Exam #1 Flashcards
Description of isolation
We should avoid being in contact with anything that is unholy.
Why should we waste our time rereading anything other than the scriptures?
Three common “Christian” attitudes to “secular” literature
- Isolation
- Integration
- Compartmentalization
Strengths of isolation
Concern for sanctification
They want to be holy
Weaknesses of isolation
Impossible to do- John 17:11,14-16
Scripturally impossible to achieve sanctification by this method
Monastic disinterest in transforming culture
Description of integration
The world can teach us the truths that are not in the scriptures. “All truth is God’s truth”
We seek to balance the “general revelation” with the “special revelation”
Strengths of integration
Concern for transforming culture
Weaknesses of integration
Compromise of the scripture and of the “secular” knowledge
Description of compartmentalization
Separation of secular and sacred: work/church, study/bible study, friendship/witnessing, etc.
Failure to see the connection between the two
Strengths of compartmentalization
Neither isolation nor integration
Clear conscience
Weaknesses of compartmentalization
Don’t know how to live a Christian life
Nature of sin
There is nothing that is intrinsically sinful
Temptations don’t come from an object
Sin is in us, not in an object
Why study literature?
The value of popular culture
Systematic understanding of human struggles
Application of the mind of Christ
Development of spiritual muscles
Value of popular culture
Practical knowledge
Prophetic knowledge: social critique
How do we approach literature?
Critical discernment
Sanctified enjoyment
Critical discernment
Examine literature in light of the scriptures
How close does it come to the truth?
How far does it fall short of the truth?
Truth
The nature and the works of God and his creation so revealed in the scriptures
Sanctified enjoyment
We cannot enjoy something unless we first find out that it is indeed “true”, “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, etc.
Pre-classical history
Mycenaean culture (2000-1200 bc)
Dorian invasion (ca. 1104 bc)
Dark ages (lasted about 400 years)
Literary periods
Pre-classical (8-6th BC)
Classical (6-4th BC)
Hellenistic-Roman (4-1st BC; 1st BC - 4 AD)
Byzantine (4-15 AD)
Classical Greek literature
Epic Lyric Tragedy Comedy History Philosophy
Epic vs. lyric
Long vs. short
Extraordinary vs. mundane
Differentiation vs. identification
Homer
Nothing is certain about him
According to tradition
Blind poet, native to Chios (Ionia)
Based on oral poetry
History of the Trojan war
Heinrich Schliemann
German archaeologist
Excavated Troy in 1870-1873
Ruins of nine cities built top one another
Homer’s Troy: 7th (1250-1020 BC)
Ruins of its walls measured at 16 feet thick
Theme of the Iliad
Honor/virtue
Two types of honor
Aretē
Timē
Aretē
Virtue, excellence
Associated with fame (kleos)
Timē
Honor
Associated with giving of material gifts
Which type of honor is most important?
Ancients- aretē
Contemporary- timē
Honor and immortality
Contemporary glorification of timē- “he who dies with the most toys wins”.
Ancients aretē over timē- afterlife is a shadowy, half-existence. Immortality through memory. Live beyond death in songs and stories.
Achilles
Son of goddess Thetis
Doubly doomed- short painful life with honor or long peaceful life
Dishonored taking away of timē
Biblical option of honor
Seek a long peaceful life
But be ready for anything
Attempts to restore honor
Agamemnon’s reconciliation
Odysseus’ intercession
Achilles’ refusal- death as ultimate honor
Phoenix’s appeal
Ajax’s appeal
Death of Patroclus
Death and funeral of Hector
Honor in the manor of death
Honor and funeral
Three ancient public speeches
Forensic discourse- given in court
Deliberative discourse- course of action
Epideictic discourse- funeral (most important) validation of ones life
Aeschylus’ personal background
524-456 BC
Earliest of the great Greek tragic poets- “father of tragedy”
Introduced 2nd actor (creating dialogue)
Soldier and patriot- fought in the battle of marathon (490 BC) and battle of salamis (480 BC)
Aeschylus historical-political background
Birth of Athens as a democratic city-state
Oligarchy under Pisistratus and Hippias (6th BC)
Cleisthenes reintroduced democracy in 510 BC
Celebrated internal and external peace under the new form of government
Origin of tragedy
Originated in the Dionysian festival of 6th century BC
Made of a dancing chorus and a masked actor
Invention of 2nd and 3rd actor
Separation of actor
Philosophy of tragedy
Dialectic opposition of two elements: Apollo and Dionysus
Attempt to resolve the tension in life
Apollo
Masculinity
God of the sky: presides over music, poetry, and prophecy
Represents: individuality, rationality, civilization, human mind
Dionysus
