...Augustine’s Theology against Pelagianism by Mark S. Castlebury HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY I CHHI 520 Professor John M. Landers 09 May 2014 ABSTRACT This paper will examine Augustine’s response to the doctrinal challenges presented in the heresy of Pelagianism concerning grace and original sin. Augustine’s writings against Pelagius serve as our primary source for understanding his response. It is expected to find that Augustine responded in a biblically orthodox manner showing the true nature of man while defending the doctrines of grace and original sin. CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii Pelagianism 1 THE BACKGROUND OF PELAGIUS 2 THE WRITINGS OF PELAGIUS 3 THE TEACHINGS OF PELAGIUS 6 AUGUSTINE 7 AUGUSTINE’S BACKGROUND 7 ORIGINAL SIN 8 TRANSMISSION OF SIN 9 THE GRACE OF GOD 10 CONCLUSION 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 Pelagianism The Heresy of Pelagianism began in the fifth-century and was named after the British monk Pelagius. He is well known even today for his views on original sin and freedom of the will. A definition provided by William Shed in his work Dogmatic Theology states that, “Pelagius affirmed the freedom of the will, which for him meant that a person always has the ability to choose good as well as evil. That is, for Pelagius the power of contrary choice is essential to free moral agency. According to Pelagius, a person is always ‘able to sin and able not to sin’ (posse peccare et posse non peccare). Naturally, such a view of freedom carries implications for the...
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...University of Sharjah International Relations Political Theory Ideas on States and Justice in the thought of Augustine and Rousseau Essay Assignment By: May Ramez Mahrat Supervised by: Dr. Jeremy Kleidosty Arguments and philosophical explanations for what justifies power and states, inspired by the European Enlightenment thought, has headed closer toward reasoning and further from faith. The thought of Rousseau and Saint Augustine is a clear representation of the two poles of reason and faith in political thought. Rousseau, outlining the basis of his social contract on the natural goodness of human beings and putting sovereignty in the hand s of people, differs widely from Augustine who addresses the state as an “essential evil” put to discipline men who are sinners by nature. The political arguments of these two philosophers, who lived in two different ages, represent a different kind of Enlightenment for the both ages that they lived in. This essay will discuss Rousseau’s and Augustine’s regards to state, justice and property and will examine the effects of their thoughts on modern politics. Augustine and Rousseau in Comparison Wrapping his political and social beliefs with virtuous, deist and theological Christian discourse, Augustine, the Christian bishop, presents a leap in the Western thought at a time close to the beginning of the middle ages. His political views in his writings are interpreted differently by various scholars as he rarely expresses direct...
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...with my mother and grandmother and that was that. As I grew older, I was able to notice that, little by little, what I was taught as a child in Catechism and Church had an effect on everything I did; holidays, interactions with friends and family, views on things taught in school, and my identity in regards to those around me. It seemed like everything always came back, in one way or another, to my religious experiences as a child. I didn’t realize this, though, until I was older (late teens, early twenties) when I consciously made the decision to convert to Eastern Orthodoxy. This changed my view of self and further influenced the effect the culture of the Church had on my life (shifting from a Western view to a more Eastern one). This essay will be about how my experience with Catholic (and later Orthodox) culture can relate to Richard Rodriguez’s experiences in Late Victorians and how they effected my reading of the story. The first name mentioned in...
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...Of those time traveling fictions that you’ve read for the years of your life, you may still wonder, is it really possible? Despite most of these fictions contradict to themselves. In this essay I’m going to demonstrate that it is, at least logically and conceptually, possible. However, before introducing our subject, I should remind you that travelling to the past does not mean you could change history. What is time, exactly? “For what is time? Who can easily and briefly explain it? ...If no one asks of me, I know; if I wish to explain to him who asks, I know not.” –St Augustine of Hippo Across the fields of science, religion and philosophy, no unique and non-controversial definition of time has been found, despite the efforts taken by the greatest scholars in human history. J. M. E. McTaggart, a British philosopher and lecturer at Cambridge in late 19th century and early 20th century distinguish two perception of time in his renowned book <The Unreality of Time> (1908). He named them A series and B series of time. A series of time refers to the flow, or passage of time. Time is composed of past, present and future. Time is meaningless without defining the present (which is constantly changing), or now. It is analogous to our spacious notion of here (changes as you walk away) and there. For example, when you were 16 years old, high school was your present and university is the future. As time flows, university became your present and high school is the past. Every part...
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...Critically assess the claim that free will and determinism are compatible (35marks) Free will is when you make an independent choice or voluntary decision, put in philosophical terms it is the art for a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives. Free will is also known as libertarianism or non-compatibilism, this theory also states that you are responsible for your actions, as does soft determinism. Hard determinism and predestination state that you are not responsible for your actions because your life is predetermined and out of your control. This essay will explore the ways in which freewill and determinism work together and the ways in which they oppose one another, including the views of philosophers. According to Baruch Spinoza; “In the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity”. This tells us why Spinoza and other hard determinists are called ‘hard’; their position is very strict. Hard determinists believe that all of our actions have prior causes and we are therefore neither free nor responsible, making hard determinism incompatible with free will and moral responsibility. John Locke provides an example which perfectly demonstrates how free will is simply an illusion. He states; ‘say a man wakes up in a room that, unknown to him, is locked from...
