✅Augustine Flashcards
(99 cards)
1
Q
Cartias
A
Generous love beofre the fall
2
Q
Cupiditas
A
Self love
3
Q
Akrasia
A
Weakness of will
Aristotle describes 4 stages; Akolosia (wickedness) Akrasia (weakness) Enkrateia (self control) Sophrosyne (temperance)
4
Q
Continence
A
Self restraint especially to abstain sexual pleasures
5
Q
Concupiscence
A
Sexual lust but can calls refer to uncontrolled desire of all kinds
6
Q
Post - lapsarian
A
The world after the fall of Adam and Eve, or simply the fallen world
7
Q
Grace
A
Gods undeserved love, god free will shown in the sacrifice of Jesus in the cross
8
Q
Imago dei
A
Image of god
9
Q
Summum bonum
A
Highest most supreme good
10
Q
Original sin
A
Semen of Adam, therefore we have the sin of Adam
Idea that humans are sinned as we are semenly present in Adams loins
11
Q
Privation
A
Lack of something that should be present
Eg broken chair might have privation of wood
12
Q
Sin
A
Disobeying the will andcommands of god
13
Q
The fall
A
Adam and Eve disobeyed gods command and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree
14
Q
Neo-Platonism
A
Philosophical thinking arising from the ideas of Plato
15
Q
Redeemed
A
Saved from sin by Christ’s sacrifice
16
Q
Concordia
A
Human friendship
17
Q
Ecclesia
A
Heavenly society in contrast with earthly society
18
Q
Paradise
A
State of original perfection or final dwelling of the soul with god
19
Q
Original perfection
A
State of humanity beofre the fall where humans possessed gods grace and no evil had entered the world
20
Q
Original sin
A
Mark or stain possessed by humans following the disobedience of Adam and Eve which results in a disordered will
21
Q
Pre fall
A
State of human kind in paradise beofre the original disobedience of Adam and Eve
22
Q
Post fall
A
State of human kind after the original disobedience of Adam and Eve in which they are banished from paradise
23
Q
Privation
A
A lack of something that should be present
Eg a broken chair might have the privation of the strength of wood
24
Q
Renunciation
A
The process of giving things up which you like or are attached to
25
Sanctifying grace
The grace hat can only come from a god when a person gives their life to Jesus
26
Unique status
We are created in the image and likeness of god which implies a unique status in creation
27
What is Manicheism?
Form of esoteric. Religious visions. Followed dualism, believed there are 2 gods, one of darkness and 1 of light. War between gods, and they became mixed. Have to overcome darkness, by vigorous practise of asceticm, which is punishing your body.
28
What are the elect and hearers in manicheism?
Elect work with the enlightenment. Hearers have to do the oak so the elect can become the enlightened. Hearers hoped they would be reincarnated to elect.
29
What is Platonism?
Some human minds can contemplate the one by ascending up different levels.
Take Plato’s ideas and mix it with new test. See Jesus as the logos, pure knowledge of the One.
Soul and body worked as one, in harmony.
30
Who is Pelagius?
Rival of Augustine’s. Disagree with what Augustine thinks.
| Augustine says perfection is impossible without grace.
31
Why did Augustine move to Platonism?
He felt like Manicheism represented nothing more than superstition, so during his time in Rome,he became influenced by Platonism.
32
Why did Augustine convert to Christianity?
He struggled with guilt, and after meeting up with Bishop of Milan, who advised Augustine to read the bible he had a vision. “Take it and read, take it and read” . Put it in his confessions book. Sat under a fig tree. He took it as Gods command to return to his studies of the bible
33
Augustine quote about his desires from the Romans
“Not i revelling and drunkenness.. instead put in the lord Jesus Christ, and are no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” Romans
34
What happened before the fall?
People are made in the image of God, Imago dei. To have dominion over the earth and their species.
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, so they may rule over the fish in the sea, birds in the sky”
They are stewards of the earth, looking after Gods property.
35
How does Michael Angelo show the relationship with Adam and god before the fall?
Touching distance, god is never on earth.
36
What are humans for Christians?
```
Understood in terms of a relationship with God
We are created b God
We are fallen
We can be redeemed
We are made in the image of god
We have a role to look after creation
```
37
What does imago dei mean?
```
We share some nature with god
We have rationality
We have relationally
We have freedom
We are self aware
We have freedom of choice
We have the capacity for loving relationships.
```
38
Quote from when Adam and Eve sinned
“It was delight to her eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took its fruit and ate; and she gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked.”
39
What is the doctrine of original sin?
Before the fall everything was harmonious. Complete obedience, with the duty to rule everything else.
Doctrine is that humanity is born with a state f sin as a result of the fall of man, stemming from Adam and eves rebellion in Eden.
40
How was our love driven before the fall?
Equal cupiditas and caritas.
41
What was sex and friendship before the fall?
Adam and Eve were married, but were also best friends . The command “be fruitful and multiply” showed Adam and Eve that they have to reproduce as ell as the pleasure of sex.
