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AUGUSTINE AND THE TRINITY A ugustine of Hippo (–), whose accounts of the Trinity have heavily infl uenced much subsequent Western theology, has often been accused of over-emphasizing the unity of God and thus been maligned as a source of persistent problems in contemporary reli- gious thought. In Augustine and the Trinity , Lewis Ayres off ers a new treatment of this important fi gure, demonstrating how Augustine’s writings off er one of the most sophisticated early theologies of the Trinity developed after the Council of Nicaea (). Building on recent research, Ayres argues that Augustine was infl uenced by a wide variety of earlier Latin Christian traditions which stressed the irreducibility of the Father, Son and Spirit. Augustine combines these traditions with material from non-Christian Neoplatonists in a very personal synthesis. Ayres also argues that Augustine shaped a powerful account of Christian ascent towards understanding of, as well as participation in, the divine life, one that begins in faith and models itself on Christ’s humility. is Bede Professor of Catholic Th eology at the University of Durham. He is co-editor with Frances Young and Andrew Louth of Th e Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (). AUGUSTINE AND THE TRINITY Bede Professor of Catholic Th eology University of Durham Associate Professor of Historical Th eology Emory University Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press Th e Edinburgh Building, Cambridge , UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/ © Lewis Ayres Th is publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Ayres, Lewis. Augustine and the Trinity / Lewis Ayres. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ---- . Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. . Trinity. I. Title. . ′.–dc ---- Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. … cui trinitati pie sobrieque intellegendae omnis excubat vigilantia christiana et omnis eius provectus intenditur Th e goal of all Christian watchfulness and all Christian progress is a pious and sober understanding of the Trinity De libero arbitrio . . Contents Acknowledgements page x List of abbreviations xiii Introduction Giving wings to Nicaea On being and not being a ‘Platonist’ Olivier Du Roy’s thesis A bridge too far: Du Roy’s method Th e tripotent Father, Son and Spirit De beata vita Augustine’s engagements From Him, through Him and in Him Latin pro-Nicene theology An anti-Manichaean Trinitarianism I: De moribus ecclesiae catholicae An anti-Manichaean Trinitarianism II: Epistula Faith of our fathers: D e fi de et symbolo Augustine and Latin anti-Monarchianism Persona , natura , substantia ‘Most fi ttingly called his Word’ Spiritus , deitas , communio Taking stock Th e unadorned Trinity Trinitas quae Deus est Th e unadorned Trinity vii viii Contents Towards understanding Excursus : Th e dating of the D e trinitate Per corporalia … ad incorporalia Ascent and the liberal arts Changing attitudes to the artes Analogy in the C onfessiones A Christological epistemology Augustine fi nds his Panzer Faith and contemplation Faith, desire and Christ Interlude: Augustine’s Panzer and the Latin tradition Correspondence and mystery: the example of Moses Faith and grace Excursus : Polemical targets in the De trinitate Recommending the source A second rule Th e meaning of sending Revealing and saving Augustine’s novelty? Creator, creation and the angels ‘You have made all things in Wisdom’ (Ps. .) Essence from essence Th e self-same, the identical Th e simplicity of God Predicating relation ( trin . . .–.) Person and nature ( trin . . .–. and . .–.) Wisdom from Wisdom (t rin . . .–. .) Appropriation ( trin . . .) Showing and seeing subsistentia personarum (‘the existence of the persons’) Father and Son: showing and seeing Loving and being Th e Spirit as agent of unity Acts . Th e Spirit and the life of the Divine Th ree And ‘from’ the Son? Subsisting relations? Contents ix , ‘But it’s not fur eatin’ …’ Introduction De civitate Dei De trinitate : the exordium De trinitate . .–.: the paradox of self-knowing De trinitate . .–.: verbum interior Conclusion: the ghost at the banquet? ‘… It’s just fur lookin’ through’ Setting up D e trinitate : se nosse – se cogitare De trinitate . .–.: m emoria , intellegentia and v oluntas Reprise: De trinitate A Ciceronian triad Conclusion Epilogue: catching all three Bibliography Scripture index General index
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