Introduction to Systematic Theology

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Introduction to Systematic Theology
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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• Not Identical with Roman Catholic Theology
• Modern RC Theology is based on the Council of
  Trent and Vatican Councils I and II
• Old Catholic Theology occurs prior to division
  between the western church and the eastern church
  in A.D. 1054
• Patristic Theology, is the theology of the
  fathers, the first 4, 5 centuries 

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• A period of expansion in which there was little
  time for serious reflective work
• Scripture received with a naïve faith practice
  was valued above theory
• Attempts to redefine or absorb Christianity by
  other systems, e.g., Gnosticism
• Reflective, scientific theology began with the
  Apologists, A.D. 120-220
• Aristedes, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Tatian,
  Theophilus, Tertullian
• Often, they defended Christianity by using pagan
  philosophical terms
• Such synthesis thinking, using pagan concepts
  or terms to defend Christianity, robbed
  Christianity of its absoluteness

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• TERTULLIAN warned against the union of Athens
  and Jerusalem
• Nevertheless he introduced terms Trinitas,
  Substantia, and Persona into Trinitarian debate
• The use of pagan terms is acceptable when filled
  with Christian meaning e.g., John 11 kai o
  logoj sarx egeneto
• Summary of first three centuries Theology was a
  by-product of apologetic activity.

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• In the Fourth century, there was the rise of
  internal conflict
• Theology developed in a polemical context
• Controversial theology developed over
  Trinitarian/ Christological issues
• Controversy was primarily within the geographical
  bounds of the eastern church
• The first four councils of the Church occurred in
  the East (Asia Minor, or modern day Turkey)

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
Four Ecumenical Councils
ChalcedonA.D. 451
ConstantinopleA.D. 381
Nicea A.D. 325
Ephesus A.D. 431
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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
Certain trends developed within the two
geographical divisions

• WESTERN CHURCH
• Concern over Person of Christ
• Man guilty before God
• Emphasis on Legal (forensic)
• Law and Grace
• Rational
• Roots in Scripture PAUL focused on the Economy
  of Redemption, Justification, Union with Christ

•  EASTERN CHURCH
• Concern with being/Trinity
• Concern with relation of Man to God
• Interested in nature of Sin
• defined in terms of God Holy and Just
• participation in corruption /salvation is
  participation in deity)
• Ontology- Being/Non-being
• Mystical
• Roots in Scripture JOHN focused on the Person of
  Christ, the Ontology of Redemption

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
Old Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox
Roman Catholic
Mystical
Forensic
Reformed
Heavily Forensic Mystical Purged
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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• Origen
• Wrote De Principiis,
• On First Principles
• Regarded by some as the first Systematic Theology
  text
• John of Damascus
• Finalized the Eastern doctrine of Trinity
• The most influential of the Greek theologians

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• Augustine
• Enchiridion ad Laurentium, Handbook for Lawrence
• Based on a 3-fold division of faith, hope, love
  doctrine, Lords Prayer, ethics
• Division often reflected in many Protestant
  catechisms
• Influenced early in life by Manichaeism and
  Neo-Platonism
• Developed theology of original sin- against
  Pelagianism
• Developed theology of church/sacrament- against
  Donatus
• Known for his work in Trinitarian theology and
  his development of double predestination.

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OLD CATHOLIC THEOLOGY

• Methodological Considerations
• Little awareness of covenant
• First principles inconsistently applied
• Priority of Scripture for some
• Priority of pagan philosophical concepts for
  others
• Cultural influences determined trajectory of
  developing theologies (Eastern/Western)
• Trinitarian/Christological controversies led to
  significant creedal development

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• The Period, A.D. 1050-1517
• This chronology is based on Gordon Clark, Thales
  to Dewey, 249
• See also the chronology in William Cunningham,
  Historical Theology, 1, 414
• Three smaller periods
• Early Scholasticism, A.D. 1050-1200
• Lanfranc- Albertus Magnus
• High Scholasticism, A.D. 1200-1340
• Albertus Magnus, Aquinas, Bonaventura, Duns
  Scotus
• Late Scholasticism, A.D. 1340-1517