Lust was overpowering and sinful, therefore wasn’t there before the fall. AUGUSTINE believed that Adam could command an erection at will, due to complete harmony of the body.
42
What did Pelagius claim about human free will?
Argued that humans have sufficient free will to overcome personal sin.
Even if Adam had no sinned , he would’ve died. Adas sin only harmed itself and not the human race.
Children are born in he same state as Adam and Eve before the fall,
The whole of human Rae neither dues through Adams sin or death, nor rises again through the resurrection of Christ.
43
Where is the story of the fall originated from?
Genesis
44
What did augustine think about pride?
Key quality that led humans to reject their perfect nature with God.
45
What did Augustine mean by “the evil will precede evil act”
In Eden, Satan takes the form of a snake, which places the idea of disobedience in eves head, but Adam and Eve are still responsible for their ACT. Augustine stresses that the act of the rebellion is entirely the result of human free wiki. “The mother and guardian of all the other virtues” : pride and disobedience is the cause for all other vices.
46
How did Genesis introduce the snake?
“More cunning then any of the creatures of the filed that the Lord God had made”
Satan is later described as the “ancient serpent”
47
Why is it uncertain that the snake was Satan?
Genesis doesnt actually say, there are just hints. Because the fall was such a major change, it couldn’t have just been a snakes fault. Augustine doesn’t WANT it to be Gods fault.
48
Who is Lucifer?
Christians drives the idea of Lucifer, the fallen angel, who rebelled against god, from an interpretation of Isaiah, which takes of a fallen king who was the “morning star”.
49
Was Satan the first free thinker?
The idea of Augustine’s story is obedience and control. Bakunin in “God and the state” argued if Satan was actually bad, or was he the first one who did what he though, and disagreed with god?
(Bakunin says god just wanted a pet, to limit their enjoyment, and urges them to disobey)
50
What is the divided will?
The evil will preceded the evil act, is an explicit rejection of his priori Manichean and Platonism ideas. The body alone was corrupt.
The integrity of will was most central particularly because a weakened will was unable to control bodily and natural secured for food and sex.
Therefore, humanity after the fall is a divided will,
Despite knowing what good is, humans are weakened by the fires to do the opposite and see out bad.
51
What did augustine show from Romans to explain divided will?
“I do not understand my own actions. For i do not do what i want, but i do the very thing i hate” Romans 7:15
52
Why is akrasia bad?
Weaknesses of the will. Difficulty always doing the right thing. Augustine believed the Will was at war with itself and unable to obey own orders.
Akrasia is wickedness, self control and temperance
53
What are Aristotle’s four stages of moral life which Augustine copied?
Akrasia (weakness of the will), self control (enkrateia) , temperance, life without struggle (sophrosyne)
54
What was augustines own divided will?
“I was overcome by shame, because I was still listening to the futile muttering of my lower self”
Sexual desire. Many believe he came to god because of the guilt he felt and convinced himself that he was forgiven.
He talks about lady Continence.
55
Why is concupiscence flawed?
Fallen man is no longer able to control libido (sexual) and the appetite of the soul. Humans crave money, power, food etc.
“The snare of concupiscence awaits me in the process of passing from the discomfort of hunger to the contentment which comes when satisfied”
56
What did Pelagians think of the grace of god?
Grace is rules, laws and teachings. Humans are judged on whether they fulfil their obligations in totality.
57
Where does Augustine convert to Christianity?
In the Garden scene of his confessions book.
58
What does Jean Jacque Rousseau think of Augustine’s ideas?
Disagrees. Humans are generous and only act out of this if the situation cases them to.
59
What does Thomas Hobbes think of Augustine?
Agrees, the natural state of humans are selfish,brutal and animal like
60
What does Foucault think about augustines ideas?
We are socialised and educated to think in a particular way. What is considered human nature, often what happens to be exactly what the rulers o county want from citizens.
61
What does Marx think about Augustine’s theory?
No such thing as human nature, its all about survival. We are a product of survival and environment.
62
What is Gods grace?
Gods free and undeserved love for humanity, epitomised in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Gods generous and undeserved and free act of love for the world.
63
What does Augustine teach about Gods grace?
The only way in which humanity can be restored to harmonious living is through the grace of God. Jesus’ sacrifice provided a way forward where the price for the sin of Adam ad eve are paid.
64
What is predestination?
God has predestined who will receive salvation and who will not.
Hard theological predestination, which is god determine the future before the universe.
Soft theological predestination, which god knows our choices and this foreknowledge doesn’t remove our free will.
65
What did augustine think about predestination?
god has omnipotence, god use have predestined all to be elected and left on earth for judgement day.
66
Why was Augustine’s predestination rejected by many people?
Only believed in single predestination. They think God designed some people to salvation, but don’t believe that he destined anyone to damnation.
67
What does cAlvin think of predestination?
Double predestination.
68
What does Hick think about predestination?
Everyone will be saved and God is all loving
69
What do pelagians think of predestination?
everyone is born with a blank slate, so everyone has a chance to be elected on judgement at. Get this through living through the example of Jesus
70
What is pudenda?
