Augustine teaching on human nature Flashcards
What must you cover in Augustine’s teaching on human nature
Human relationships pre and post fall
Original sin and its effects
Gods grace
What was the relationship between God and humans pre fall
Perfect harmony, they lived in peace
Adam and Eve were married as friends, they had the pleasure of sex but not lustfully
What is genesis 3
The story of the fall
What was the relationship after the fall
Shame of nakedness, harmony gone
It was a general move away from goodness, Aquinas argues that we are now impure and don’t have goodness
Man loses his ability to control his sexual desires, and each human has the ‘loins’ on Adam
What is original sin
The state that humans were brought into through the fall
What did Paul say in Romans 7
‘I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do’ -
we go towards evil rather than goodness
Does Augustine believe we can ever be morally good?
Yes but only when given grace by God, and no other way
How does Augustine view sex
As guilty and unclean.
What does Augustine believe that God does
God elects his chosen people into heaven
God decides on who receives his grace
‘Summum bonum’ being given to some people
What is the ‘Summum bonum’
Highest or greatest good
Aquinas’ teachings on human nature that are pessimistic
We are tainted from the moment we’re born
We are predestined before we’re even born
We aren’t truly free
Aquinas’ teachings on human nature that are optimistic
Gods grace is given to the ones who deserve it
Jesus died on the cross for our sins
The Church attempts to ‘save’ people
Who was Pelagius
a guy who completely contradicted Augustine’s views
Augustine said that our suffering is deserved, Pelagius said that that makes no sense
Augustine said that humans cannot do good without Gods grace, Pelagius said that Gods grace is within everyone regardless
Why can the fall be viewed as symbolic
It can show the relationship between God and humans
It can mean that there is development in life and that humans can both sin and eventually change
