Lecture 3: Formation of Biblical Canon and Introduction to AugustineAnn T. Orlando

14 March 2007

Introduction

Development of Canon of Scripture Various early heresies and their relation to

Scripture Approaches to interpreting Scripture St. Augustine

Issues Surrounding Christian Scripture The OT (Septuagint): in or out?

Relation of creator God to Father of Jesus Christ How can there be suffering if the creator God is a good God?

(theodicy problem) Is God anthropomorphic; as OT might indicate? Relation to Judaism

What is in NT? Paul primary or Gospels What literature about Jesus is sacred What writings of early believers is in/out (e.g., Epistle of

Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermes) Answers to these questions determined which books considered

authoritative by various Christian groups In this era many Christian groups selected books to support their

theology; Canon is from Greek word for rule or measure

Judaism(s) During Jesus’ LifetimeEnd of Second Temple Period Before and during Jesus’ life there were many types of Judaism

in Palestine (Josephus describes this): Pharisees: upholders of the Law (Torah) Sadducees: from aristocracy and high priests, did not believe in

resurrection of dead; closely associated with Temple Essenes: disgusted with impurities in Temple; left for desert ;

Dead Sea Scrolls usually associated with them Zealots: ‘terrorists’ against Roman occupation

Diaspora Jews not living in Palestine but scattered around Mediterranean; Greek Jews (Hellenists in Acts of Apostles); Septuagint (LXX)

Greek translation of Bible c. 200 BC in Alexandria Jews in Rome; ordered to leave Rome by Claudius in 44 CE Jews in Mesopotamia who did not return after the exile in 6th C

BC, but flourished under Persian rule

Concentration of Jewish Settlements in First Century www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/jewish.html

Development of Rabbinic Judaism During the First War with Rome 66-73 AD, the Sadducees,

Essenes and Zealots were destroyed In 117 AD the Emperor Trajan destroyed the Hellenistic Jewish

community in Alexandria; after this the Greek (or Hellenistic) Jews seemingly either converted to Christianity or rabbinic Judaism

Second Palestinian War, Bar Kochba rebellion, 132-135; after this war, Romans did not allow Jews into Jerusalem

The Pharisees were the group out of which rabbinic Judaism grew in the 2cd and 3rd C CE. They reestablished contact with the Mesopotamian Jews and their theology; rejected use of Greek philosophy and parts of the OT written in Greek, not Hebrew

Hellenistic (Greek) Jewish theology was taken over, preserved and used by early Christian theologians, especially in Alexandria Philo of Alexandria, contemporary of Jesus and Paul; extensive use of

allegory and Platonic philosophical concepts in his OT commentaries

Christian OT in the Second and Third Century Virtually all Christian groups which recognize

OT, refer to the Septuagint, the Greek version

Septuagint developed c. 200 BC in Alexandria Septuagint was the ‘official’ Scripture of Diaspora

Greek Jews in Roman Empire New Testament authors used Septuagint when

they quoted Scripture

2cd C Gnosticism: Scripture and Gnosticism Gnostics rejected the OT

God of OT was evil, creator God God of OT was anthropomorphic, not spiritual

Gnostics accepted many different types of literature about Jesus Gospel of Truth, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip;

Recent discovery (1945) of many Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, Egypt

Key Gnostic: Valentinus, early 2cd C, Alexandria and Rome

2cd C Marcion: OT Out; only Paul, Luke In NT Most important impetus for development of

Scriptural canon was Marcion (c. 110-160) Wealthy sea captain, who carefully studied Christian

literature Initially part of orthodox Roman church

Decided that only Paul and parts of Luke were canonical

Opposed to Judaism and so rejected OT Left Roman church to start his own church; spread

very rapidly around Mediterranean; Marcionites in West for next 200 years; in East much longer

Defenders (Developers) of Orthodoxy 2cd Century defenders of orthodoxy

St. Ignatius of Antioch St. Justin Martyr St. Irenaeus Tertullian

Note how these people from different parts of Empire knew of each other; network of orthodox believers;

Rome, Antioch, Alexandria centers for large, famous Christian schools

Styles of Scriptural Interpretation More literal; associated with Antioch

St. John Chrysostom (late 4th C) Highly allegorical; associated with Alexandria

Origen (3rd C) St. Gregory of Nyssa (4th C)

But all Orthodox theologians will understand the OT typologically, that is, prefiguring Jesus Christ

Example: sacrifice of Isaac (In rabbinic Judaism, binding of Isaac)

Translating the Bible into Latin: Jerome Remember, almost all Christian groups in early centuries used

Greek Old Testament; and of course, the New Testament was originally written in Greek

St. Jerome undertook an authoritative translation of OT and NT into Latin; there were older Latin versions, but not complete and not very good

Jerome translates into Latin (Vulgate) using Greek and Hebrew versions of OT Uses the books of the Septuagint Uses order in Septuagint

In addition to translations, Jerome also develops first Latin commentaries of most books of the Bible

Note: translating the OT into Latin using Hebrew as well as Septuagint was controversial; Augustine, for instance was opposed to this.

