Lecture 7 Flashcards
The Four Latin Church Fathers
Hilary of Poitiers
Ambrose of Milan
Jerome
Augustine of Hippo
Hilary of Poitiers (c.315-367/8)
Known as “The Athanasius of the West” or the “Hammer of the Arians” (bulk of his ministry was in fighting the Arians and the Nicean cause)
Life:
- An educated convert from Paganism
- He was elected bishop of Bishop of Poitiers (France) c.350
a. Poitiers is in modern-day France
Briefly Describe Hilary’s ministry
- After his ordination, quickly became involved in the Arian disputes
- He was caught up in the Arian policies of Constantius and was condemned for his Catholic (orthodox) views.
a. He subsequently denounced Constantius as the Anti-Christ
b. He was exiled by Constantius (the Arian emperor) to Phrygia (where Montanus had been a few hundred years earlier)
c. There, he came into contact with the homoousion language, which would influence the way he expressed his theology
What was Hilary’s role at the Council of Seleucia (359)?
He defended the cause of orthodoxy at the Council of Seleucia (359). He became the leading Latin theologian for his age (this happened before Ambrose and Augustine)
He was actually a theological “pioneer” who was forced to create some new (Latin) vocabulary in order to express his theology accurately (esp. in response to Arianism)
De Trinitate
Hilary of Poitiers’ chief work is De Trinitate—a work specifically targeting the Arians, in 12 volumes. Hilary’s treaties (De Trinitate) was the earliest fully developed treatise by a western Latin Theologian.
Theologians such as Augustine, Leo, and Aquinas praised Hilary’s treatise and used parts of it in their writings
What is Hilary of Pitiers’ basic outline for Trinaterian theology against the Arians?
- The 2nd person of the Trinity became incarnate, not the Godhead itself. He says: “If God were only one person, it could not have proclaimed that God both sends and is sent; that God could be both lawgiver and obedient to law; that God could both make atonement and receive it; that God could both reject sin and offer sacrifice for it.”
- Hilary’s Trinitarian exegesis of John’s prologue (Jn. 1:1-14)
- John teaches that what our soul may have believed from natural reason about the eternity, infinity, and form of its creator is proper to the begotten
- John also makes clear that tri-theism is not the belief of the early Christian community regarding the Trinity.
• According to Hilary: “It (the early Christian community) does not believe in many gods, because it hears of God from God, nor does it accept a difference in nature between God and God, because it learns that the God who is from God is full of grace and truth. . . .”
- The phrase “God was with God in the beginning,” refutes the Arian claim that “there is an earlier and a later God from God.”
II. Ambrose of Milan (c. 339–397)
One of the doctors of the Latin church.
- Family:
a. His father was the Prefect of Gaul
b. His sister Marcellina, led a semi-monastic life in Rome
c. His brother, Uranius Satyrus, was a governor of another province in the Empire
Came from a wealthy family.
- Career:
a. Followed a typical upper-class career: administration and trial law
b. He was eventually appointed the governor of Milan
How did Ambrose become bishop of Milan?
In 373, Arian Bishop of Milan, Auxentius, died
a. An election was called
b. Tensions between Arians/orthodox Christians began to rise
Ambrose, governor of the city, attended the election
a. The crowd insisted on electing Ambrose, but he denied the invitation three times
b. He tried different ways to decline, even leaving the city
c. The emperor insisted, and Ambrose became bishop 8 days later , despite not having been baptized yet—he was still a catechumenate
Ambrose was not a good administrator. Who did he seek for help?
He called upon his brother, Uranius Satyrus, to help train him in administration of church.
Ambrose was not well-educated in theological matters, he was not suited to be bishop. Who did he call for help?
He called upon Simplicianus, a priest, to tutor him in theology and Christian Doctrine.
• Simplicianus, was also instrumental in the conversion of St. Augustine!
• Augustine mentions Simplicianus as the “Father” of Ambrose
c. Ambrose soon became one of the best theologians in the Western Church
What are the four theological contributions of Ambrose of Milan?
a. Translated Eastern (Greek) theological works into Latin
b. Contributed to the understanding of the Trinity by translating (and popularizing) the work of the Cappadocians—especially Basil’s On the Holy Ghost
c. Emphasized the centrality of the incarnation of Christ
d. Contributed to literature about the formation of the clergy: Duties of the Clergy
What was Ambrose’s relationship to the Empire?
During his tenure, Ambrose demonstrated a remarkable degree of spiritual and political authority over the emperors.
