published_or_final_version / Philosophy / Master / Master of Arts

The present dissertation combines sequential and analytical approaches to Augustine's De Trinitate to elaborate a description of the treatise based on the presupposition of its unity and its coherence from the structural, rhetorical and theological points of view. The sequential analysis of books 1-7 and 8-15 describes first the outer layer of the argument of the treatise: Scripture and the mystery of the Trinity (books 1-4); discussion of'Arian' logical and ontological categories (books 5 —7) and a comparison between self-love/knowledge and formal aspects of the confession of the mystery of the Trinity (books 8-15). However, this outer layer does not adequately account for the * unity and the coherence of the treatise. On the contrary, the most comprehensive and satisfactory structural, rhetorical and theological description of the De Trinitate results from an inner layer which can be detected throughout the treatise around the theme of knowledge of God. Augustine, in the De Trinitate, implicitly endorses the threefold classical definition of the purpose of rhetoric: teach, move, delight (explicitely mentioned in the De Doctrina Christiana). The outer layer of the De Trinitate, especially the so called 'analogical' line, is meant to entice the interest and the curiosity of the reader, to delight him. Other aspects of the outer layer, especially in the first half of the treatise, have a predominant instructive or polemical function. The deepest thrust of the treatise, however, aims at 'moving' the reader, that is leading him to the visio and frutio of God the Trinity, in whose image he is created. This mystagogical aspect of the rhetoric of the treatise entails its own distinctive delightfulness and eloquence, unfolded through Christology, soteriology doctrine of the Holy Spirit and doctrine of revelation. At the same time, from the vantage point of dilectio, Augustine detects and powerfully describes the epistemological consequences of human sinfulness, thus unmasking the fundamental deficiency of received theories of knowledge. Only dilectio restores knowledge and enables philosophers to yield to the injunction which resumes philosophical enterprise as a whole, namely cognosce te ipsum.

Orientador: Fatima Evora / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciencias Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T00:08:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sant'Anna_Lucia_M.pdf: 688678 bytes, checksum: e60a2b831bacc34cd3da12a45bd0ef48 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: O presente trabalho versa sobre a questão da verdade na Suma de Teologia de Santo Tomás de Aquino, procurando levantar os principais aspectos de sua doutrina sobre esse ponto. Com esse fim, após uma breve apresentação geral da obra, faz-se um comentário literal da questão 16 da primeira parte da Suma; em seguida, apresentam-se os aspectos levantados sobre a verdade nessa questão, a saber, a relação necessária entre verdade e intelecto e entre verdade e Deus / Abstract: This study analyses the issue of truth in the St. Thomas Aquinas¿s Summa Theologiae, aiming to rise the main aspects of his doctrine on this subject. In order to achieve this a literal commentary of question 16 of the first part of the Summa is being preceded by a general presentation of the work; following those aspects: the necessary relation between truth and intelect and between truth and God are presented. / Mestrado / Historia da Filosofia Medieval / Mestre em Filosofia

This study is an exercise in understanding both doctrinally and pastorally the nature of knowledge of God for persons with intellectual disabilities. Its central question is: “How might one know the Word of God without words?” At present, no extended theological systematical consideration has taken place of this question, and confusion arguably exists in the church and wider disability circles as to if/how persons with high support needs, such as intellectual disability, should be afforded pastoral care. This study addresses this need in dialogue with Karl Barth’s theological insights, and by developing an account of knowledge of God for persons with intellectual disabilities that is at once theologically informed and pastorally effective. In the last thirty years theological reflection considered in light of the situation of disability has seen tremendous growth and change, as the discipline has budded and blossomed. In particular, theologians of disability have reflected on the significance of disability in relation to the Christian doctrines of creation, anthropology, Christology, the imago Dei, ecclesiology and eschatology, amongst others, with rich and varied results. Similarly, this project suggests that consideration of the doctrine of revelation and the discipline of pastoral care in light of the situation of intellectual disability will yield unique and valuable outcomes for the disability community, but also for the wider church. Karl Barth will be the primary dialogue partner in these preparatory, theological stages. His thought regarding the incarnation of the Word in various forms, perhaps surprisingly, opens new avenues for our reflection. By engaging Barth’s theological anthropology as well as his theology of co-humanity of being with others in encounter, this project aims to demonstrate that knowledge of God is possible for all persons of all abilities.

This thesis is a moral and theological interpretation of the book of Jeremiah (primarily chapters twenty-one through twenty-nine). The prime focus is on the Hebrew term  and associated vocabulary and terminology which enable an understanding of how the book of Jeremiah sets up knowledge of Yahweh as a primary concern. Such a concern reinforces the rhetorical and ethical nature of the textual witness and elevates the significant and profound challenge that is put forth. For instance, Jeremiah 22:16 is a prime example within the book where an understanding of  of Yahweh should be given adequate attention, although it has not in Old Testament scholarship, to arrive at the kind of moral and theological interpretation that is voiced in this ancient Israelite prophet. Knowledge of Yahweh in the text of Jeremiah is to be distinguished from a purely cognitive knowing that removes from the equation, in any way, living a certain kind of life with Yahweh - a life which is measured only by the highest of moral and religious standards. Indeed, there is a direct relationship between a certain kind of action/way of living and a genuine knowledge of Yahweh. Key texts explored in this thesis then, are those which bring the challenge of a true knowledge of Yahweh to the Judean king, priest, prophet, and people. An overall coherent vision of what it means to know Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the text of Jeremiah, is the aim of this thesis. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / D.Th. (Old Testament)

This thesis is a moral and theological interpretation of the book of Jeremiah (primarily chapters twenty-one through twenty-nine). The prime focus is on the Hebrew term  and associated vocabulary and terminology which enable an understanding of how the book of Jeremiah sets up knowledge of Yahweh as a primary concern. Such a concern reinforces the rhetorical and ethical nature of the textual witness and elevates the significant and profound challenge that is put forth. For instance, Jeremiah 22:16 is a prime example within the book where an understanding of  of Yahweh should be given adequate attention, although it has not in Old Testament scholarship, to arrive at the kind of moral and theological interpretation that is voiced in this ancient Israelite prophet. Knowledge of Yahweh in the text of Jeremiah is to be distinguished from a purely cognitive knowing that removes from the equation, in any way, living a certain kind of life with Yahweh - a life which is measured only by the highest of moral and religious standards. Indeed, there is a direct relationship between a certain kind of action/way of living and a genuine knowledge of Yahweh. Key texts explored in this thesis then, are those which bring the challenge of a true knowledge of Yahweh to the Judean king, priest, prophet, and people. An overall coherent vision of what it means to know Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the text of Jeremiah, is the aim of this thesis. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / D.Th. (Old Testament)

'Direct experience of God' is a term frequently used by theologians without adequate clarification regarding its meaning. The understanding thereof has become increasingly complicated by the process of secularization. In the 1960's, it was repeatedly asserted that modern people could not have direct experiences of God, albeit that one could still live by faith and by commitment to the way of Jesus in a world in which, it was asserted, "God is dead". This claim, although long predominant, has been challenged by the upsurge of interest in mysticism, both Eastern and Western, and the burgeoning of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement, in which circles direct experience of God was frequently claimed. If direct experience of God is something natural to humanity, interpretation of it will vary in exactly the same way as interpretation of all other human experiences. This could be a possible reason for it being so very poorly integrated into everyday life, resulting in the loss of meaning and value.