysis of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit establishes its Christological and soteriological grounds first and compares them with the sections of the treatise where his inner‐Trinitarian origin, identity, and properties are dealt with more systematically. The Holy Spirit is gift. In the case of the Holy Spirit, the notion of gift acquires a crucial connotation: not only does it evoke the fact that the Holy Spirit is given, but also that he is freely given and at the same time that he freely gives himself. If freedom is one of the defining features of a gift, the Holy Spirit fulfils this condition in the highest conceivable degree. Then, the fact that Scripture presents the Holy Spirit as belonging to the Father and to the Son, as being the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the common charity through which Father and Son love each other. The answer to the question of how crucial is the doctrine of the filioque to Augustine's Trinitarian theology is just as crucial as the understanding of inner‐Trinitarian life as life of love.
Carl L. Beckwith
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199551644
- eISBN:
- 9780191720789
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199551644.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter offers a close reading of Book Two of De Trinitate. Here we see the influence of the Sirmium manifesto and Basil of Ancyra's theological circle on the revisions to Hilary's text. Book ...
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This chapter offers a close reading of Book Two of De Trinitate. Here we see the influence of the Sirmium manifesto and Basil of Ancyra's theological circle on the revisions to Hilary's text. Book Two demonstrates the thorough integration of Hilary's pro-Nicene theology with the exegetical and theological strategies of Basil of Ancyra and his Homoiousian circle. Particularly noteworthy in this discussion is Hilary's use of St. Matthew's baptismal formula and Basil of Ancyra's father/son analogy. Hilary's alterations to Book Two also constitute his most comprehensive treatment of Photinus of Sirmium's adoptionist Christology.Less
This chapter offers a close reading of Book Two of De Trinitate. Here we see the influence of the Sirmium manifesto and Basil of Ancyra's theological circle on the revisions to Hilary's text. Book Two demonstrates the thorough integration of Hilary's pro-Nicene theology with the exegetical and theological strategies of Basil of Ancyra and his Homoiousian circle. Particularly noteworthy in this discussion is Hilary's use of St. Matthew's baptismal formula and Basil of Ancyra's father/son analogy. Hilary's alterations to Book Two also constitute his most comprehensive treatment of Photinus of Sirmium's adoptionist Christology.
Carl L. Beckwith
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199551644
- eISBN:
- 9780191720789
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199551644.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter offers a close reading of Book Three of De Trinitate. In 358, Hilary drastically altered the presentation of the original contents of Book Three by attaching a new preface that ...
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This chapter offers a close reading of Book Three of De Trinitate. In 358, Hilary drastically altered the presentation of the original contents of Book Three by attaching a new preface that re-contextualized the book's argument and addressed two concerns that seem to have been raised against the original presentation of his faith in De Fide (III.1-4). Following the preface, Hilary inserted an extended exegetical discussion of Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 (III.8-17) and added a brief summary of his mature position that aggressively denounced the Homoian position (III.22-23).Less
This chapter offers a close reading of Book Three of De Trinitate. In 358, Hilary drastically altered the presentation of the original contents of Book Three by attaching a new preface that re-contextualized the book's argument and addressed two concerns that seem to have been raised against the original presentation of his faith in De Fide (III.1-4). Following the preface, Hilary inserted an extended exegetical discussion of Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 (III.8-17) and added a brief summary of his mature position that aggressively denounced the Homoian position (III.22-23).
Sean M. McDonough
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199576470
- eISBN:
- 9780191722585
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199576470.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
The Logos of John 1 is rooted in God's speech acts in Genesis 1. This creative Logos is best explicated by recourse to the remainder of the Gospel (the word Logos occurs a full forty times in John; ...