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• Libri Quatuor Sententiarum
• Peter Lombard, Four Books of Sentences written,
  1150-1160
•  Sic et Non
• Peter Abelard, Yes and No, lived 1097-1142
•  Corpus Juris Canonici
• Gratian, Body of Canon Law, ca .1150

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• Anselm, A.D. 1033-1109
• Methodology summarized in slogan, Credo Ut
  Intelligam, I believe in order that I may
  understand
• For Anselm, Faith is prior to Reason
• Reacted against the mystical tendencies of
  medieval theology
• Cur Deus Homo, (Why the God Man?)
• Introduced satisfaction theory of atonement based
  on Gods majesty being offended
• Proslogion and Monologion,
• Developed Ontological argument for existence of
  God

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• Abelard, A.D. 1079-1142
• Wrote Sic et Non (Yes and No)
• Was enthusiastic about dialectical thinking (this
  is the style of Sic et Non)
• Used dialectics to attempt to explain the
  mysteries of the faith and contradictions found
  in the church fathers.
• Methodology is summarized in the slogan, I
  believe that which I may understand.

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• Peter Lombard, A.D. 1095-1159
• Lombard was a pupil of Abelard
• His Sentences became the most useful and popular
  text on theology in the middle ages
• Taught 7 sacraments
• Based on Sic et Non
• Was dialectical in style
• God, Angels and Men, Christ, Church and
  Sacraments
• Much of medieval theology a mere commentary on
  the Sentences

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• Thomas Aquinas, A.D. 1225-1274
• Wrote Summa Theologiae, (Compendium or Totality
  of Theology)
• Most important theology text to come from the
  Scholastic period.
• He employed a Nature/Grace scheme
• Grace complements and completes Nature
• Synthesized Aristotle and Scripture
• Begin with Reason
• Revelation complements and completes Reason

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• For Aquinas, the value of natural theology
• Its provision of a foundation of truth accessible
  to all
• Other truths about God (i.e., his Tri-unity) are
  not available through natural theology
• These must be accepted on the authority of the
  Church
• The Summa consists of three parts
• God as he is in himself
• God as mans end (and the way back to God)
• Christ as mans way to God

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY

• Trends in Scholasticism
• see Tillich, History of Christian Thought, 140
• Dialectics (Yes and No Nature and Grace Reason
  and Revelation)
• Augustinianism and Aristotelianism
• For Augustinians- priority of faith
• For Aristotelians- priority of reason
• Thomism and Scotism
• Thomists intellect, preeminent characteristic of
  God
• Scotists will, preeminent characteristic of God
• Nominalism and Realism

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY Defects

• Methodologically No clear authority governing
  how one does theology
• No principium theologiae, first principle,
• How does that differ from today!?
• The Word of God was greatly neglected
• Many could not read the biblical languages and
  worked only with the Latin Vulgate
• Instead, there were several substitutes for the
  authority of the Word
• Tradition
• Philosophy
• Mysticism

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY Defects

• The results of Scholasticism may be described as
  ambiguous
• Much discussion about useless/unprofitable
  questions
• Much mental activity and the development of
  elaborate systems with endless distinctions and
  differences
• Failure to distinguish between what was
  legitimate investigation and what was not
• Little awareness of significance of covenant
• Priority of Reason over Revelation

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SCHOLASTIC THEOLOGY Benefits

• Scholasticism is the immediate antecedent of the
  Reformation
• William Cunningham, HT, 1418
• Provides the background for Reformation,
  especially late medieval nominalism
• See H. Oberman, The Harvest of Medieval Theology
• Scholasticism provided much useful theological
  vocabulary
• E.g., the term satisfactio, in relation to the
  atonement of Christ

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Introduction to Systematic Theology