THE 1000C Lecture 14: Theology Lesson 13: Thomas Aquinas
17 Jan 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
Theology Lesson 13: Thomas Aquinas:
Worlds of Augustine and Aquinas:
- Augustine: Roman Empire- regions on Mediterranean Sea:
southern Europe, Asia Minor, Middle East and North Africa
- Aquinas: Mostly exclusively Europe, northern, eastern and
southern
Intellectual Climate:
- 13th Century- Economic prosperity
- 14th Century- Black plague
- outward curiosity
- increased interest in classical texts
- higher education and emergence of the university
Higher Education:
~Learning interests:
- Greek patristic writings
- Classical Greek
- Muslim- represented esp. by Avicenna (980-1037) and Averroes
(1126-1198)
- Jewish- represented esp. by Moses Maimonides (1135-1204)
~Major Challenge:
- How to integrate those positions into Christian thinking
- How to bring in the truths they expressed without being
absorbed by them
Scholasticism:
~The Setting:
theology became an academic subject
- Early Christians- theology work of bishops and advisors
- Early medieval- work of monks in monasteries
- Organized schools by bishops- cathedral schools
- Eventually cathedral schools in Paris, Oxford and Bologna
became first universities
~The Method:
- Contrasted and compared new sources of knowledge with
traditional authorities
- More logic
- Integration of Christian faith with a naturalistic view of the world
Document Summary
Augustine: roman empire- regions on mediterranean sea: southern europe, asia minor, middle east and north africa. Aquinas: mostly exclusively europe, northern, eastern and southern. Higher education and emergence of the university increased interest in classical texts. Muslim- represented esp. by avicenna (980-1037) and averroes (1126-1198) Jewish- represented esp. by moses maimonides (1135-1204) How to integrate those positions into christian thinking. How to bring in the truths they expressed without being absorbed by them. Early christians- theology work of bishops and advisors. Early medieval- work of monks in monasteries. Eventually cathedral schools in paris, oxford and bologna became first universities. Contrasted and compared new sources of knowledge with traditional authorities. Integration of christian faith with a naturalistic view of the world. Disputes: question proposed by teacher, audience discussed, master prepared answer. Quodilbetal debates- open questions and topics from audience. Greatest work- summa theologiae (a summary or compendium of theology )
