<p> An older generation of historians argued that the translation of Aristotle's political works into Latin in the second half of the thirteenth century caused a secularizing revolution in political thought that severely weakened the authority of the Latin Church over secular kings, overthrowing what is often termed the "papal monarchy." However, this thesis has recently undergone severe criticism, to which I offer a contribution, but also a corrective. Aristotle's political thought had nothing to do with the decline of papal power, for his claim that political institutions were natural to mankind was completely acceptable to the Latin Church. The difficulty lay in theologians' interpretation of Aristotle's metaphysical thought, and it was necessarily theologians in the end who had to argue in favor of papal monarchy. Because of Aristotle's soaring popularity in the intellectual climate of the thirteenth century, the papal monarchy could only stay intellectually vibrant if its defenders could keep up with the rise of Aristotelian philosophy generally. The Dominicans Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas built a magnificent synthesis of Aristotle's thought with Christian theology, and they both adduced Aristotle in favor of papal monarchism. However, Aquinas's contemporary, the great Franciscan theologian a, Bonaventure, while a committed papal monarchist, had deep misgivings about Aristotle's metaphysics. He helped promote a reactionary movement that culminated in a massive condemnation of Aristotelian ideas (many of them defended by Thomas) at Paris by Bishop Etienne Tempier in 1277, followed by similar censures at Oxford lasting well into the 1280s. These reactions against Aristotle were severely harmful to the fate of the papal monarchy, for they set ecclesiastical authority against the very theologians that the papacy needed to harmonize the popular Greek thinker's thought with Christianity.</p>

<p> Carl Bear This study considers the ways in which the complex debates about appropriate Christian funeral practices in late fourth-century Antioch indicated some of the ways in which Christians' ritual practices embodied their theological beliefs and enacted their religious identities. Sources used to study Christian funerals include the homilies of John Chrysostom, the orations of Libanius, the church order known as <i>Apostolic Constitutions </i>, the historiographic and hagiographic work of Theodoret, and archaeological remains. The analysis of the sources utilizes methods of liturgical history that focus on the perspectives and experiences of ordinary worshipers, and attends to the biases and limitations inherent in the historical record. It also places Christian funeral practices in the context of larger questions surrounding religious identity and ritual in Antioch, especially within the Christian cult of the saints and eucharistic liturgies.</p><p> Ordinary Christians and church leaders in fourth-century Antioch had different ideas about how to Christianize their funerals. Criticism from church authorities that Christians' funeral practices were inconsistent with Christian faith in the resurrection were one-sided. Instead, it seems that ordinary Christians had their own ideas about appropriate ways to care for their dead ritually. Especially in the case of mourning and other contested practices, Christians were giving expression to their human emotions of bereavement, loss, and concern for the dead in culturally prescribed ways. Church leaders, such as John Chrysostom., however, desired Christian funeral practices that exhibited fewer cultural influences and that distinctly demonstrated Christian belief in the resurrection in all aspects of the ritual.</p><p>

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The chapter concerning the life and times of Methodios, Patriarch of Constantinople, begins with a summary of the history of the iconoclastic controversy. This provides the background for a review of Methodios' vita. A native of Syracuse in Sicily, he became a central figure in the victory of the Iconoduies over the forces of iconoclasm. Methodios was the Patriarch of Constantinople (843 - 847).The Triumph of Orthodoxy, over which Methodios presided, commemorated the victory of icon supporters. The Sunday of Orthodoxy services are examined and the Synodicon's content is analysed. The third chapter discusses the consequences of the restoration of images. This period of stabilisation and strengthening of the Church was, nonetheless, fraught with turmoil and controversy. The re-integration of the former Iconoclasts and a schism from the Studite monks were two serious challenges the Patriarch faced during this time. The formation of Methodios' ecclesiology, his concept of the Church, including his sense of place in and responsibility for the Tradition of the Church were significant in his thinking. The synergy of Paradosis and Parakatatheki is explored and it will be shown that Methodios considered himself accountable to God for his ecclesial trust. His literary works are catalogued and analysed. Some previously unpublished compositions are discussed. The categories of hagiographic, poetic and liturgical compositions are emphasised. This is undertaken to reveal Methodios, both the dedicated iconodule but more importantly, the man. Finally, conclusions and thoughts concerning the legacy of Patriarch Methodios within Orthodoxy and history are offered.

Inaug.-Diss.--Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität zu München. / Bibliography: p. 585-614.

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Several contemporary theologians have maintained that the proper setting for Christian theology is an ecclesiastical one. The formation of character, the internalization of beliefs and values, and the representation of these principles and behavioural patterns in religious and political practices should be the priority of the church. / Other have argued that this circumscribed "confessional" approach is not enough. Biblical stories and religious convictions are not only rooted in faith communities but are also reflected in universal concerns. The reciprocal relationship between text and reader, church and world, requires a broadly-based "apologetic" method. / These two models are used to evaluate Gordon Kaufman's epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, and theologies of revelation, divine agency, and construction. One of the surprising discoveries of this dissertation is that his relative theory of knowledge and employment of a Christian categorial scheme undergird a confessional approach. The thesis nevertheless concludes that his thought is oriented towards a realistic empirical method. The discussion ends with a recommendation that Kaufman link his apologetic concerns to a more identifiable corporeal structure.

The dissertation documents the rise of African Christian theology in anglophone and francophone Africa, exploring the possibility that following the development of the two long-recognized phases of "adaptation" and "incarnation" there has been a "third phase." In the period since 1980 we find an explosion into theological diversity and maturity, marked by serious wrestling with all the social problems facing Africans in contemporary African life. Since 1980 there is a proliferation of new Christological paradigms, and increased inter-religious tensions have brought new urgency to inter-faith dialogue, with a growing number of theological responses. An explosion in the numbers of African women theologians brings a new voice on women's roles. Economic and ecological crises bring increasing reflexion on justice, peace and the integrity of creation. / The paradigmatic diversity is strongly linked with changes in the concrete social conditions in which the various theologians live. This discovery confirms the thesis that theology in Africa is always related to social context.

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-125).

Thesis (M. Div.)--St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 62).