Chapter 2 The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, c.500-1500

1. Chapter 2The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, c.500-1500 AlisterE. McGrath Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought

2. On defining the “Middle Ages” • Specific to western Europe • Earlier renewals • Expansion of Islam • By the 11th century, three centers: • Byzantium (Constantinople) • Western Europe (Rome, Paris) • The Caliphate (eastern and southern Mediterranean) • Split between the eastern and western church (1054) • Medieval theology • Byzantine theology

3. Medieval theological landmarks in western Europe • The Carolingian renaissance • Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor (742-814) • Alcuin (735-804) • The rise of monastic and cathedral schools of theology • The “Rule of Benedict” • The cathedral of Chartres • Women writers • Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) • Catherine of Siena (1347-80) • Julian of Norwich (c.1342-c.1415) • Mechthild of Magdeburg (c.1210?-c.1282)

4. The religious orders and their “schools of theology” • The Cistercians (founded 1097) • The Franciscans (Francis of Assisi, c.1181-1226) • The Dominicans (Dominic de Guzman, 1170-1221) • The Augustinians • The founding of the universities • Collège de la Sorbonne, University of Paris • Peter Lombard’s Four Books of the Sentences • Quotations from Augustine

5. The rise of scholasticism • “cathedral of the mind” (Etienne Gilson) • rational justification and systematic presentation of Christian beliefs • The Italian Renaissance (14th and 15th century) • Intellectual vacuum • Visible reminders of antiquity • Fall of Constantinople • The rise of humanism • Ad fontes(back to the sources)

6. Medieval theological landmarks in Eastern Europe • The emergence of Byzantine theology • Theology as the mind of the saints (Athanasius) • The iconoclastic controversy (752-842) • Emperor Leo III (717-42) • John of Damascus • The hesychastic controversy • Hesychasm • Gregory Palamas (c.1296-1359) • The fall of Constantinople (1453)

7. Key theologians • John of Damascus (c.675-c.749) • The Fountain of Wisdom • Simeon the New Theologian (949-1022) • Abbot of St. Mamas in Constantinople • Anselm of Canterbury (c.1033-1109) • Proslogion • Cur Deus homo (“Why God became man”) • Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-74) • Summa contra Gentiles • Summa Theologiae • Duns Scotus (c.1265-1308) • Voluntarism • Immaculate conception of Mary • William of Ockham (c.1285-1347) • Ockham’s razor • Erasmus of Rotterdam (c.1469-1536) • Enchiridion

8. Key theological developments • The consolidation of the patristic heritage • The exploration of the role of reason in theology • Anselm of Canterbury: faith seeking understanding • Rediscovery of Aristotle • The development of theological systems • The development of sacramental theology • The development of the theology of grace • The role of Mary in the scheme of salvation

9. Returning directly to the sources of Christian theology • The critique of the Vulgate translation of Scripture • First printed Greek New Testament – Erasmus, 1516 • Translation errors in the Latin Vulgate • Marriage: a sacrament or a mystery • Matthew 4:17: do penance or repent • Mary: “full of grace” or “favored one”

10. Case study 2.1 Arguments for the existence of God • Anselm of Canterbury’s “ontological argument” • God as “that than which no greater thing can be thought” • If the idea of God exists in the human mind, the reality must also exist • Gaunilo, “A Reply on Behalf of the Fool” • The “Five Ways” of Thomas Aquinas • God as the first cause of all change/motion • God as the original cause of all effects • God as the cause of contingent beings • God as the cause of human values and ideas about truth and goodness • The teleological argument: God as the cause of natural ordering and design

11. Case study 2.2 Understandings of the atonement • Christus Victor (“Christ the victor”) • Christ’s death as a random paid to the devil • Gregory the Great: the baited hook • The “harrowing of hell” • Anselm of Canterbury • The righteousness of God • The “God-man” (Jesus Christ) • Thomas Aquinas • Christ’s satisfaction on the cross > the offense committed by humanity • Peter Abelard • Christ’s incarnation and death as demonstrations of the love of God

12. Case study 2.3 The theology of the sacraments • Augustine • A sacrament is a sign which bears relation to the thing signified • Hugh of St. Victor (d.1142) • Physical or material element • A “kind of likeness” • Institution/authorization • Efficacy • Peter Lombard • A “sign of the grace of God and a form of invisible grace” • Baptism, confirmation, the eucharist, penance, extreme unction, ordination, marriage

13. Case study 2.4 The interpretation of the Bible • Philo of Alexandria (c.30 bc-c.ad 45) • Origen • the allegorical method • Antiochene school • historical context • Quadriga (fourfold sense of Scripture) • Literal • Allegorical • Tropological (moral) • Anagogical

14. Case study 2.5 Renaissance humanism and the Bible • The Latin Vulgate • Humanist contribution to the study of Scripture • The priority of Scripture over its commentators • The original languages (Hebrew and Greek) & tools for study • Establishing the best text of Scripture • Experience mediated by the text • A biblically literate laity • Translation errors in the Vulgate: • Matthew 4:17 “do penance” or “repent” • Luke 1:28 “full of grace” or “one who has found favor”

15. Case study 2.6 Augustinianism and Pelagianism in late medieval theology • Nominalism  via moderna • Covenant between God and humanity • Justification and “doing your best” • Pelagianism? • The king and the small lead coin • ScholaAugustinianamoderna(modern Augustinian school) • Gregory of Rimini • Salvation initiated and completed by God • John Calvin (1509-64) and voluntarism • “apart from God’s good pleasure, Christ could not merit anything”