Medieval Church:Roman Catholic

Theology

Randy Broberg

Grace Bible Church

2002

Theology: Major Trends of Divergence

Unified Early Church

Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholic

ReformedMystical Forensic

Heavily ForensicMystical Purged

Ancient Works Arrivefrom Arabs

• The Arabs preserved the scientific worksof the Greeks .

• Scholars gathered at cities likeDamascus, Baghdad, and Cairo, ateastern end of the Mediterranean, andat Cordova and Toledo, in Spain, at thewestern end by the 11th century.

• Beginning in the 12th cent. after thereconquest of Spain, the Arabic versionsof Greek works were translated intoLatin

• Averroës, an Arabic philosopherwhose interpretations of Aristotlewere translated into Latin, was oneof the first to influence Westernphilosophical thought away from strictrationalism and spiritualism. heattempted to delimit the separatedomains of faith and reason, pointingout that the two need not be reconciledbecause they did not conflict.

Socrates

Nor did I think your orderswere so strong that you, amortal man, could over-runthe god’s unwritten andunfailing laws.

Do the gods lovepiety because it ispious, or is it piousbecause they loveit?

Sophocles

Scholastic Method

• Basic to all scholastic thought wasthe conjunction of faith(spiritualism) and reason(rationalism).

• use of reason was essential todeepen the understanding of what isbelieved on faith, or dogma, andultimately to give a rational contentto faith.

• attempts to reconcile reason andfaith, philosophy and revelation.

Developed obscure doctrines: howmany angels could dance on thehead of a pin, what hour Adamsinned.

Trends in Scholasticism

• Augustinianism andAristotelianism

– For Augustinians-priority of faith

– For Aristotelians-priority of reason

• Thomism and Scotism

– Thomists: intellect,preeminentcharacteristic of God

– Scotists: will,preeminentcharacteristic of God

Peter Lombard c. 1100-1160

• French bishop and theologian.• His Four Books of Sentences (1148-51),

a systematic collection of teachings ofthe Church Fathers and opinions ofmedieval theologians, served as thestandard theological text of the MiddleAges.

• He asserted that sacraments are thecause and not merely the signal ofgrace and that human actions may bejudged good or bad according to theircause and intention.

• "father of systematic theology in theCatholic Church" (Schaff). A page from Lombard’s

Four Books of Sentences

Lombard’s Concept of Merit

Anselm1033 -- 1109

• Born in Lombardy, Anselm entered theBenedictine monastery at Bec (in Normandy)in1057 and became abbot in 1078.

• Anselm succeeds Lanfranc as Archbishop ofCanterbury in 1093.

• first scholastic: used reason to demonstrate thetruth of Christian doctrine, even though hecarefully pointed out that reason was notnecessary when faith was present.

• Reacted against the mystical tendencies ofmedieval theology

• In the Investiture Controversy, he asserted thatonly an ecclesiastical authority-not a secularone-could invest him with the symbols of office.

• In 1077 he wrote the Monologium todemonstrate God's existence and attributes byreason alone.

• He then wrote Proslogium, which establishedthe ontological argument for the existence ofGod.

“I believe in orderthat I mayunderstand”

Anselm on theAtonement

• 1099 Wrote Why Did GodBecome a Man? explainingthe reasons for Christ'sdeath.

• first formulated thesatisfaction theory of theatonement, Introducedsatisfaction theory ofatonement based on God’smajesty being offended

Peter Abelard

1079-1142

• An unstable, arrogant but popularand scholarly teacher

• Sic et Non, a work which exhibitedthe contradictions in the earlierwork of church fathers, and did notresolve them.

• Known for his shameful love affairwith one of his pupils, Heloise.

• Became a monk after castrated byhenchmen hired by the girl'senraged father.

• Used dialectics to attempt toexplain the mysteries of the faithand contradictions found in thechurch fathers.

“I believe thatwhich I mayunderstand.”

Albertus Magnus(c. 1200-1280)

• German cleric and philosopher.• Son of a wealthy German lord, he

studied at Padua, where he joined theDominican order (1223).

• At the University of Paris taught duringthe time of ferment caused by thearrival of Arabic and Aristotelianphilosophy there.

• Albert was significant in bringing aboutthe acceptance of Aristotle as alegitimate interpreter of philosophy.

• He believed that many points ofChristian doctrine were recognizableboth by faith and by reason.

• In 1248 he organized the firstDominican seminary in Germany atCologne

• Thomas Aquinas was his chief disciple.• His works represented the entire body

of European knowledge of his time, andhe contributed greatly to thedevelopment of natural science.

