‘How convincing is Augustine’s teachings of the fall’

Thesis: Augustine’s teachings on human nature are pessimistic

• a Christian may argue defensibly so

• makes a clear distinction between the pre and post lapasarian

• pre lapsarian: dominated by caritas(selfless love of others) with obedience to gods will as we are made in imago dei. perfect harmony between will body and reason

• post lapsarian: will is tainted by original sin. dominated by concupiscence (natural tendency away from good)

• support in romans 7. ‘sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do for what I want to do, I do not do, but what I do I hate’ (spiritual inclinations vs selfish desire)

• if we are taught we are only inclined toward sin however it leaves little room for possibility of moral development

• antithesis: catholics view this post lapsarian nature as descriptive rather than ultimately pessimistic

• augustine provides hope of summon bonnum which is highest good found in afterlife that god lets the elect reach

• neibuhr saw augustine as realistic rather than pessimistic ‘the tragedy of man is that he can conceive self perfection but cannot achieve it’ - we must accept our imperfection as we aspire to heaven

• to view this as pessimistic may fail to see the importance of the afterlife for christians where they aspire towards better (uplifting)

• counter:

Thesis: why would god condemn us at birth

• augustine uses story of gneiss to explain mans tendency towards sin as the sins of Adam and Eve have tainted humanity

• catechism of Catholic Church: ‘sin contracted and not committed’ meaning it is impossible to be a moral person despite efforts

• antithesis: Richard Dawkins: the god delusion ‘condemning every child, before it is born, to inheret the sin of a remote ancestor is absurd

• doesn’t give people a chance to develop morally

• Pelagius sees illogical of god to ask us to obey and be holy if we are incapable of reaching the image we were made in

• counter: augustine claims we can still do good things all original sin does is explain our flawed conscience

• god is still omnibenevolenty as evil is the absence of good, not a thing in itself

• church can help moral development with baptism believed to keep wounds of original sin closed

Thesis: augustine offers salvation point through grace and Jesus Christ

• grace: gods generous and undeserved salvation to select few, atonement for the sins of the elect

• free will has corrupted human nature but we can still be saved through grace

• teachings is therefore not pessimistic but offers a salvation point

• antithesis: Pelagius: we voluntarily choose sin which is what makes it sin

• as we are inevitably prone dopant mean good people shouldn’t be said helpless and reliant on the divine

• Steven pinker: the humanitarian principle: instead of focusing on humans as helpless to their sexual desires we should acknowledge power of humanity and capacity for moral goodness. we do not need gods grace but rather a rational cooperation we are all capable of

‘Knowledge of god is gained through reason alone’

Thesis: the empirical world is enough to understand god

• c.s lewis claims we can find evidence for god by looking at human nature

• Brunner argues that the very experience of a guilt conscience is evidence of god as we feel accountable to him

• Antithesis: Feuerbach argues religion is an invention of man as an authoritative figure that gives structure to our lives

• Counter: Calvin argues we have a ‘sensus divinitatus’ as anyone who can reflect on beauty of world can understand the existence of god

• he uses metaphor of universe as mirror of god where we can observe natural world with senses and contemplate it usign divinely ordained reason

• psalm 8: ‘Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth’ humanity can discover the power and unfathomable wisdom of god

• F.R Tennant aesthetic principle argues existence of intelligent god who designed universe based on beauty in surrounding world not being necessary for survival

Thesis: we must only look to revealed theology

• immediate revelation is where someone given direct knowledge of god and mediate revelation is where someone gains knowledge in a secondary indirect way

• antithesis: necessitates faith as fundamental basis of reliability

• any account of god must be discounted as evident of god existence owing to the bible being fallible human product

• fallibility of human nature as view of Augustine that we are ‘massa peccati’

• Counter: Emil Brunner influenced by aquinas that human reason and rationality would help identify nature of god. natural theology only gives us basic understanding which can be redeemed through revelation

• Karl Barth argues god reveals himself as and when he wants therefore attempts through natural theology fail and only lead to misled perceptions due to our corrupt nature

• god revealed himself perfectly through Jesus

• John 1 ‘the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’

Thesis: we must use natural and revealed theology

• John Polkinghorne uses Boethius metaphor as we need both eyes to work together we must see science and religion working hadn't in hand

• Pope John Paul ii ‘faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of the truth’

• Antithesis: Dawkin argues against fideism as the biggest cop in evading the need to think and evaluate evidence

• Bertrand Russell teapot analogy: he claims a teapot is orbiting space. no one can disprove him yet no one would believe him. he argues this must apply that there is no good reason to commit to something where no good reason is applicable