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The Logos of John 1 is rooted in God's speech acts in Genesis 1. This creative Logos is best explicated by recourse to the remainder of the Gospel (the word Logos occurs a full forty times in John; the biblical resonance of the number is likely not an accident). Taking this approach, we learn that the handing over of the act of creation to the Messiah serves the deeper purpose of enacting and nurturing the Father's love for the Son. The logic of John 3: 35 is that the Father has given all things over to the Son because he loves him. It is in the very nature of the Father to share all things with the Son because of his love for him. The Messiah fully participates in the life and work of God, including the work of creation. Far from being a mere tool in creation, or even a kind of cosmic organizing principle, Christ as Logos is the fully personal executor of God's will. He is the one who brings to realization the desire ‘Let it be’.Less
The Logos of John 1 is rooted in God's speech acts in Genesis 1. This creative Logos is best explicated by recourse to the remainder of the Gospel (the word Logos occurs a full forty times in John; the biblical resonance of the number is likely not an accident). Taking this approach, we learn that the handing over of the act of creation to the Messiah serves the deeper purpose of enacting and nurturing the Father's love for the Son. The logic of John 3: 35 is that the Father has given all things over to the Son because he loves him. It is in the very nature of the Father to share all things with the Son because of his love for him. The Messiah fully participates in the life and work of God, including the work of creation. Far from being a mere tool in creation, or even a kind of cosmic organizing principle, Christ as Logos is the fully personal executor of God's will. He is the one who brings to realization the desire ‘Let it be’.
Peter Schäfer
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153902
- eISBN:
- 9781400842285
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153902.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This introductory chapter argues that not only the emerging Christianity drew on contemporary Judaism but that rabbinic Judaism, too, tapped into ideas and concepts of Christianity to shape its own ...
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This introductory chapter argues that not only the emerging Christianity drew on contemporary Judaism but that rabbinic Judaism, too, tapped into ideas and concepts of Christianity to shape its own identity. Common wisdom has it that belief in the unity and uniqueness of God has been one of the firmly established principles of Jewish faith since time immemorial. The emerging Christian sect set out to elaborate the notion of the one and only God in terms of first a binitarian and then a trinitarian theology—that is, they took the decisive step to include God's Son in the godhead, this followed by the inclusion of a third divine figure, the Holy Spirit. The rabbis were certainly aware of such developments and responded to them. The rabbinic literature has preserved a wealth of sources that portray the rabbis as engaged in a dialogue with people who present views that run counter to the accepted or imagined rabbinic norm system.Less
This introductory chapter argues that not only the emerging Christianity drew on contemporary Judaism but that rabbinic Judaism, too, tapped into ideas and concepts of Christianity to shape its own identity. Common wisdom has it that belief in the unity and uniqueness of God has been one of the firmly established principles of Jewish faith since time immemorial. The emerging Christian sect set out to elaborate the notion of the one and only God in terms of first a binitarian and then a trinitarian theology—that is, they took the decisive step to include God's Son in the godhead, this followed by the inclusion of a third divine figure, the Holy Spirit. The rabbis were certainly aware of such developments and responded to them. The rabbinic literature has preserved a wealth of sources that portray the rabbis as engaged in a dialogue with people who present views that run counter to the accepted or imagined rabbinic norm system.
Peter Schäfer
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153902
- eISBN:
- 9781400842285
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153902.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter looks at the problem faced by the rabbis when they were confronted with the fact that the God of the Hebrew Bible assumes various guises, using the example of a relatively early ...
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This chapter looks at the problem faced by the rabbis when they were confronted with the fact that the God of the Hebrew Bible assumes various guises, using the example of a relatively early Palestinian midrash. There, the heretics take advantage of the fact that God is sometimes portrayed as a young war hero and sometimes as a merciful old man. Countering the heretics' argument that these various manifestations point to two divine powers of equal right in heaven, one old and one young, the rabbis insist that their God, despite his varying appearances, nevertheless is always one and the same—never changing and never growing old. The danger evoked by such an interpretation of the Hebrew Bible is obvious: one immediately thinks of the Christian notion of the old and young God—God–Father and God–Son.Less
This chapter looks at the problem faced by the rabbis when they were confronted with the fact that the God of the Hebrew Bible assumes various guises, using the example of a relatively early Palestinian midrash. There, the heretics take advantage of the fact that God is sometimes portrayed as a young war hero and sometimes as a merciful old man. Countering the heretics' argument that these various manifestations point to two divine powers of equal right in heaven, one old and one young, the rabbis insist that their God, despite his varying appearances, nevertheless is always one and the same—never changing and never growing old. The danger evoked by such an interpretation of the Hebrew Bible is obvious: one immediately thinks of the Christian notion of the old and young God—God–Father and God–Son.
