Augustine and the Trinity

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) strongly influenced western theology, but he has often been accused of over-emphasizing the unity of God to the detriment of the Trinity. In Augustine and the Trinity, Lewis Ayres offers a new treatment of this important figure, demonstrating how Augustine's writings offer one of the most sophisticated early theologies of the Trinity developed after the Council of Nicaea (325). Building on recent research, Ayres argues that Augustine was influenced by a wide variety of earlier Latin Christian traditions which stressed the irreducibility of 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 toward understanding of, as well as participation in the divine life, one that begins in faith and models itself on Christ's humility.

ISBN 052183886X   Pages 376 ISBN13 9780521838863 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 730 Publisher Cambridge University Press   Published in Cambridge Imprint Cambridge University Press   Height (mm) 228 Format Hardback   Width (mm) 152 Publication date 11 Nov 2010   Spine width (mm) 24 DEWEY 231.044   Academic level Tertiary education DEWEY edition DC22

		Acknowledgements
		List of abbreviations
		Introduction		1
PART I		ORIGINS		11
1		Giving wings to Nicaea		13
		On being and not being a áPlatonist'		13
		Olivier Du Roy's thesis		20
		A bridge too far: Du Roy's method		22
		The tripotent Father, Son and Spirit		26
		De beata vita		30
		Augustine's engagements		37
2		From Him, through Him and in Him		42
		Latin pro-Nicene theology		43
An anti-Manichaean Trinitarianism I		De moribus ecclesiae catholicae		52
An anti-Manichaean Trinitarianism II		Epistula II		59
3		Faith of our fathers: De fide et symbolo		72
		Augustine and Latin anti-Monarchianism		73
		Persona, natura, substantia		79
		áMost fittingly called his Word'		82
		Spiritus, deitas, communio		86
		Taking stock		92
PART II		ASCENT		93
4		The unadorned Trinity		95
		Trinitas quae Deus est		95
		The unadorned Trinity		104
		Towards understanding		116
Excursus 1		The dating of the De trinitate		118
5		Per corporalia ... ad incorporalia		121
		Ascent and the liberal arts		121
		More...

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