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Lecture 3: Formation of Biblical Canon and Introduction to Augustine

Lecture 3: Formation of Biblical Canon and Introduction to Augustine. Ann T. Orlando 14 March 2007. Introduction. Development of Canon of Scripture Various early heresies and their relation to Scripture Approaches to interpreting Scripture St. Augustine.

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Lecture 3: Formation of Biblical Canon and Introduction to Augustine

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  1. Lecture 3: Formation of Biblical Canon and Introduction to Augustine Ann T. Orlando 14 March 2007

  2. Introduction • Development of Canon of Scripture • Various early heresies and their relation to Scripture • Approaches to interpreting Scripture • St. Augustine

  3. Issues Surrounding Christian Scripture • The OT (Septuagint): in or out? • Relation of creator God to Father of Jesus Christ • How can there be suffering if the creator God is a good God? (theodicy problem) • Is God anthropomorphic; as OT might indicate? • Relation to Judaism • What is in NT? • Paul primary or Gospels • What literature about Jesus is sacred • What writings of early believers is in/out (e.g., Epistle of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermes) • Answers to these questions determined which books considered authoritative by various Christian groups • In this era many Christian groups selected books to support their theology; Canon is from Greek word for rule or measure

  4. Judaism(s) During Jesus’ LifetimeEnd of Second Temple Period • Before and during Jesus’ life there were many types of Judaism in Palestine (Josephus describes this): • Pharisees: upholders of the Law (Torah) • Sadducees: from aristocracy and high priests, did not believe in resurrection of dead; closely associated with Temple • Essenes: disgusted with impurities in Temple; left for desert ; Dead Sea Scrolls usually associated with them • Zealots: ‘terrorists’ against Roman occupation • Diaspora Jews not living in Palestine but scattered around Mediterranean; • Greek Jews (Hellenists in Acts of Apostles); Septuagint (LXX) Greek translation of Bible c. 200 BC in Alexandria • Jews in Rome; ordered to leave Rome by Claudius in 44 CE • Jews in Mesopotamia who did not return after the exile in 6th C BC, but flourished under Persian rule

  5. Concentration of Jewish Settlements in First Century • www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/jewish.html

  6. Development of Rabbinic Judaism • During the First War with Rome 66-73 AD, the Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots were destroyed • In 117 AD the Emperor Trajan destroyed the Hellenistic Jewish community in Alexandria; after this the Greek (or Hellenistic) Jews seemingly either converted to Christianity or rabbinic Judaism • Second Palestinian War, Bar Kochba rebellion, 132-135; after this war, Romans did not allow Jews into Jerusalem • The Pharisees were the group out of which rabbinic Judaism grew in the 2cd and 3rd C CE. They reestablished contact with the Mesopotamian Jews and their theology; rejected use of Greek philosophy and parts of the OT written in Greek, not Hebrew • Hellenistic (Greek) Jewish theology was taken over, preserved and used by early Christian theologians, especially in Alexandria • Philo of Alexandria, contemporary of Jesus and Paul; extensive use of allegory and Platonic philosophical concepts in his OT commentaries

  7. Christian OT in the Second and Third Century • Virtually all Christian groups which recognize OT, refer to the Septuagint, the Greek version • Septuagint developed c. 200 BC in Alexandria • Septuagint was the ‘official’ Scripture of Diaspora Greek Jews in Roman Empire • New Testament authors used Septuagint when they quoted Scripture

  8. 2cd C Gnosticism: Scripture and Gnosticism • Gnostics rejected the OT • God of OT was evil, creator God • God of OT was anthropomorphic, not spiritual • Gnostics accepted many different types of literature about Jesus • Gospel of Truth, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip; • Recent discovery (1945) of many Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, Egypt • Key Gnostic: Valentinus, early 2cd C, Alexandria and Rome

  9. 2cd C Marcion: OT Out; only Paul, Luke In NT • Most important impetus for development of Scriptural canon was Marcion (c. 110-160) • Wealthy sea captain, who carefully studied Christian literature • Initially part of orthodox Roman church • Decided that only Paul and parts of Luke were canonical • Opposed to Judaism and so rejected OT • Left Roman church to start his own church; spread very rapidly around Mediterranean; Marcionites in West for next 200 years; in East much longer

  10. Defenders (Developers) of Orthodoxy • 2cd Century defenders of orthodoxy • St. Ignatius of Antioch • St. Justin Martyr • St. Irenaeus • Tertullian • Note how these people from different parts of Empire knew of each other; network of orthodox believers; • Rome, Antioch, Alexandria centers for large, famous Christian schools

  11. Styles of Scriptural Interpretation • More literal; associated with Antioch • St. John Chrysostom (late 4th C) • Highly allegorical; associated with Alexandria • Origen (3rd C) • St. Gregory of Nyssa (4th C) • But all Orthodox theologians will understand the OT typologically, that is, prefiguring Jesus Christ • Example: sacrifice of Isaac (In rabbinic Judaism, binding of Isaac)

  12. Translating the Bible into Latin: Jerome • Remember, almost all Christian groups in early centuries used Greek Old Testament; and of course, the New Testament was originally written in Greek • St. Jerome undertook an authoritative translation of OT and NT into Latin; there were older Latin versions, but not complete and not very good • Jerome translates into Latin (Vulgate) using Greek and Hebrew versions of OT • Uses the books of the Septuagint • Uses order in Septuagint • In addition to translations, Jerome also develops first Latin commentaries of most books of the Bible • Note: translating the OT into Latin using Hebrew as well as Septuagint was controversial; Augustine, for instance was opposed to this.