Parts of shame come after the fall
71
Why does augustine think original sin is passed through sexual intercourse?
Why do humans have the potential o sin if they are made by god?
Original sin is transmitted from generation to generation through sex. It’s transmitted by concupiscence. (Sexual lust).
72
Why was Augustine’s past reflected in his idea of sin?
Augustine, as said in his confessions, had a lot of sexual desire, and hence wrote about it to show how bad it was
73
What does “With this rebellion we are born” mean?
Original sin passed through sexual intercourse. .
74
“Can this be the innocence of a child?
Augustine,about child sin
75
Why does original sin cause lack of free will?
We lost the ability to withstand temptation.
Before the fall, we had the ability to not sin. This leads to immortality of we not sin.
If we did sin, we choose evil and et from the forbidden tree. We abused it by sinning and no it has been permanently altered. We have the inability not to sin.
76
Why cant humans stop themselves from sinning?
We cant, we lost gods grace and now the nature and freedom is lost.
77
How does original sin cause selfishness?
When our ancestors fell from the goodness of Eden, they not only lost their freedom to withstand temptation, but they became self absorbed and selfish. Original sin results in selfishness. Eg sexual activities, need the element of self gratification.
78
How does original sin cause lack of stability and corruption in human societies?
In the city of God, Augustine contrasts 2 cities. The earthly city, which is the typical human society and the city of god, which is composed of those who have combined their lives to Christ.
Earthly city is a fallen world, de to original sin, made up of people who are selfish in 3 ways- sense, power, and knowledge. Dominated by lust and power, therefore lack stability and is corrupt.
79
What are the 3 kinds of selfishness hat come from concupiscence
Lust of the senses, eg, sex.
Lust for power, want to look good etc
Lust for knowledge, satisfy curiosity
80
Scientific errors about Augustines teachings on the fall
Goes against Darwin theory of evolution.
Scientists believe that the universe began as a chaos and has been developing continually.
No evidence of fossils form the time period.
Evolution shows slow process of increased intelligence etc.
Science shows that the biblical creation story is not literal true. Adam and Eve are myths, not historical figures.
81
Counter arguments for the scientific Arguments of the fall
Doesn’t have to be n event in history but a description of the way a person progresses from a state of innocence to moral knowledge.
82
Logical error of the fall by schleieremacher
Logical contradiction in believing in a perfect creation that could go wrong. If the world is perfect, with perfect creatures in the image and a likeness of god, then it should never have gone wrong. Evil cannot be created out of perfection.
83
Counter argument for schlerimachers Argument
It would’ve been impossible for God to be responsible for evil because evil is not a “substance”, its a privation of good. Lack of good.
Uses the analogy of blindness, which isn’t a thing, but the lack of sight.
84
Moral errors for the fall
People being punished for a crime committed by someone else is unethical and unacceptable. Original sin belongs to each of us because it belongs to all.
85
Why is sin NOT morally wrong?
Supporters of Augustine would say that punishment fo sin is justifiable humans when left with their own desires are selfish and cruel. History has shown that humans are not innocent.
86
Augustine and gods grace in a nutshell
Before the fall, we were rational and in control of ourselves.
After the fall, we lost all control.
Gods grace is the only cure.
Augustine opposes Pelagius, who thinks human nature is still capable of doing good.
But if salvation is holly up to god in every way, aren’t we just robots?
87
Why does satre disagree with Augustine?
Argues there is no such thing as human nature
88
Augustine books
confessions
| City of god
89
Why does William Ellery reject Augustine’s ideas?
Reject the notion of original sin and says its contrary the godness of God.
90
Strength fo Augustine’s
Explains why people struggle with what is wrong, right
Recognises human imperfection
Fits with biblical teachings
“We all once lived in the pains of our flesh..” Ephesians
Highlights significance o the spiritual dimension of being human
Hobbes: people are selfish by nature
91
What does Niebuhr think about augustine?
Agrees
Failure to understand sin leads to colossal mistakes by society
Power of reason and moral goodness is not enough to bring about justice
The inner spiritual will is defeated by egoism
92
Weaknesses of Augustine
Whole argument is based on Genesis. Not historically accurate.
Pelagius, original sin is air to reconcile with love and forgiveness
93
John Locke argument
People are born with tabula rasa , no intrinsic human nature
94
Rousseau
People are by nature good and want to defend to weak. Also supports tabula rasa
95
Sartre/Beauvoir
Existentialism, no such thing a intrinsic nature. We must create our own nature
“Existence preceded essence.”
96
Dawkins
Absurd to imagine corruption of all humans rests on 2 individuals.
Evolution
Idea that god killed his son to restore humanity is sadomasochistic
97
Steven pinker
Humanitarian principles replaces irrational superstitions of Christianity.
Humans get better when each person takes in account the interests of others
98
Freud
Rejects connection to original sin and its transmissions t future generations.
Freud sees cure for our condition as being psychoanalysis.
Belief in god only abuses harmful guilt
99
What is collective responsibility?
What Niebuhr believes in. Corrupt humans sense can entirely be good.