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...philosophy as a remote discipline that is far from normal interest and beyond comprehension, nearly all of us have some philosophical view of life. Consciously or unconsciously, whether we accept it or not most of us even as we are vague about what philosophy is, the term usually appear in our conversation.” In this essay review, what is philosophy, by H.S. Staniland, we shall come to discover that philosophy is more practical to life. And that its supposed abstract nature -which may be true due to the engagement of the early Ionian philosophers in cosmological speculation, provides only a distorted image of what professional philosophy really is. In this review, we shall first examine the activities of some people who have since been regarded as philosophers. Next we shall give a definition of philosophy as seen by Staniland. Furthermore we shall highlight, evaluate and elaborate on various arguments in Staniland’s essay. Finally we shall conclude. “At different ages and accross distant places and culture, various people who have been regarded as philosophers, and who have engaged very seriously in philosophizing have had varying aims. Some like Saint Augustine of Hippo have been religious leaders, who have tried in various ways to explain and justify certain religious point of view. Some also have been scientists, like Rene Descartes, who have also attempted and tried to interpret so as to make clear, the meaning and importance of various scientific discoveries and theories...
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...age between the resurrection of Christ and His return. Most amillennialists believe that a spiritual form of the Kingdom of God is present now. Amillennialism reject the idea of a rapture. They believe good and evil will increase in the world as God’s Kingdom parallels the kingdom of Satan. They believe Satan is bound but yet evil increases. They believe when Christ returns the end of the world will occur with a general resurrection and a judgment of all people. They believe Christ will never reign on earth in a literal way but the Kingdom of God exists on earth in the heart of believers. It was under Augustine of Hippo that the Catholic Church started accepting an amillenial view of the return of Christ. We know that Augustine was heavily influenced by Greek thought in developing a lot of his theology and although Augustine is considered a great theologian by the Catholic Church he is responsible for a large amount of the false teaching in...
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...Part I: Textual Identification Passage 2. This passage is from The Song of Roland. The author of this manuscript is unknown. The Song of Roland was believed to be written during the early 11th century. The passage describes the death of Count Roland after a battle with the Saracens. Count Roland had been fighting admirably all battle. The battle looked to be over, and then his horse and the archbishop were killed by the Saracens. Roland realized this and went to go take a break from battle under a tree. However, one of the enemy soldiers spotted Count Roland as he laid down beside the tree. When Roland’s back was turned, the Saracen soldier stabbed him in the back. Roland ended up killing the man, but he suffered a pretty substantial wound. The passage begins with Count Roland laying back down under the tree and realizing that his life on this earth is coming to an end. It seems as if he is having a moment where is remembering all the great things he has done in his life. These thoughts make him really emotional and bring him to tears. He then shifts his attention to the Christian God. He asks him for forgiveness for all the sins he has committed in his life. The next part of the passage is very interesting as Saint Gabriele comes down from heaven to bring Count Roland to heaven. Gabriele is arguably one of the most famous angels in the bible because he was the angel that came down to the Virgin Mary to tell her she was pregnant with Jesus. The last...
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...Foucault and the New Historicism Author(s): Geoffrey Galt Harpham Source: American Literary History, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Summer, 1991), pp. 360-375 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/490057 . Accessed: 18/10/2011 05:25 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to American Literary History. http://www.jstor.org the Foucault and New Historicism GeoffreyGait Harpham "People are always shouting they want to create a better future,"Milan Kundera writes in The Book of Laughterand Forgetting."It's not true. The futureis an apatheticvoid of no interestto anyone. The past is full of life, eager to irritateus, provoke and insult us, tempt us to destroy or repaint it. The AfterFoucault: HumanisticKnowledge, only reasonpeople want to be mastersof the futureis to change PostmodernChallenges the past"(22). Not only is the historicalrecordlargelyan archive Edited by Jonathan of domination and rebellion...
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... This has been accompanied by a massive population increase, tripling in the twentieth century alone[3]. Human pressure on nature has never been so great. Such pressure has resulted in 'environmental issues', ranging from global warming and eutrophication, to the depletion of natural resources and an increase in the number of landfill sites. A distinction must be drawn between 'anthropogenically created’ environmental issues, and 'natural' ones. The extinction of most of the dinosaurs more than 65 million years ago was not caused by man, but rather an entirely natural disaster, perhaps a meteor or extreme tectonic activity. It is difficult to apply any man-made ethic to situations that are not man-made, so for the purpose of this essay, 'environmental issues' will be taken to be current issues actively cause by human beings. During the last few decades, many thinkers from different disciplines have been searching for a new ethic to confront environmental issues with - an 'environmental ethic'. Whether religious or secular in nature, this must be able to define the environment and the proper relationship that should exist between human beings and the natural world. The stance that one takes concerning environmental issues, whether from a secular or religious position, is firstly affected by what they consider to be 'rights'. Almost everybody agrees that humans have rights, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drawn up by the General Assembly of...
