Class 2: History as Theology

Class 2:History as Theology Dr. Ann T. Orlando Sept. 4, 2013

Outline • Providence • History as the unfolding of Providence in creation; space and time • Our guide: St. Augustine of Hippo, The City of God

God’s Providence • Providence: a Stoic term • Stoicism • Most important Greek philosophy for early Christians • Begun by Zeno in opposition to Epicureans • Philosophy the handmaid of theology • Philo of Alexandria (1st C AD), Jewish Stoic philosopher

Epicureans • Epicurus (Athens, 4th C BC) begins with the theodicy question • Answer: God or gods are uninterested in created world • No life after death • Happiness (tranquility) and Ethics based on achieving pleasure and avoiding pain • Passions subordinated to intellect • Encouraged celibacy; sex too emotionally messy, does not lead to happiness • Women encouraged to join as full members of schools • Friends more important than family; but self-reliance most important • Free will; not bound by ties of family or duty • Science and technology very important; based on random motion of atoms • Justice based upon contractual agreements • Opposed to allegory and prophecy as a way of knowing • Favored philosophy of intellectual Romans who wanted to withdraw from society • Roundly condemned by all other philosophies; rabbinic word for atheist is derived from Epicurus • Human history has no particular meaning • ‘God is dead, history is dead’; no such thing as Providence

Stoicism • Happiness is following the will of God (Providence) • God is everywhere, God as logos (rational necessity); • God as a type of gas that permeates everything • His Providence rules everything (see Acts 17:28) • Ethics based on following God’s plan; • Minimal free will; • Emphasis on virtues; • Judgment by God after death • Justice based on natural law as part of Providence’s eternal law • Passions are to be subordinated to intellect • Encouraged celibacy; sex too emotionally messy • Allegorical interpretation of Greek myths • Dominant philosophy of Roman Empire • Human history is story of God’s Providence in human society

History as part of Theology • History has several layers • 1. Facts of what happened when • Jesus of Nazareth crucified c. 33 AD • 2. Proximate causes • Roman imperial concerns about Jewish insurgents • Jewish priestly class (Sadducees) concern about renegade Jewish sects upsetting their relation with Romans • 3. Secular historical result • New religion • 4. Providence • Salvation for mankind • Secular historians are generally concerned with 1 and 2, maybe 3. We are concerned with 1-4

Why Did Man Need Saving? • In the beginning…of human history • Genesis • Creation, Adam and Eve • Fall; original sin • Cain and Abel • Noah • Abraham, Isaac • Jacob, Joseph • How to interpret this and subsequent events in salvation history

Our Guide in First Part of Course: Augustine of Hippo • The greatest western Christain theologian • First to think deeply and systematically about Christian history • Providence • Plan of salvation in history

Brief Biographical Sketch • Born near Carthage in 354 to a devoutly Catholic mother (St. Monica) and worldly father (Patrick) • In youth leads a life of pleasure searching for happiness • Flirts with Manichaeism (11 years) • Becomes enamored with Platonism (really neoPlatonism) • Conversion to Catholic Christianity and is baptized • Ordained priest 391, bishop of Hippo 395 • Died on 28 August 430 (now celebrated as his feast day) • Peter Brown’s book Augustine of Hippo remains the most important biography of Augustine in English • Be sure to get the New Edition with Epilogue • Discusses discovery of 12 previously unstudied letters and sermons of Augustine (396-404)

Political and Military Situation • At beginning of 4th Century, Empire united under Diocletian and Constantine • Throughout 4th Century civil wars among Constantine’s sons and successors • Theodosius the Great reunites the Empire • Last Emperor of ‘entire’ Roman Empire • Barbarian invasions begin in West late 4th C, key moment is sack of Rome in 410 • Empire become divided East (capital, Constantinople) and West (capital, Rome and Milan) • Western Roman Empire ceases to exist 476 • Eastern Roman Empire ceased to exist 1453

The Sack of Rome • Sack of Rome in 410 to Alaric had a huge psychological impact • The Goths sacking Rome were Arian Christians • “My voice sticks in my throat, and as I dictate, sobs choke my utterance. The City which had taken the whole world, was itself taken.” St. Jerome • Augustine dies as the Vandals (Arians) are besieging Hippo • Vandal conquest of North Africa leads to destruction of Donatists • City of God against the Pagans • Augustine’s efforts to explain history and refute criticism of Christianity

AugustineOver-Arching View of Church • Man as a naturally social, not political being • Love, not justice the dominant virtue in the good society • Before the Fall, there was no hierarchy of dominance; slavery is a result of sin • Mixed good and bad (wheat and tares) in Church • Church mixed with society (city of man) • Church as the City of God • Exists as a pilgrim traveling throughout human history (time) • Exists permanently in eternity

Augustine: What is the Church • When did it begin: with Abel • Cain founder of city of man • Abel, first member of City of God • Noah’s ark as the City of God • Holy man is a shepherd, not a king • The Church can be said to begin in the OT due to the action of the Holy Spirit

Augustine: Pilgrim People • People of God, the Church, are not members of city of man • Sojoiners (like Abel) • That is, Pilgrims • Pilgrimage as a way of life • For individuals • For Church • Social enterprise • We travel together • We support each other • Everyone belongs to one of two cities • City of God, the Church, on pilgrimage • City of this world • CoG I

Translations of City of God • Marcus Dods, Modern Library (1886) • Henry Bettenson, Penguin (1943) • R. W. Dyson, Cambridge (1998) • William Babcock, New City Press, 2 vol. (2013)

Assignment • CoG I.1, XIV.25-28 • Hitchcock, Ch. 1

Class 2: History as Theology