Koenraad Donker van Heel
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789774164774
- eISBN:
- 9781617971259
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- American University in Cairo Press
- DOI:
- 10.5743/cairo/9789774164774.003.0011
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Unless new related documents come to light, the reason P. Louvre E 7850 was deposited in the archive will remain a mystery. Many other questions also remain unanswered. If the god's father Djekhy, ...
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Unless new related documents come to light, the reason P. Louvre E 7850 was deposited in the archive will remain a mystery. Many other questions also remain unanswered. If the god's father Djekhy, the addressee, was indeed the son of Iturech, what happened to his father? Why does the archive of Djekhy & Son end with this letter in 533 BCE? Is there any connection with the Persian invasion of 525 BCE? In 526 BCE the forty-four year reign of Amasis had ended.Less
Unless new related documents come to light, the reason P. Louvre E 7850 was deposited in the archive will remain a mystery. Many other questions also remain unanswered. If the god's father Djekhy, the addressee, was indeed the son of Iturech, what happened to his father? Why does the archive of Djekhy & Son end with this letter in 533 BCE? Is there any connection with the Persian invasion of 525 BCE? In 526 BCE the forty-four year reign of Amasis had ended.
Max Saunders
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579761
- eISBN:
- 9780191722882
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579761.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century Literature and Romanticism, 20th-century Literature and Modernism
This is the first of four chapters exploring the turn‐of‐the‐century disturbances in the relation between life‐writing and fiction. It argues that ‘autobiography’ begins to seem a problematic ...
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This is the first of four chapters exploring the turn‐of‐the‐century disturbances in the relation between life‐writing and fiction. It argues that ‘autobiography’ begins to seem a problematic category in the period, and gets displaced towards fiction. The chapter focuses on ‘Mark Rutherford’, not just for his autobiography, but for his later inclusion of the story ‘A Mysterious Portrait’. The concept of the heteronym is introduced, to be developed in Chapters 7 and Chapter 8. Other authors discussed here include George Gissing (The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft), H. G. Wells (Boon), Henry Adams, Samuel Butler (The Way of All Flesh), and Edmund Gosse (Father and Son). The various displacements of auto/biography are shown to complicate Lejeune's concept of the autobiographic contract guaranteeing the identity of author, narrator, and subject.Less
This is the first of four chapters exploring the turn‐of‐the‐century disturbances in the relation between life‐writing and fiction. It argues that ‘autobiography’ begins to seem a problematic category in the period, and gets displaced towards fiction. The chapter focuses on ‘Mark Rutherford’, not just for his autobiography, but for his later inclusion of the story ‘A Mysterious Portrait’. The concept of the heteronym is introduced, to be developed in Chapters 7 and Chapter 8. Other authors discussed here include George Gissing (The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft), H. G. Wells (Boon), Henry Adams, Samuel Butler (The Way of All Flesh), and Edmund Gosse (Father and Son). The various displacements of auto/biography are shown to complicate Lejeune's concept of the autobiographic contract guaranteeing the identity of author, narrator, and subject.
Charles Muller
Dale S. Wright (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195175257
- eISBN:
- 9780199784608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195175255.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter traces the role of the Diamond Sutra through the earlier Korean tradition down to the present, focusing on the various types of commentarial treatment it received, and the way it is used ...