Give two examples of Ambrose going against the Western politicians of his time:
- Ambrose against the Arian royalty: Justina was an Arian, and was in frequent conflict with Ambrose
a. At one point Justina insisted on an Arian Basilica for worship in Ambrose’s district
• Ambrose refused and the Basilica was surrounded by troops during a service
• Ambrose kept the congregation strong by leading them in prayer and singing hymns and Psalms
• Justina finally retreated asking for a few sacred relics, and Ambrose still refused
b. In another instance, Ambrose refused to give up a Basilica for Arian supporters of Valentian II (386)
- At one point, Ambrose had an ancient burial ground excavated in search of holy relics
a. They found the bones of martyrs
b. The congregants associated the relic bones with two famous martyrs: Protasius and Gervasius
c. Rumors soon abounded about miracles performed by the “sacred relics”
d. This caused Ambrose to be even more popular with the people, and Justina even more furious with him
Give two examples of clashes between Ambrose and Theodosius
a. Overzealous Christians burned a synagogue
• Theodosius: believed they should be punished, and that they should rebuild the temple
• Ambrose: protested that a Christian emperor should not force Christians to build a Jewish Synagogue
• The Result: the emperor yielded and the synagogue was not built, and the arsonists were not punished—this set a sad precedent
b. A riot in Thessalonica broke out, and the commandant of the city was murdered by rioters
• Ambrose: who knew the quick temperament of the emperor, counseled him to be moderate
• Theodosius: At first agreed with Ambrose, but then changed his mind, and decided to make an example of the city. He sent word to the rioters and indicated that they had been forgiven. He invited all 7,000 men to the arena for a celebration. He then trapped them all inside and had the army kill them all.
• Ambrose: hearing of this, demanded that emperor repent, and would not allow Theodosius into the church without first asking for forgiveness
• Theodosius: despite his courtiers’ threats to Ambrose, Theodosius publicly asked for forgiveness.
What are the 4 Chief Marks in Ambrose of Milan’s trinaterian theology?
Ambrose’s work De Trinitate (On the Holy Spirit)
The “Evident glory of the Godhead” is characterized by 4 Chief Marks. God is:
• Without Sin
• The forgiveness of Sin
• Not the giver, but the receiver of worship
• Is not a creature, but is the creator
If these 4 marks characterize God and set him apart from all created reality, and if the Holy Spirit is characterized by all 4 of these marks, then the Spirit must also be divine. Ambrose uses verses such as Job 33:4: “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me lift”
Jerome (c. 345–420)
His “holy” disposition was not humble, peaceful, and sweet, but was proud, stormy, and even bitter.
Early Life:
- Born in 348 in northern Italy; some scholars say as early as 330
- Admirer of classical learning—studied in Rome
How did Jerome come to faith?
He was baptized in Rome, and then travelled to Gaul, where he decided to devote himself to an ascetic life.
a. He suffered constant guilt about his love of pagan learning
b. In 374, on his way to Palestine, he stopped in Antioch and heard a sermon by Apollinarius of Laodicea
c. During that trip Jerome had a dream wherein he was convicted of his love of pagan learning.
• In the dream he was at his final judgment was asked, “Who are you?” He answered that he was a Christian, but the judge said, “You lie. You are a Ciceronian.”
• When he awoke, he was convicted of his love of secular learning and decided to devote himself to Christian learning.
- Jerome then went to the Syrian desert and settled as a hermit for four or five years
a. He learned Hebrew while there—which is key
b. He decided to leave, realizing that he was not designed to be a hermit - He returned to Antioch, and was ordained by a priest named Paulinus; he then spent some time in Constantinople
Jerome was secretary to what bishop in Rome?
He became the secretary to Bishop Damasus in Rome from 382-385.
What was Jerome’s main struggle throughout his lifetime?
- Jerome was always plagued with the problem of lust—this is connected with his love of the pagan life and secular learning
• According to Gonzalez, Jerome was often haunted by memories of dancers in Rome (the earliest Christians never went to these shows, in part because they were so dirty).
• This was an issue with which he struggled his entire life
• The issue caused him to be very austere and rigorous in his spiritual and practical life
Jerome eventually ended up in Rome. Who became his companions?
In Rome, he found companionship and help, from a group of women (nuns), who lived in the palace of a wealthy widow, Albina.
a. Some of the women include:
• Marcella:the widowed daughter of Albina
• Marcellina: the sister of Bishop Ambrose of Milan
• Paula: a scholar, and lifelong friend and theological discussion partner with Jerome
• Eustochium: Paula’s daughter
Jerome and his group practiced very strict and austere spiritual exercises and frequently engaged in rigorous theological study and discourse (this was with the group of nuns)
Where did Jerome eventually settle? What did he do there?
Jerome finally settled down in Bethlehem (386)
a. Paula’s wealth allowed them to form two Monasteries:
• Jerome, founded a men’s monastery
• Paula founded a Women’s monastery
b. They both decided to live a life of moderate monasticism, focused mainly on theological study (this becomes the highlight of his ministry)
What is Jerome’s greatest contribution to the church?