Thomas Aquinas 1225-27 -1274

• Philosopher, theologian, Doctor of the Church

• Foremost philosopher and theologian of theRoman Catholic church.

• Born of noble parents at Roccasecca, Italy, hestudied at the University of Naples, joined theDominicans, and taught at a Dominican schoolat the University of Paris.

• Student of Albert the Great

• In 1277, after his death, the masters of Pariscondemned 219 propositions, 12 of themThomas'.

• He was nevertheless canonized in 1323,named a Doctor of the Church in 1567, anddeclared the champion of orthodoxy duringthe modernist crisis at the end of the 19thcentury.

Acquinas and Aristotle

• Christianized Aristotle during thehigh middle ages

• Synthesized Aristotle and Scripture– Begin with Reason– Revelation complements and

completes Reason• His time in Paris coincided with the

arrival of Aristotelian science,newly discovered in Arabictranslation; his great achievementwas to integrate into Christianthought the rigors of Aristotle'sphilosophy, just as the early churchfathers had integrated Plato'sthought in the early Christian era.

Acquinas and HumanReason

• Reason is given full weight, but perhapsnot undue weight. It is considered avalid tool, but it cannot discover all themysteries of the faith. Certainly manythings, like the existence of God, can beproved by human reason. Others, likethe Trinity, come only throughrevelation.

• He held that reason is capable ofoperating within faith; while thephilosopher relies solely on reason, thetheologian accepts faith as his startingpoint and then proceeds to conclusionthrough the use of reason.– Through reason we could know the

truth of things… His Proofs of God -"Summa theologica".

I understand,in order that Imay believe.

Acquinas and “Natural Theology”

• For Aquinas, the value ofnatural theology is itsprovision of a foundation oftruth accessible to all

• Other truths about God (i.e.,his Tri-unity) are not availablethrough natural theology.These must be accepted onthe authority of the Church

• Grace complements andcompletes Nature

• he argued that to detract fromthe perfection of creation wasto detract from the creator.

Aquinas’ SummaTheologica• his genius was in systematization, and he

systematized and buttressed Catholicthinking like no one before or since.

• A prolific writer, he produced more than 80works, including Summa contra Gentiles(1261-64) and Summa theologica (1265-73).

• Wrote Summa Theologiae, (“Compendiumor Totality of Theology”)

• Most important theology text to comefrom the Scholastic period.

• Summa Theologiae presents doctrine in thescholastic way, as a series of questions andpro and con answers.

• The Summa consists of three parts– God as he is in himself– God as man’s end (and the way back to

God)– Christ as man’s way to Go

Theology of Acquinas

• Other than the ImmaculateConception, his theology isRoman Catholic theology.

• The sacraments are seven innumber (not original withAquinas, but it was only at thistime that the number becamefixed).

• Transubstantiation is established.• Submission to the Roman pope is

necessary for salvation.• No Immaculate Conception

Acquinas and Salvation

Acquinas a Mystic? ACharismatic?

• December 6, 1273:• Following a tremendous mystical

experience while conducting Mass,Thomas Aquinas suspends work onhis Summa Theologica. "I can do nomore," he told his servant. "Suchthings have been revealed to methat all that I have written seems tome as so much straw. Now I awaitthe end of my life."

• The sermons of Thomas Aquinasare frequently confirmed bymiracles, and he often experiencesecstasy, especially in the lastmonths of his life.

Duns Scotus, 1266 --1308

• Medieval Scottish philosopher and scholastictheologian.

• He studied and taught at Oxford, where he joined theFranciscans, and later taught at the University of Paris,from which he was briefly exiled for supporting PopeBoniface VIII in his quarrel with King Philip IV.

• In 1307 he became professor of theology at Cologne,perhaps to escape charges of heresy over his defense ofthe doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which theDominicans and secular authorities opposed.

• resisted nominalism, skepticism and illuminationism• Aristotelian in thrust• founder of a philosophical school, the Scotist School

that emerged at the end of the 15th or early 16thcentury

• origin of the “dunce cap” in erroneous belief thatwearing pointed hats help one become wise

William of Ockham 1280-1349

• English student of Duns Scotus

• attacked the reality of universalsand hence created nominalism

• Ockham’s Razor the principle thatentities should not be unnecessarilymultiplied

