Augustine and PsalmsPart II

Ann T. Orlando

23 June 2007

Outline

• Augustine and Love

• Augustine and Justification

• Notes on Psalm 121

• Notes on Psalm 122

• Notes on Psalm 118

But first a thought on your reaction…

• Two possible ways to consider what Augustine (and centuries of homilists before and after him) are doing

• Lectio divina• A ‘reverse’ catechism

– In CCC, truths of the faith are stated and then supported with Scripture

– In homily, Scripture is stated and illuminated with truths of faith; which includes reference to other parts of Scripture (just like the CCC gives references to other CCC paragraphs)

– In both CCC and Augustine’s homilies the inter-relation of truths of faith as one consistent whole is emphasized

“Love and do what you will”Homily VII.8 on The Epistle of St. John

• Augustine’s personal story is one of looking for love, Confessions– First disordered loves – Then true love (charity)

• All other virtues are an expression of the virtue of love, City of God XIX.25– Not possible to have any other virtue (cardinal virtues)

without Christian charity– Only true Christians (wheat not tares) can be virtuous

Love and Society (Cities)• Everyone must consider which city they belong to, City of God, XV, 1:

– The earthly city founded by Cain – Pilgrims to the heavenly city

• A people (city) is the association of a multitude of rational beings united by a common agreement on the objects of their love COG, XIX, 24.

– Because the earthly city is not ruled by God, it is devoid of true justice• The cities were created and ruled by two kinds of love, COG, XIV, 28

– Earthly city created by self-love to point of contempt for God– Heavenly city created by love of God to point of self-contempt

• Unreasonable to expect that earthly city will be perfected until the final judgment;

– “Both cities alike enjoy the good things, or are afflicted with the adversities of this temporal state, but with a different faith, a different expectation, a different love, until they are separated by the final judgment” COG, XVIII, 54.

• True full happiness is not possible in the earthly city COG, XIX, 1.

Love and the Trinity

• The relationship within the Trinity is preeminently one of mutual love – The lover, what is being loved and the love between them

(Trinity, VIII.13)• Dual commandments of love of God and neighbor are

linked; can only love neighbor with genuine love because of love of God (Trinity, VIII.12)

• The Son, Word of God, Wisdom of God, came to reveal the truth of this; one arrives at love via the truth

• The Spirit gives the gifts of God (grace) without which we cannot know true love

• NB: Augustine understands that the persons of the Trinity are a Unity

Pelagian Controversy: Introduction

• The Key Players– Monk Pelagius, from England, d. 419 in Constantinople– His disciple, Julian of Eclanum, bishop in Sicily, d. 454– Opposing both, Augustine of Hippo, d. 430

• Key Elements– Free will– Sin– Grace– Justification– Predestination

• Key Biblical passages in disputed interpretation: Genesis and Romans • Both Pelagius and Augustine write a Commentary on Romans• Key passage: Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart; Romans 9:17-18 and

Exodus 4-9• Note we live in a very Pelagian age: belief in human progress and

confidence in our abilities to fix problems. Primary American virtue: self-reliance; humility is not a ‘virtue’

Pelagian Controversy: Issues

• Free will– Pelagian: humanity has total free will; as long as we know

what is right we can do what is right;– Augustine: yes we have free will, but our ability to know

and act is darkened by sin– Augustine also often means by free will a will freed from

the inclination to sin rather than freedom of choice• Sin

– Pelagians: Adam’s sin was his personal sin; sin is always a willful personal act committed against God by someone who should know better and be able to do better; within our own power to avoid sin

– Adam’s sin was a ‘disease’ that entered into humanity; only God’s grace can cure this disease; only with God’s grace can we really know and do the right

Pelagian Controversy: Issues (cont.)

• Grace– Pelagians: external enlightenment from God (e.g., Gospels) so

we can know the good; also reward for doing good– Augustine: grace is needed to do good

• Justification– Pelagians: justified through our good works; it’s all up to us– Augustine: only God’s freely given grace can justify

• Predestination– Pelagians: God does not predestine us– Augustine: Because of original sin, all justly condemned (massa

damnata); by his graciousness, God elects a few for salvation; Baptism a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for salvation

Battle with Julian of Eclanum• The key test case in the Pelagian controversy

became the fate of unbaptized infants: • Would God really condemn a innocent baby who

had no personal sin to be damned?– Julian of Eclanum pushed Augustine very hard on this

point– Referring both to Augustine and Augustine’s concept of

God, he said “He is the persecutor of new born children.”