  13. St. Augustine (354-430) • Born in North Africa • Included here because most famous opponent of Manichaeism in West; he was a Manichean hearer for 11 years • Towering giant of Western Christianity (even more than Origen was in the East) • Only limited knowledge of Greek; wrote in Latin • Story of his move away from orthodox Catholic Church toward Manichaeism and his return is chronicled in the Confessions • Developed rules for interpretation of Scripture (On Christian Teaching)

  14. 3rd C: Mani • Founder was Mani (215 - 277), Persian • Synchristic combination of Gnostic and Montanist Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism: • “As once Buddha came to India, Zoroaster to Persia, and Jesus to the lands of the West, so came in the present time, this prophecy through me, the Mani, to the land of Babylonia" • Very potent, well organized religion • Accepts some aspects of NT • ‘Martyred’ by Persians as a Zoroastrian heretic • Lasted for over a Millennium (Dominicans founded to combat Cathars, a Manichean sect is 13th C)

  15. Main Points of Manichaeism • Solve the theodicy problem by saying that there are two gods: one evil, one good • Material world associated with evil god • Special knowledge comes from good god; only available to initiated Manicheans • Scripture includes parts of NT, Zoroastrianism and works of Mani • Mani considered himself reincarnation of Apostle Paul and/or incarnation of Holy Spirit

  16. Introduction to Confessions • Written shortly after Augustine was named bishop of Hippo (395-400) • Written at the request of his friend Paulinus of Nola; written 11 years after his baptism • It is Augustine the bishop reflecting in middle age on events in his youth; • It is not a telling of the story of his youth • May have been written as a defense against charge that Augustine was still a Manichean • Became an instant best seller • It is first and foremost a prayer, not an autobiography; there should be an AMEN at end of Book XIII

  17. Structure • Division of 13 Books is Augustine’s division • Usually considered in two parts: • Augustine’s past (I-IX) • Augustine's present (X-XIII) • NB: The last 4 books (Part 2) are an integral part of the whole • In spite of the fact that some editors either abbreviate them or leave them out altogether • Which we will NOT do; Books X-XIII will be studied with equal vigor in this class

  18. Structure of Part 1 • Can be viewed as being a chiasm • Book I: Birth and relationship of infant with mother • Book II: Bondage of Flesh • Book III: Slavery of eyes and mind; problem of evil • Book IV Ambition of World • Book V Encounter with Faustus, Manichaeism, philosophy; moving from Carthage to Rome • Book VI: Recognition of emptiness of world’s ambition • Book VII: Freedom of mind; resolution of problem of evil • Book VIII: Liberation from bondage of flesh • Book IX: Relation to Monica, her death

  19. Structure of Part 2 • Book X: Augustine the Bishop at the end of his reflection on his youth, meditates on • Memory and knowledge • Sin • Book XI: Augustine the Bishop meditates on • “In the beginning” • What is Time • Book XII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on • “God created the heavens and the earth” • How to interpret Scripture and authorial intent • Book XIII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on • Trinity • Church • NB: Augustine uses the word ‘confessions’ more often in these last four than the previous nine books • Confessio: both ‘accusation of oneself and praise for God’ Sermon 67.2

  20. Summary of Books I and II • Book I: The Early Years • Our heart is restless until is rests in You • Grasping, selfish infants • Beaten in school as a child • Is childhood innocent? • Book II: Adolescence • Discovers sex • Father borrows money to send him to best school • Parental pride in his achievements and success; feeds his ambitions • Friends convince each other to steal pears

  21. Some Key Points in Confessions Book III • Lust vs. love i, ii, iii • Importance of philosophy iv • Note why Augustine turns away from Catholic Christianity v • Note some of his descriptions of Manichean customs vi, x • Discussion on evil as absence of good vii • Natural law, justice, local custom vii, viii • Reaction of Monica; especially her dream in which she sees Augustine standing next to her on the same rule xi, xii

  22. Augustine’s Reflection on Confessions • confessionum mearum libri tredecim et de malis et de bonis meis deum laudant iustum et bonum atque in eum excitant humanum intellectum et affectum. interim quod ad me attinet, hoc in me egerunt cum scriberentur et agunt cum leguntur. Retractions 2.6.1 • The 13 books of my confession, of both my bad and good, praise the just and good God, and moreover they excite the human intellect and affection towards Him. As for what pertains to me, they did this in me when they were written, and they do this when they are read.

  23. Assignment • Read Augustine, Confessions Book III • CCC 115-120, 75-79 • Write 1-page paper

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