Femininity
God of the earth: presides over harvest, festivity, and intoxication
Represents: mob mentality, madness, nature, and human body
Tragedy
Conflict between Dionysian and Apollonian
Resolution in destruction
Conflict between Dionysian and Apollonian
Nature (physis) vs. culture (nomos)
Nature (physis) vs. art/technology (techne)
Individual vs. state
Theme of Aeschylus
Justice (dikē)
Definition of justice
Righting the wrong
The law of retribution and the first act of injustice
Only way to stop the cycle: forgiveness
Aristocratic justice
Individual justice- taking matter into his/her own hand
Democratic justice
Communal justice- a group of people judging and administering justice
Furies (Erinyes) appearance, origin, justice
Appearance- hideous
Origin- ancient, earth, fate
Justice- law of equal retaliation
Apollo and Athena
Young gods
Apollo and logic
Symbol of new dispensation from primitive justice to democratic justice governed by human rationality
Eumenides
The kindly ones
Nature of crime: matricide (against flesh and blood)
Crime against the balance of nature
Crime against the Dionysian principle
Trial in Aeschylus (type of trial, verdict, outcome)
Trial by jury
Verdict- masculine principle over feminine (Apollonian over Dionysian)
Outcome: furies turn into Eumenides
Oresteia trilogy
Parable of democracy
Euripides
480-406 BC
Last of the great tragic poets
Not as popular as Aeschylus and Sophocles (only won 5 awards)
Did not cater to the Athenian crowd
Exposed injustice and hypocrisy
Tried and exiled from Athens for impiety (significance: loss of identity)
“Euripides drew men as they are, not as they ought to be”
Three dramatist contrasted
Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides
Aeschylus’ innovation and theme
Innovation- 2nd actor
Theme- triumph of culture over nature
Sophocles’ innovation and theme
Innovation- 3rd actor
Theme- culture and nature in stalemate
Euripides’ innovation and theme
Innovation- introduction, separation of actors and audience
Theme- triumph of nature over culture
Historical background of Medea
Composed in 431 BC (beginning of peloponnesian war
Weakened faith in democracy and Olympian gods
Moral decay and materialism
Theme of Medea
Passion
Return of nature/Dionysian
Subversion of culture/Apollonian
Character of Medea
Outsider to polis (city-state)
Woman- 2nd class, no right to vote
Foreigner- non-Greek, no citizenship
Witch- ancient religion, didn’t worship Olympian deity
Medea’s background: historical
Pelia’s usurpation of the throne of Iolcos
Argonaut’s sailing to Colchis
Golden Fleece adventure
Murder of Apsyrtos, Medea’s brother
Medea’s background: personal
Priestess of Hecate
Granddaughter of Helios
What does it mean to be a foreigner?
No privilege of a citizen
No personal identity
No honor/virtue
Medea’s speech #1
Addressed to women of Corinth
2nd class citizen
Dowry to buy a master
Double standard
Fight war rather than bear child
Women endure all for love, but if this love is wronged…
Passion
Centrality for the play Medea
Reference to “self-control”
Comparison to virtue
Dénouement of Jason and Medea
Jason- maintain citizenship, but die without honor
Medea- monster, will not be touched by the furies
Plato
429-347 BC
Aristocratic family
Fought in the peloponnesian war (409-404 BC)
Rule of the thirty tyrants (404 BC)
Restoration of democracy (403 BC)
Execution of Socrates (399 BC)
Left Athens and traveled to Egypt, Sicily, Italy
Returned to Athens and founded the academy (387 BC)
Plato’s philosophy
Theory of ideal
Phenomenal world as shadow
Real world as ideal
Allegory of the cave
Socratic dialectic
Question/answer mode of teaching- maieutics (midwifery)
Assumption of “soul knowledge”- transmigration of the soul
Apology of Socrates
Conflict of philosophy and rhetoric
Opening defense- manner of words vs. “truth” of words
Philosophy
Substance/essence
Universal knowledge
Rhetoric
Appearance
Local knowledge
Two accusations of Socrates
Teaching corruptive doctrine
Impiety
Corruptive doctrine of Socrates
Pythian oracle- no one wiser than Socrates
Observed three groups- polititians, poets, craftsmen
Knowledge in specialized areas vs. knowledge of “high matters”
Impiety of Socrates
Not believing in the gods of the state
Belief in Daimonia
Universal deity vs. local gods
Political significance of Socrates’ doctrine
Creation of new reality/nature that is more real/natural than the real/natural itself
Overcoming Apollonian/Dionysian dilemma
New aristocracy: the philosopher king
Christian belief system and platonic philosophy
Christian God and platonic deity
Spiritual world and platonic ideal
Biblical answer to Apollo/Dionysus
Transformation of human nature “inner man”
Regeneration
Sanctification
Transformation of human nature to body glorification
Transformation if nature