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...– Life Balance> You –work, school, sleep, family, friends, self-care, community. <Definition of Procrastination> - To voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay. - Put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done. - To postpone doing something, especially as a regular practice. Milgram (1991) <Four components of procrastination> - A behavior sequence of postponement - Resulting in a substandard behavioral product - Involving a task that is perceived by the procrastinator as being important to perform - Resulting in a state of emotional upset <Procrastination Vs. Being Lazy> (they are different) - Early authors on the subject (e.g., Augustine of Hippo) tend to association procrastination with sin - Lazy: unwillingness to use effort, energy or apathy - Procrastination: active process of avoidance (fear, uncertainty, feeling uncomfortable) energy, focus and effort are misdirected to other tasks/ activities <Procrastination – Who dose it? > - Procrastination is an almost universal affliction, one that occurs in almost every culture and is reported as early as 800 BC The Romans and ancient Egyptians both had trouble with procrastination - It affects 95% of the population (Ellis & Knaus, 1977) - and approximately 20% of those chronically (Harriott & Ferrari, 1996) - 95% of undergraduates report that they procrastinate (5% lie) Problem areas: writing papers, studying...
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...AS Philosophy & Ethics Course Handbook 2013 to 2014 [pic] OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/hss/rs/index.aspx OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) You are studying Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics and will be awarded an OCR AS Level in Religious Studies. The modules and their weightings are: |AS: |Unit Code |Unit Title |% of AS |(% of A Level) | | |G571 |AS Philosophy of Religion |50% |(25%) | | |G572 |AS Religious Ethics |50% |(25%) | If you decide to study for the full A Level you will have to study the following modules at A2: |A2: |Unit Code |Unit Title |(% of A Level) | | |G581 |A2 Philosophy of Religion |(25%) | | |G582 |A2 Religious Ethics |(25%) | Grading | ...
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...THEOLOGICAL ESSAY: THE MAGNITUDE OF SIN THEO 202-001 Statement of Topic The analysis of biblical data provides the best understanding of the nature, source and consequences of sin. Sin is any evil action or motive that is in opposition to God. Sin has very serious consequences when it comes to relationships between the sinner and God. Sin also has severe consequences that affect the individual sinner, causing the individual to have social implications. It is evident from both the Old Testament and the New Testament descriptions of sin, that sin is universal. Both testaments describe the extent and intensiveness of sin. Obtaining a contemporary view of the magnitude of sin incorporates a biblical perspective and the best elements of traditional view. Philosophical Foundation or Presupposition When studying the doctrine of sin, one should examine the material through a biblical view. If someone does not believe in the bible, explaining sin may sound like nonsense. Holding a certain philosophical viewpoint can cause tension when theologically analyzing in this area. Specifically, secular psychology clashes with the idea of sin. Psychology often teaches individuals to blame others for their failures in life. They teach that pressure from society, spouses, parents, and environments are the reason for life difficulties. Sure, other people can contribute to our errors and tempt us, or mistreat up, but they are not the cause of the issue itself. No matter how other people...
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...What is Love? A Conceptual Analysis of "Love", focusing on the Love Theories of Plato, St. Augustine and Freud Nico Nuyens GRIPh Working Papers No. 0901 This paper can be downloaded without charge from the GRIPh Working Paper Series website: http//www.rug.nl/filosofie/GRIPh/workingpapers What is love? A Conceptual Analysis of “Love”, focusing on the Love Theories of Plato, St. Augustine and Freud CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 1. FORMAL ANALYSIS OF LOVE............................................................................... 3 2. SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF LOVE........................................................................... 6 3. HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF LOVE....................................................................... 9 3.1 ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY: PLATO ..................................................................... 11 3.2 CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY: SAINT AUGUSTINE............................................................ 18 3.3 MODERN PHILOSOPHY: FREUD ................................................................................. 27 4. COMPARATIVE EVALUATION............................................................................ 37 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................. 40 REFERENCES....................................................................
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...Top 100 Essay Upon examining the world, one will find many great people who have shaped the one we live in today. Despite the significance of them all, it is important to be able to narrow them down to a list of one hundred or so. From there, the true test is to be able to tell which person had a bigger effect on our state of being than the other. Starting with a list that has already been compiled, this essay will rank each historical figure by their impact on the world. (Please note that this list was compiled based on a western perspective.) Topping the list at #1 is Muhammad. As the Prophet of Islam, Muhammads, s.a.w, teachings have reached and inspired many societies and their people. His teachings also indicate the best way to think and therefore live. At #2 is Jesus Christ, whose place as the central figure of Christianity has impacted the lives of his believers, all 2 billion of them (give or take). His existence has lead to the many holidays and churches that occupy mainly, western society. At #3 is Gautama Buddha, who is the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism. Lord Buddha has played a large role in the growth of many people of asian descent and offers a religion to the world that can be seen as very peaceful. At #4 is David, King of Israel or rather the Biblical King of Israel. As the founder of Jerusalem, he has empowered the Jewish nation to take on a large amount of influence in various aspects of the world, including the entertainment industry. At #5 is...
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