• Reason and Faith are notcomplementary

• Empiricist

• proclaims unknowability of thedivine

• argues for the autonomy of thesecular state

SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY: Benefits

• Scholasticism is the “immediate antecedent of theReformation”– Provides the background for Reformation,

especially late medieval nominalism• Scholasticism provided much useful theological

vocabulary– E.g., the term satisfactio, in relation to the

atonement of Christ

Scholastic

Theology: Defects

• Much discussion aboutuseless/unprofitable questions

• Much mental activity and thedevelopment of elaborate systems withendless distinctions and differences

• Priority of reason over revelation• Methodologically: No clear authority

governing how one does theology• No principium theologiae, “first principle,”

– How does that differ from today!?• The Word of God was greatly neglected• Many could not read the biblical languages

and worked only with the Latin Vulgate• Instead, there were several substitutes for

the authority of the Word– Tradition– Philosophy– Mysticism

Developments inEschatology

• The Chanson de Roland, writtenabout 1095, depictedCharlemagne (d. 814) as amessianic ruler who triumphedover all Muslims and pagans.

• German Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) predicted that lay princeswould forcibly take away land andriches clergy had amassed, andChristendom would enter an eraof millennial prosperity and peace.Though disarmament wouldentice pagans to attack Christiannations, she believed Christianswould eventually win. Ultimately,the Roman emperor would losealmost all authority, and the popewould only rule Rome.

• Count Emich of Leisingen, a leaderof the First Crusade, massacredJews who refused to convertbecause he was convinced Godhad summoned him to be a LastWorld Emperor.

The Sealing of the ElectThe Sealing of the Elect(Spanish Monk Beatus, 10th century)(Spanish Monk Beatus, 10th century)

Adso’s Antichrist

• 950 AD, a monk named Adso wrote the mostcomplete treatise on the Antichrist to date.

• The Antichrist would come from the Jewishtribe of Dan, and would be raised in the East.

• Before he could come, however, a Frankishking must reign. This king would triumphover all the enemies of Christendom and rulea peaceful, Christian world. He would thengo to Golgotha to surrender his crown, andthis would signal the coming of theAntichrist.

• Adso's notion of "The Last World Emperor"became widespread, and soon became theideal for temporal power.

Was Emperor Frederick II the Antichrist?• The rivalry between the popes and the emperors culminated in the 1240s

when Pope Innocent IV waged "total war"—a war of both swords andwords—against emperor Frederick II.

• Frederick's supporters hailed him as a messiah, wonder of the world (stupormundi). But Innocent and his supporters branded Frederick the Antichrist.Even after the Holy Roman Emperor died in 1250, at least one Innocentsupporter refused to believe it—the emperor had not accomplished all theevil that was expected of him as Antichrist. This conflict reverberated inapocalyptic texts well into the 1300s.

“The Apocolypse”

Hildegard of Bingen 1098-1179

• Benedictine abbess

• documented her allegorical visions andapocalyptic prophecies in text and illuminations

• Most famous work was Scivias written from 1141-

51

Hildegard’s image of the AntiChrist born from the

church

Joachim of Fiore

(1132-1202)

• Italian Benedictine Monk• Leading Intellectual Figure of his day --

theologian, historian; prophet• Joachim constructed two schemes for

understanding the past and the future. Onedivided history into two times, that of theJews and that of the Gentiles, culminatingafter 1200. The other scheme dividedhistory into three status, paralleling theTrinity and the three orders (laity, clergy,and monks).

• Joachim compared Christendom to Babylonbecause everyone wanted money, power,and worldly fame. Shortly after 1200, hespeculated, two anti-Christian forces,possibly Muslims and heretics, wouldattack, defeat, and severely persecuteChristians. Thus purified, a reforming popeand monastic orders would create a holierworld in which people would attainunsurpassed understanding of the hiddenmeaning of the Scriptures. For anindeterminate period, Christians woulddominate the world in peace.

Joachim’s Three Ages of History

• Era of the Father - OldTestament

• Era of the Son - NewTestament

• Era of the Holy Spirit -following the Antichrist

• Each era lasts 42centuries

• Generations last 40 years• Each era began as a seed

in the preceding era• The final era would be a

contemplative utopia ofthe Holy Spirit

• Believed the final era waswithin 60 years

Joachim’s Seven Headed Dragon

• Reads Revelation as literalprophecy and revealshistorical events

• Christians will sufferpersecution

• Each Head representspersecutors of the church

• Sixth head representsSaladin

• Seventh Head representsAntichrist

Questions to Consider

• Did Scholastics go to far inthe direction of logic andknowledge at the expense ofemotions and feeling?

• Do we understand the worldthrough the lenses providedby our faith or do weunderstand our faith throughthe lenses of our knowledgeand experience?

• Can we prove the existenceof God? The FranklinThe Franklin