Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction

1. Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction Chapter 2: The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, c.700-c.1500 Wiley-Blackwell 2010

2. On Defining the “Middle Ages” • Difficulties with defining the scope of the Middle Ages • By the 11th century, three major power centers: • Byzantium • Western Europe • The Caliphate • Strain in relationships between east and west • The filioque controversy • Political rivalry between Rome and Constantinople • Final break (often) dated to 1054 Wiley-Blackwell 2010

3. Medieval Theological Landmarks in Western Europe • The Carolingian renaissance • Charlemagne (742-814) and Alcuin (735-804) • Monastic schools and cathedral schools • The rise of cathedral and monastic schools of theology • The “Rule of Benedict” • Women theological writers • The religious orders and their schools of theology • Franciscans • Dominicans • Cistercians • Augustinians Wiley-Blackwell 2010

4. The founding of the universities • Peter Lombard’s Four Books of the Sentences • The rise of scholasticism • The Italian Renaissance • Lack of scholastic theology in Italy • Physical reminders of the greatness of antiquity • Fall of Constantinople • The rise of humanism • “Ad fontes” (back to the sources) • The Latin Vulgate and the Greek New Testament Wiley-Blackwell 2010

5. Medieval Theological Landmarks in Eastern Europe • The emergence of Byzantine theology • The iconoclastic controversy • Emperor Leo III • John of Damascus • The hesychastic controversy • Simeon the New Theologian • Gregory Palamas • The fall of Constantinople (1453) • Eastern Orthodoxy in Russia Wiley-Blackwell 2010

6. Key Theologians • John of Damascus (c.676-749) • Iconoclastic controversy • The Fountain of Wisdom; “the Orthodox Faith” • Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022) • Abbot of St. Mamas in Constantinople • Anselm of Canterbury (c.1033-1109) • Proslogion (the ontological argument) • Cur deus homo (theory of the atonement) • Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-74) • Summa contra Gentiles • Summa theologiae • The “Five Ways” • The principle of analogy • Relation between faith and reason Wiley-Blackwell 2010

7. Duns Scotus (c.1265-1308) • The “subtle doctor” • Voluntarism v. illuminationism • Immaculate conception of Mary • William of Ockham (c.1285-1347) • Ockham’s razor • Nominalism • Erasmus of Rotterdam (c.1469-1536) • Christian humanism • Handbook of the Christian Soldier • First printed text of the Greek New Testament • Production of full texts of patristic works Wiley-Blackwell 2010

8. Key Theological Developments • The consolidation of the patristic heritage • Augustine of Hippo • The exploration of the role of reason in theology • Anselm • faith seeking understanding • I believe, that I may understand • Aristotle, “the Philosopher” • Apologetics (e.g., Aquinas’s Summa contra Gentiles) • The development of theological systems • The development of sacramental theology • The development of the theology of grace Wiley-Blackwell 2010

9. The role of Mary in the scheme of salvation • “maculists” v. “immaculists” • Mary as coredemptrix? • Returning directly to the sources of Christian theology • The Latin Vulgate and the Greek New Testament • The critique of the Vulgate translation of Scripture • First printed Greek New Testament in 1516 • Translation errors in the Vulgate • Matthew 4:17 - “do penance” or “repent” • Luke 1:28 - “full of grace” or “favored one” Wiley-Blackwell 2010