PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY OF THE TRINITY AND THE INCARNATION
Second and Fourth Saturdays, 3:45-4:45PM
Begins January 27, Spring Term, 4 sessions
St. Paul's/Harvard Catholic Center, Harvard Square
Sarah Byers, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy,
Boston College
Philosophical concepts from physics and metaphysics, such as substance, nature, hypostasis, actuality, and relation, played a central role in articulating Christian dogmas concerning God in Himself (the Trinity) and God Incarnate (Jesus Christ). This course provides in-depth analysis of the texts from the early ecumenical councils of Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), and Chalcedon (451), together with philosophical writings from Aristotle, Neoplatonism, and the Fathers of the Church.
For class 1, and to attend later classes, participants are required to obtain, read, and be prepared to discuss: Alban Goodier, The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, VOLUME ONE, available here. It's a classic integrated narration of all four Gospels with historical context, geographical detail, and psychological insights added.
For Class 1, students will be asked to present and reflect on their three favorite passages.
For classes 2-4, readings will be in-meeting (no advance preparation). However, participants need to bring the Goodier text to these classes for occasional reference.
This group is made possible through the support of grant #62372 from the John Templeton Foundation, “In Lumine: Promoting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide.” The opinions expressed in this group are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.