Lecture 25
Boethius and Christian Philosophy
Oct 31 - Nov 5, 22
- Elizabeth I - 40 years reign
- Greatest monarch
- Gloriana
- 1590 - 30 years, single
- Pressure - War of Religion
- Could not raise the 300k promised Henry IV (France)
- Consolation of Philosophy of Boethius
- God, time, foreknowledge
- Was imprisioned by Theodoric
- Beginning of the intellectual wing of Medieval Europe
- Boethius
- Priviledged origin - Anicia family
- Defender of separation between East/West
- Early 500’s (25) became a Senator
- Boethius as Consul (510)
- Counselor
- Ambassador
- Judge
- 522 - both sons made Consul
- Theodoric
- Hostage sign of good faith to the court of Constane
- Rise to power - in charge of the military
- 44 - Consul (overthrow Odoacer)
- 523 - Boethius thrown in prison Pavia
- Concerning Albinus
- Reductio ad absurdum
- Setup - Conspiracy or Culpability?
- Unlikely to be a strong defender of Nicea
- 524 - executed
- Consolation of Philosophy
- Turning to intellectual life
- Theological exposition of personification of wisdom
- Predestination - Problem of evil
- If God is all powerful, why the wicked prosper?
- They “appear” to prosper due to our limited vantage
- God is still sovereign
- How God is controlling evil events? Does he cause evil?
- Over evil, not causing (above the line)
- Allows, but does not cause
- Formal cause, not direct cause
- Not powerless, but blameless
- AUGUSTINE: God foreknows
- Does not cause all things
- God is outside of time (beginning of time) in eternity past
- Free to choose the things we loved (not salvation)
- God’s emotions?
- He grieves, righteously indignant (is this a farce?)
- If God outside of time - God is not participating in time (dominos)
- Why does God expressing griefs?
- God is outside of time is “state of eternal presence” before God
- Present to Him at that given moment, watches every moment
- Foreseen but tied into the moment (like we’re watching a game)
- Pastoral implications
- God is intimate with us
- God genuinely interacts with us
- Experiencing things in a direct way
- Make God vicissides of man is making Him like us
- How does God love us?
- Is He the Puppeteer?
- How is He identifies with our griefs
- God is both - first scholastics, dialectical
Lecture 25
Boethius and Christian Philosophy
CH-525