The Latin Vulgate.
Jerome’s largest contribution was the Latin bible translation from the Hebrew (OT) and the Greek (NT): the Vulgate (see more detail below)
What were the two things that cast Jerome into depression during the last 10 years of his life?
The death of Paula in 404:
a. This cast Jerome into a depression
b. He lived for 10 years after, but in loneliness and pain
The Sack of Rome in 410:
a. The fall of Rome caused Jerome to fall into a deeper depression
What was Augustine’s beef with Jerome’s Latin Vulgate?
Augustine criticized the Vulgate for its lack of attention to grammatical detail. For example, he noted that in the Book of Jonah, the LXX uses the word gourd for the plant, but Jerome used the Latin word for “ivy”
• Jerome responded by indicating that Augustine was simply a young man seeking attention
• Jerome indicated that Augustine was not as smart as he thought, and should not pursue the argument any further, for fear of being humiliated
• Jerome continued to crush Augustine’s arguments, and called him and others, Cucurbitarians: “gourdists”
Cucurbitarians
Jerome’s name for those who had a problem with his latin Vulgate. It means “gourdists”.
Briefly describe Augustine’s early life
b. Father was a pagan Roman official
c. His mother, Monica, was fervent Christian who continuously prayed for the salvation of her husband and son
d. 354- 365: Infancy and Early Schooling – Augustine and his fellow students were beaten if they did not learn their lessons to their master’s liking.
e. 366: Augustine’s education in Madaura:
• He remained there until his parents’ money ran out
f. 370: At the age of 16, Augustine returned home
• He spent the year engaged in vandalism and promiscuity, and boasting of inappropriate adventures (real and/or imagined)
• He and his friends vandalized property—see the story of the Pears in Augustine’s Confessions
Augustine continued his education in Carthage. What was he studying?
He was going to be in law, as a grammarian.
- He began to prepare for a career in law
- He learned to speak and write elegantly—this affected his first reading of the Bible in Latin (negatively)-HE WAS STUDYING TO BE A GRAMMARIAN, THE WRITTEN AND SPOKEN WORD WERE WHO HE WAS.
- Through his study of Cicero, Augustine became convinced that beyond learning language and logic, one must seek truth
- The search led him to the Manichees (Manicheans)
Where did Augustine’s love for philosophy start?
After reading Cicero’s Hortensius, Augustine developed a love for philosophy
• The Hortensius is a lost work on philosophy which claims that happiness is found in the philosophical search for truth, not in hedonism.
What is the basic Manichean understanding of the world?
Manichean Structure:
• The “Elect”—were the “most holy ones” who were required to abide by 3 seals
o The Mouth: no blasphemy, strict dietary rules, ie. vegetarian—when they ate, they often purged the “particles of light” through regurgitation (they were bulimics)
o The Hands: no productive work
o The Body: chastity
• Auditors or “Seekers”—were required to provide for the “Elect”
o They were permitted to marry, hold jobs, acquire property, have money, and eat meat
What is the basic argument in Manichean Theology?
Manichean Theology is at the root, Gnostic.
• Humans are made up of two competing principles: light (spiritual principle) and darkness (matter principle) JUST LIKE GNOSTICISM
• Salvation comes through separating the two principles
o To avoid darkness: avoid things such as procreation
o To release the “light” within us: purge food, etc.
• By Augustine’s day, Manicheism had spread throughout the Mediterranean basin
• Many teachings based on astronomical observations
• Answered many Christian “contradictions” for Augustine
o From the point of view of rhetoric, the Bible was a series of inelegant writings—some even barbaric
o The Bible was unclear on the question of evil: If God was supreme and pure goodness, then he must have created evil (he’s looking at the world, seeing that it is evil, and concluding that Mani’s explanation on evil makes more sense than the Christians. Basically, God is evil).
What was at the core of Augustine’s interest in the Manichees?
They had an explanation of the existence of evil.
What was the Manichean answer to Augustine’s dilemma?
• The Manichean answer to Augustine’s dilemma:
o The Bible, due to its crudeness, was not in fact the “Word of the eternal principle of Light” but of the principle of darkness
o Evil was also a creation of the principle of darkness
o It was Jesus (not the Serpent!) that persuaded Adam to taste the fruit; having tasted, Adam became aware of the “truth” and resolved to abstain from relations with his wife, since through the generation of new human beings, the particles of Light continue to be passed from one body to another, and so remain imprisoned in the prison of flesh—hence the strict rules for the “Elect”!
o The Manichees’ “answer” presented a practical solution to Augustine’s question about evil