• Pelagians believed that because infants and young children could not sin, they did not need to be Baptized. Baptism returned one to an innocent state, and gave the grace to lead a sinless life.

Augustine’s Response• Because all humans inherited Adam’s sin, we are all

liable to damnation• But God knew that we would sin, so He already planned

to send Mediator, Jesus Christ• “Now there are many more condemned by vengeance

than are released by mercy; and the reason for this is that it should in this way be made plain what was the due of all mankind. For if the due punishment were imposed on all, no one would have the right to criticize the justice of God in that retribution; but the fact that so many are released form it is the ground for heartfelt thanksgiving for the free bounty of our Deliverer.” (City of God, Book XXI)

• “Unless infants are baptized, they are manifestly in danger of damnation” (On Forgiveness of Sins and Baptism III)

Legacy of Pelagian Controversy

• Catholic (Western) Church at Council of Orange, 529– accepts Augustine’s views on free will, grace, sin,

justification; – accepts necessity of Baptism– accepts predestination of elect, but refuses to say

anyone is predestined to hell (i.e., rejects double predestination)

• These issues are doctrinal flash point of Reformation; all sides will claim Augustine for their own

Issue is (and will always be) active

• Albert Camus addressing Dominican abbey: “By what right may a Christian accuse me of pessimism? It was not I who invented human suffering, nor terrible formulas of divine malediction. It was not I who loudly proclaimed the damnation of unbaptized children.”

• See CCC 404-406, 1037, 1257-1261• This debate will always circle back to how can the

good creator God allow (cause) sin and suffering• Note recent statements on Limbo

Notes on Exposition ofPsalm 121

• Impure vs holy love point to earthly things and heavenly things, respectively

• Importance of martyrs: willingly gave up all things of this earth out of love for the truth

• Christ is the foundation of heavenly Jerusalem; a foundation that is up not down

• Trinitarian discussion of God as self-same• Righteousness is a gift from God• Who has love in this life is not self-seeking

Notes on Exposition ofPsalm 122

• All love either ascends or descends• Anyone who is satisfied with himself is pleased

with a fool• We are servants but made sons and daughters

through grace• While on earth we are all being ‘beaten’ whether

we know it or not• Righteous live in hope of eternal happiness, the

only true happiness; – Proud want to be happy here, but never can be

• Even the wealthy are needy

Notes on Expositions ofPsalm 118

• Last and longest of expositions on Psalms.– Actually 32 expositions covering about 160

pages

• Exposition 1– Happiness; everyone wants it; found in right

conduct– Warning against those who study Scripture as

an academic exercise

Expositions Psalm 118 (cont.)

• Exposition 2– All are sinners, even saints; – ‘humble in truthfulness and truthful in humility’– Sets up question of justification and Paul

• Exposition 3– Temptation and sin; temptation is always

there as the sin that dwells in me (Rom 7:16)– Small sins ‘sneak up on the unwary’– ‘only one who lives by faith is just’

Expositions of Psalm 118• Exposition 4

– ‘Humble piety, pious humility and a faith that has not forgotten about grace’

– Some hold that once we know the truth we will live righteously without any further grace

– But cannot keep the commandments without grace (recall concern in Exp. 1 about academic study of the law)

– Psalmist wants to be a doer not just a hearer of the commandments– Strength from God comes not because of merit on the part of the

recipient but because such was divine free will• Exposition 5

– Pointless to know the truth without acting on it– Youth means the new self living the life of faith, a child of grace– Faith active through love– But we cannot live the commandments without God’s charity – grace

Expositions Psalm 118Conclusion

• Exposition 32– God teaches those prepared to accept his

teaching– Faith comes from hearing– Importance of evangelization– The law bears witness to Christ– Discussion of structure of Psalm is a footnote