Zugl.: München, Univ., Habil.-Schr., 2003

Originally presented as the author's Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Trier, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [295]-328) and indexes.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Universität Trier, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [295]-328) and indexes.

À Port-Royal, saint Bernard est considéré comme le « père » de la communauté cistercienne et comme « le dernier des Pères de l’Église », confirmant la doctrine de saint Augustin, « le plus grand des Pères ». L’étude de la source bernardine permet de comprendre l’unité de Port-Royal, notamment le lien entre vie monastique et augustinisme. Au XVIIe siècle, la postérité bernardine est portée par une tradition de vie (les réformes cisterciennes) et par une tradition écrite (la constitution, la traduction et la promotion de l’œuvre authentique de l’abbé de Clairvaux). Saint Bernard est l’une des effigies du catholicisme classique, forgée par Saint-Cyran et diffusée par Le Maistre. Avec la synthèse de Saint-Cyran, le « père » des religieuses de Port-Royal devient le modèle universel d’une réforme théologique et morale. Port-Royal se rassemble dans la tentative de retrouver l’unité brisée de la pensée et de la vie chrétiennes en revenant aux sources de la foi. Sur des sujets très divers (grâce et libre arbitre, amour de soi et amour de Dieu, l’obéissance, l’oraison, l’exégèse biblique, le socratisme chrétien), l’interprétation de l’œuvre bernardine est un révélateur de l’augustinisme de Port-Royal. Ainsi apparaissent deux ruptures capitales dans la tradition issue des Pères : d’une part, l’exégèse des moines médiévaux, fondée sur la théorie patristique du dévoilement des allégories et sur la manducation de la Parole de Dieu, est un modèle subverti et contesté ; d’autre part, la conception des rapports entre nature et grâce connaît une évolution décisive, défenseurs et adversaires de Jansénius lisant le corpus patristique avec des concepts identiques mais étrangers aux Pères. / Within Port-Royal, Saint Bernard was considered as the “Father” of the Cistercian community and as the “last Father of the Church”, confirming the doctrine of the “Greatest Father”, Saint Augustine. The study of the Bernardine source helps to understand Port-Royal’s unity, especially the link between monastic life and Augustinism. During the 17th century, Saint Bernard’s legacy was expressed by a tradition both in living (the Cistercian reforms) and in writing (the collection, translation and promotion of the Clairvaux abbot’s authentic work). Saint Bernard was an effigy of classical Catholicism, set up by Saint-Cyran and spread out by Le Maistre. With the Saint–Cyran’s synthesis, the “Father” of the Port-Royal nuns became the universal model of a theological and moral reform. Port-Royal mustered attempting to restore the broken unity of Christian living and thinking, through a return to the sources of the faith. On a large variety of subjects (grace and free will, love of oneself and love of God, obedience, prayer, Holy Scripture exegesis, Christian socratism), the interpretation of the Bernardine’s work reveals Port-Royal Augustinism. So, it appears that two crucial breaks occured in the tradition derived from the “Fathers”: on the one hand, the medieval monks’ exegesis based on the patristic theory of allegories revealing and on the Word of God’s “manducation” became a subverted and disputed model; on the other hand, the way of thinking the relation between nature and grace experienced a decisive change, defenders of and opponents to Jansenius reading the patristic corpus with concepts, albeit identical, differing from the ones of the “Fathers”.

The dissertation identifies the beacons of canon development during the first five hundred years of Christianity. These beacons are processes, events and certain persons from general as well as dogmatic history, which played a formative role in canon development. The beacons are placed within the historical, geographical and theological milieu, in which it took place. It especially emphasises the role of human conduct and decisions in the process of canon development. It provides a background of the development of a complex Judaism as the origin of Christianity, and demonstrates the continuous impact of Judaism on Christian canon development. The differences presented between these two independent religions are also mentioned. / Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / M. Th. (Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics)