• counter: we must use both yet natural theology must stand above revealed theology (only a supplement)

• aquinas argues god gave us our senses and reason for purpose swell as revealed knowledge of god, revealed knowledge can guide our reason as seen in natural law theory

‘how relevant is bonhoeffers theology today’

thesis: promotion of solidarity with others

• Bonhoeffer saw resistance to nazi regime as acting under gods will

• started the confessing church in opposition to state church in 1934 to establish:

• Jesus is only true leader, christians do not follow teachings that do not come from Jesus, other ideologies must not have authority over a person

• Bonhoeffer is not just rejecting hitlers socialist movement and the ‘Deutch christen’ but physically opposing it

• costly grace: relationship with god involves a response to obey in totality

• antithesis: promoting tyrannicide can result in the disruption of an orderly society

• violates key christian principles of sanctity of life and go against authority which many christians believe is divinely ordained

• Paul romans ‘whoever is rebelling against authority is rebelling against gods institution’

• counter: Bonhoeffer sees murder as last resort in effort to face moral obligation of saving many lives in process

• ‘the church is her true self when she exists for humanity’no matter what denomination (jews) he must stand in solidarity with them

• ‘god will forgive the man who became a sinner in the process’

Thesis: it is pragmatic

• Bonhoeffer believed one must live single mindedly obedient to christ and to do gods will ‘will of god will only be clear in the moment of acton’

• religionless Christianity: emphasised rationality in encouraging christian to disregard traditions that cloud religion in ‘western void’

• Supported by enlightenment thinkers e.g Kant seeing religion as a form of ‘nonage’ which prevents you from thinking for yourself

• locke and Voltaire say to be subjective to absolutes trap our minds within society

• effective as christians practice civil disobedience under own rationality following the church (rather than subject to corruption of church)

• antithesis: augustine view

• humans are ‘massa peccati’ (MASS OF SIN) owing to the fall making it impossible to carry out will of god as we all sin lengthening epistemic distance between us and god

• God may not want us to be civilly disobedient

• Niebuhr, American theologian, argues suffering builds character and must be dealt with by individual. being civilly disobedient gets in way of god ‘soul making’

• counter: community at finkenwalde for purpose of training ministers and pastors in confessing church

• developed practical christian living as purpose of disciples and to exercise most practical of all christian virtues

thesis: its relevance in the issues of today

• War in Ukraine: To class Putins Russia a tyranny than Bonhoeffer would claim tyrannicide is acceptable to follow duty of civil disobedience

• described by Putin as a ‘genocide’ making Putin a tyrant

• Augustine: ‘an unjust law is no law at all’ argues state power should be restricted so we have the right to restrict tyranny

• state officials subject to morality thus we have obligation to be civilly disobedient to reduce suffering of those unjustly

• antithesis: Bonhoeffer theory is derived from a scenario that may struggle to be replicable

• it is not something that can be strictly applied today

• the average person does not need to suffer to achieve grace in todays circumstances

• if authority is divinely appointed than Bonhoeffer may be acting contrary to ‘costly grace

• counter: in essay ‘after 10 years’ talks of what he learnt from suffering of the marginalised and outcast allowing him to feel ‘sympathy for all branches of people’ this is an aspect of bonhoeffers theory that is more prevalent now than ever in growing inclusivism in society

‘The bible is and ought to be the only source of christian ethical knowledge’

Thesis: This view is supported in Scripture

• Augustine’s theological anthropology : as our post lapidarian nature is so corrupt it has obscured our sense of good and human will is oriented to evil (theonomous view)

• concupiscence: orientation of desire to physical pleasure

• 2 Timothy: ‘All scripture is god-breathed and useful for teaching’

• romans 3: ‘All fall short of the glory of god’ (contradicts papal infallibility)

• Luther: ‘the priesthood of all believers’ a mediation between man and god is unnecessary. 16th century saw bible translated into vernacular languages for the people

• antithesis: paradox created in the fact that the church was required for the canon of the bible to be decided on in councils

• antithesis: confessions as Caesarea Phillipi: ‘on this rock I will build my church… whatever is bound on earth will be bound in heaven’ the structures of the Catholic Church e.g apostolic succession are derived from scripture

• counter: episcopal structure (hierarchy of the church) is antithetical to Jesus message e.g in acts the disciples share everything they have with the poor

• counter: can be argued that Jesus was referring to Peter’s faith and not to give Peter authority. Therefore it is built on the truth of his confessions. the church foundations was the recognition of Jesus and not a human authority