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This chapter traces the role of the Diamond Sutra through the earlier Korean tradition down to the present, focusing on the various types of commentarial treatment it received, and the way it is used at present both in monastic and lay practice. It also focuses on another sutra, the Ogahae, its production and content, along with Gihwa’s own assessments of its value. With widespread awareness of the Korean Sōn (Zen) tradition that developed mainly during the Goryeo and Joseon periods, having come relatively late as compared with its Japanese and Chinese counterparts, there is always a tendency to make comparisons with these traditions when trying to identify the character of Korean Sōn. One of the most prominent distinctive aspects of the Korean Sōn tradition is the degree to which Buddhist scriptural texts have continued to play a central role in the tradition. The most influential scripture is the Diamond Sutra, which has not only been studied and commented on extensively, but is by far the most commonly chanted text in Korea.Less
This chapter traces the role of the Diamond Sutra through the earlier Korean tradition down to the present, focusing on the various types of commentarial treatment it received, and the way it is used at present both in monastic and lay practice. It also focuses on another sutra, the Ogahae, its production and content, along with Gihwa’s own assessments of its value. With widespread awareness of the Korean Sōn (Zen) tradition that developed mainly during the Goryeo and Joseon periods, having come relatively late as compared with its Japanese and Chinese counterparts, there is always a tendency to make comparisons with these traditions when trying to identify the character of Korean Sōn. One of the most prominent distinctive aspects of the Korean Sōn tradition is the degree to which Buddhist scriptural texts have continued to play a central role in the tradition. The most influential scripture is the Diamond Sutra, which has not only been studied and commented on extensively, but is by far the most commonly chanted text in Korea.
Peter Schäfer
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780691181325
- eISBN:
- 9780691199894
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691181325.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Contrary to popular belief, Judaism was not always strictly monotheistic. This book reveals the long and little-known history of a second, junior god in Judaism, showing how this idea was embraced by ...
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Contrary to popular belief, Judaism was not always strictly monotheistic. This book reveals the long and little-known history of a second, junior god in Judaism, showing how this idea was embraced by rabbis and Jewish mystics in the early centuries of the common era and casting Judaism's relationship with Christianity in an entirely different light. The book demonstrates how the Jews of the pre-Christian Second Temple period had various names for a second heavenly power—such as Son of Man, Son of the Most High, and Firstborn before All Creation. The book traces the development of the concept from the Son of Man vision in the biblical Book of Daniel to the Qumran literature, the Ethiopic Book of Enoch, and the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. After the destruction of the Second Temple, the picture changes drastically. While the early Christians of the New Testament took up the idea and developed it further, their Jewish contemporaries were divided. Most rejected the second god, but some—particularly the Jews of Babylonia and the writers of early Jewish mysticism—revived the ancient Jewish notion of two gods in heaven. Describing how early Christianity and certain strands of rabbinic Judaism competed for ownership of a second god to the creator, this book radically transforms our understanding of Judeo-Christian monotheism.Less
Contrary to popular belief, Judaism was not always strictly monotheistic. This book reveals the long and little-known history of a second, junior god in Judaism, showing how this idea was embraced by rabbis and Jewish mystics in the early centuries of the common era and casting Judaism's relationship with Christianity in an entirely different light. The book demonstrates how the Jews of the pre-Christian Second Temple period had various names for a second heavenly power—such as Son of Man, Son of the Most High, and Firstborn before All Creation. The book traces the development of the concept from the Son of Man vision in the biblical Book of Daniel to the Qumran literature, the Ethiopic Book of Enoch, and the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. After the destruction of the Second Temple, the picture changes drastically. While the early Christians of the New Testament took up the idea and developed it further, their Jewish contemporaries were divided. Most rejected the second god, but some—particularly the Jews of Babylonia and the writers of early Jewish mysticism—revived the ancient Jewish notion of two gods in heaven. Describing how early Christianity and certain strands of rabbinic Judaism competed for ownership of a second god to the creator, this book radically transforms our understanding of Judeo-Christian monotheism.