This thesis employs a historical approach to practical theology in an effort to discover resources from past practices for critical reflection upon a current methodology with the intent of producing a revised practice. The following research question is pursued: How can the practices of patristic preachers enhance the current efforts of redemptive-historical preachers to preach faithfully the New Testament quotations of the Old Testament? Chapter One reviews literature from five major redemptive-historical theologians: Geerhardus Vos, Edmund Clowney, Sidney Greidanus, Bryan Chapell, and Graeme Goldsworthy. Five of the major shared characteristics of these authors are considered in light of their various contributions. Chapters Two, Three, and Four examine various patristic homilies, outlining practical considerations for a contemporary model of preaching. Chapter Two examines two early homilies, 2 Clement and Quis Dives Salvetur, noting the influence of the synagogue. Chapters Three and Four respectively examine the preaching of Origen and Chrysostom. Chapter Five outlines some major characteristics of patristic preaching discovered through a comparison of the findings of chapters Two through Four. Chapter Six provides a model for preaching New Testament quotations of the Old Testament that is consistent with the theological convictions of redemptive-historical homileticians and informed by the insights gained from reflection upon the practices of patristic preachers. This model makes an original contribution to knowledge by advancing the discussion of redemptive-historical preaching both through the application of the redemptive-historical approach to the New Testament quotations of the Old Testament and through the consideration of the relationship between redemptive-historical practices and patristic practices. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This thesis employs a historical approach to practical theology in an effort to discover resources from past practices for critical reflection upon a current methodology with the intent of producing a revised practice. The following research question is pursued: How can the practices of patristic preachers enhance the current efforts of redemptive-historical preachers to preach faithfully the New Testament quotations of the Old Testament? Chapter One reviews literature from five major redemptive-historical theologians: Geerhardus Vos, Edmund Clowney, Sidney Greidanus, Bryan Chapell, and Graeme Goldsworthy. Five of the major shared characteristics of these authors are considered in light of their various contributions. Chapters Two, Three, and Four examine various patristic homilies, outlining practical considerations for a contemporary model of preaching. Chapter Two examines two early homilies, 2 Clement and Quis Dives Salvetur, noting the influence of the synagogue. Chapters Three and Four respectively examine the preaching of Origen and Chrysostom. Chapter Five outlines some major characteristics of patristic preaching discovered through a comparison of the findings of chapters Two through Four. Chapter Six provides a model for preaching New Testament quotations of the Old Testament that is consistent with the theological convictions of redemptive-historical homileticians and informed by the insights gained from reflection upon the practices of patristic preachers. This model makes an original contribution to knowledge by advancing the discussion of redemptive-historical preaching both through the application of the redemptive-historical approach to the New Testament quotations of the Old Testament and through the consideration of the relationship between redemptive-historical practices and patristic practices. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

The dissertation identifies the beacons of canon development during the first five hundred years of Christianity. These beacons are processes, events and certain persons from general as well as dogmatic history, which played a formative role in canon development. The beacons are placed within the historical, geographical and theological milieu, in which it took place. It especially emphasises the role of human conduct and decisions in the process of canon development. It provides a background of the development of a complex Judaism as the origin of Christianity, and demonstrates the continuous impact of Judaism on Christian canon development. The differences presented between these two independent religions are also mentioned. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics)

O presente texto tem por objetivo investigar a evolução do dogma trinitário na igreja antiga: a compreensão que os primeiros padres tiveram da Trindade enquanto tentativa de dar respostas às heresias que se insurgiram a partir do evento Jesus Cristo, sobretudo, no que diz respeito a sua divindade como também da divindade do Espirito Santo. Trata-se de posições tomadas pela Igreja em dois momentos significativos da produção cultural do significado da Trindade, mas com a mesma finalidade. Sucede-se depois dos concílios de Nicéia e Constantinopla o esforço de alguns padres, sobretudo de Santo Agostinho, na sistematização do dogma trinitário. Partimos do princípio de que são as heresias internas na Igreja que vão provocando a sistematização e aprofundamento dos dogmas trinitários. Assim, o presente trabalho busca a unidade a partir da análise agostiniana de Trindade e o respaldo que esta encontra nos principais "padres da Igreja" / This present text aims to investigate the evolution of the Trinitarian tent in the early church:the understanding that the early Fathers of the Trinity had while attempting to provide answers the h resies that rose up from the event Jesus Christ, above all, especially as regards his divinity as well as the divinity of the Holy Spirit. These are positions taken by the Church in two separate significant stages of cultural production of the meaning of the Trinity,but with the same purpose. It followed up after the Councils of Nicea and Constantinople the effort of some priests, especially of St. Augustine in the systematization of the Trinitarian tent. We assume that are the internal heresies in the Church who are provoking the deepening and systematization of Trinitarian tent. Thus this present work searches the unity from the Augustinian analysis of the Trinity and the support that this is the main "church fathers"

A critical survey of early Church history, the works of the Church Fathers and several councils of the Church reveals a consistent call for unity. Heresies, politic intrigue and struggles for governance have aggravated attempts to remain in the union. The insistence on unity and the persistence of the Church to unify reveals an ontological reality. While our knowledge of the Church can be given in epistemological terms, looking at the Church to discover its essence, what it means to be church, opens a different way of encountering the Church and, eventually, understanding the nature of the Church to be one. The transformations in the early Church as it spread to new cultures, the impact on the Church at the founding of “New Rome” by the Emperor Constantine, the changes brought about when Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453 and the resulting birth of the Renaissance in the West with the beginning of the autocephaly Church in Russia and subsequent reunions, are especially rich in manifestations of unification among dissidence. This paper will focus on these particular moments. The concept of looking at the essence of the Church exposes us to an understanding of what the Church is as a universal presence. Stating that the Church has no physical dimension, that it is a unique congregation abiding solely by an actual historic document or defined only by written doctrines does not show us its full essence. Likewise, seeing the Church as defined by how it differs from another, exists in objection to another church or how it avoids affiliation with others, reveals a body that does not have a unifying essence and is lifeless. Looking closer at its essence as it is revealed over time, shows us a living Church that has repeatedly manifested unification as its particularly unique identity. This paper is a reflective look of the Church through the ages which presents to us a look into the essence of the Church. Primary and secondary sources are critically examined with an emphasis on ontological manifestations. The moments in history that are presented in this paper are especially revealing of the unifying nature of the Church in various settings. This paper has limitations though. While the deliberate historic selections may give extraneous interpretations, it is intended to reveal previously under-estimated treasures, and this topic will require being given greater context in any expanded study. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Church History)