Thesis: The bible provides great moral insight

• sermon on the mount: teachings from Jesus of gods law where principle of agape in emphasises e.g love your neighbour (love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you)

• Parables: the Good Samaritan describes a samaritan helping a beaten man on the side of the road after a priest and levite pass without assisting. importance of compassion

• antithesis: Karl Barth: a protestant who warned against literalism within the bible. ‘Bibliolatry’: the false worship of the bible as it does not in fact have a divine status. The bible is a witness of the word and not the word itself e.g Ephesians 6: ‘slaves were told to obey their masters’

• Antithesis: creates schisms as people may differ in their interpretation. A human authority may provide greater guidance

• counter: Calvinism: Human interpretation of the bible as only corrupting our morality. Although an issue of protestant denominations, the church provides a corrupt mediator that will use the bible for their own ends e.g 16th century sale of indulgences

Thesis: we may have an innate moral sense

• romans 2: ‘[gentiles] show that the law is written on their hearts’ (those who haven’t read god’s written law

• Aquinas’s natural law theory that proclaims we all have reason that god has given us to greater understand him

• antithesis: Leopold and Loeb: two students accused of killing fellow student. Lawyer, Clarence Darrow claimed they did not have same moral awareness due to upbringing. argument that morality is developmental and relative.

• antithesis: Augustine view on original sin and therefore an emphasis on scripture

‘Jesus was primarily a teacher of wisdom’

Thesis: Jesus is a source of wisdom once removing mythical attributes of easy catholic church

• bible full of wisdom

• Mathew 5-7: sermon on the mount (reforms law of torah teaching on adultery, pacifism, divorce, etc)

• Luke 15: parable of lost son (father rejoices return of son despite spending early inheritance)

• Luke 10: Good Samaritan (lawyers come to Jesus asking ‘how do you read it?’ showing trust in Jesus authority as source of wisdom)

• John hick: teachers are ‘gift to the world’ and once removed the fundamentalist supernatural Jesus, he can be recognised amongst other great teachers e.g Mohammad

• antithesis: the Christian faith is built on the understanding that Jesus is the son of god. If Jesus is not divine then there is nothing unique to separate him from other teachers

• antithesis: evidence of divinity in miracles: john 9 (Jesus heals a blind man. ‘this happened so the works of god might be displayed in him’)

• counter: these must be taken metaphorically however. healing a blind man’s eye is providing a source of moral wisdom

Thesis: Jesus can be argued to be son of god or his teachings wouldn’t make sense

• pannenburg, German theologian, argued Jesus was a teacher of wisdom until his resurrection revealed his unique divinity, justify being son of god

• supported in 1 corinthians st Paul ‘if christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, you are still in your sins’

• also early evidence in scripture with Paul calls Jesus gods ‘own son’ in romans 8

• antithesis: if the resurrection is discredited however the whole argument collapses

• the New Testament is our evidence of christ divinity uet a fallible human product written by ancient Israelites

• hick states Jesus resurrection lacks scientific credibility thus Jesus is only one of the prolific teachers

• counter: Gerald O’Collins in ‘interpreting Jesus’ said Jesus unique mission to bring about salvation was due to ‘intuitively aware of his divine reality’

Thesis: Jesus seen as religious and political liberator

• Jesus lived in a time where jewish people lived under roman occupation through a king in the north and the roman procurator, Pontus pilate in the south

• zealots: organised group of radical jews who involved in leading conflict against roman occupation

• one of Jesus apostles was a zealot: Simon the zealot and judas iscariot(iscam another word for zealot)

• Jesus moral teachings were disruptive and overturned social norms, healed women through touch, subversive as suggesting inclusive attitude to women in contrast to patriarchal values at time

• camillo torres, Colombian priest: ‘if Jesus were alive today he would be a guerillo’

• Biblical evidence: Mathew 10:34 ‘I did not come to bring peace but a sword’

• antithesis: in bible emphasised pacifism

• Mathew 5”9 ‘blessed are the peacemakers’

• scolded disciples who drew his sword in garden of gethsemane ‘those who live by the sword die by the sword (Mathew 26)

‘Assess the view that If christ is the truth there cannot be any other means of salvation’

Thesis: exclusive access exclusivism

• the view that christianity holds the truth and can offer salvation

• extra Ecclesiam nulls salus: no salvation outside the church

• pope Paul vi 1965 ‘the catholic church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions’

• to attain salvation one must lead a faithful catholic life

• antithesis: Rahner questions this theological position by introducing an old christian concept of ‘ecclesia ab Abel’ in which there were ‘porto-christians’ before christ who had access to god