St. Augustine (354-430)

Born in North Africa Included here because most famous opponent of

Manichaeism in West; he was a Manichean hearer for 11 years

Towering giant of Western Christianity (even more than Origen was in the East)

Only limited knowledge of Greek; wrote in Latin Story of his move away from orthodox Catholic

Church toward Manichaeism and his return is chronicled in the Confessions

Developed rules for interpretation of Scripture (On Christian Teaching)

3rd C: Mani

Founder was Mani (215 - 277), Persian Synchristic combination of Gnostic and Montanist

Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism: “As once Buddha came to India, Zoroaster to Persia, and

Jesus to the lands of the West, so came in the present time, this prophecy through me, the Mani, to the land of Babylonia"

Very potent, well organized religion Accepts some aspects of NT ‘Martyred’ by Persians as a Zoroastrian heretic Lasted for over a Millennium (Dominicans founded

to combat Cathars, a Manichean sect is 13th C)

Main Points of Manichaeism Solve the theodicy problem by saying that

there are two gods: one evil, one good Material world associated with evil god Special knowledge comes from good god;

only available to initiated Manicheans Scripture includes parts of NT,

Zoroastrianism and works of Mani Mani considered himself reincarnation of Apostle

Paul and/or incarnation of Holy Spirit

Introduction to Confessions

Written shortly after Augustine was named bishop of Hippo (395-400)

Written at the request of his friend Paulinus of Nola; written 11 years after his baptism It is Augustine the bishop reflecting in middle age on events

in his youth; It is not a telling of the story of his youth

May have been written as a defense against charge that Augustine was still a Manichean

Became an instant best seller It is first and foremost a prayer, not an

autobiography; there should be an AMEN at end of Book XIII

Structure

Division of 13 Books is Augustine’s division Usually considered in two parts:

Augustine’s past (I-IX) Augustine's present (X-XIII)

NB: The last 4 books (Part 2) are an integral part of the whole In spite of the fact that some editors either

abbreviate them or leave them out altogether Which we will NOT do; Books X-XIII will be

studied with equal vigor in this class

Structure of Part 1

Can be viewed as being a chiasm Book I: Birth and relationship of infant with mother

Book II: Bondage of Flesh Book III: Slavery of eyes and mind; problem of evil

Book IV Ambition of World Book V Encounter with Faustus, Manichaeism,

philosophy; moving from Carthage to Rome Book VI: Recognition of emptiness of world’s ambition

Book VII: Freedom of mind; resolution of problem of evil Book VIII: Liberation from bondage of flesh

Book IX: Relation to Monica, her death

Structure of Part 2

Book X: Augustine the Bishop at the end of his reflection on his youth, meditates on Memory and knowledge Sin

Book XI: Augustine the Bishop meditates on “In the beginning” What is Time

Book XII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on “God created the heavens and the earth” How to interpret Scripture and authorial intent

Book XIII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on Trinity Church

NB: Augustine uses the word ‘confessions’ more often in these last four than the previous nine books

Confessio: both ‘accusation of oneself and praise for God’ Sermon 67.2

Summary of Books I and II

Book I: The Early Years Our heart is restless until is rests in You Grasping, selfish infants Beaten in school as a child Is childhood innocent?

Book II: Adolescence Discovers sex Father borrows money to send him to best school Parental pride in his achievements and success; feeds his

ambitions Friends convince each other to steal pears

Some Key Points in Confessions Book III Lust vs. love i, ii, iii Importance of philosophy iv Note why Augustine turns away from Catholic

Christianity v Note some of his descriptions of Manichean

customs vi, x Discussion on evil as absence of good vii Natural law, justice, local custom vii, viii Reaction of Monica; especially her dream in which

she sees Augustine standing next to her on the same rule xi, xii

Augustine’s Reflection on Confessions confessionum mearum libri tredecim et de malis et

de bonis meis deum laudant iustum et bonum atque in eum excitant humanum intellectum et affectum. interim quod ad me attinet, hoc in me egerunt cum scriberentur et agunt cum leguntur.

Retractions 2.6.1 The 13 books of my confession, of both my bad and

good, praise the just and good God, and moreover they excite the human intellect and affection towards Him. As for what pertains to me, they did this in me when they were written, and they do this when they are read.

Assignment

Read Augustine, Confessions Book III CCC 115-120, 75-79 Write 1-page paper