Download Scholasticism

History of the Modern Church:
Scholasticism, Pre-Reformation Reformers, Renaissance
Scholasticism
I.
Textbook Definition
A. “The name of an intellectual movement in the Roman Catholic Church that
developed between 1050 and 1350 and then dominated the curriculum of
European universities when they arose in the thirteenth century.”
B. An attempt to rationalize theology in order to buttress faith by reason, trying to
reconcile faith and reason. Theology was treated from a philosophical point of
view not from a biblical perspective. The goal of theology was not to seek truth
but to organize a body of accepted truth whether that truth originated in man’s
reason or in God’s revelation.”
II.
The Rise of Scholasticism
A. “Scholasticism” got its name from the fact that it arose not in a monastic setting,
but in a “school” setting and it reflected the culture of the early universities
beginning to flourish, which eventually were responsible for keeping theology
alive.
B. Theology until this time had not been considered its own discipline, but simply
part of an extension of practical living, of seeking wisdom and understanding.
1. It became known as a “science” constructed through logical argument, of
asking questions for the sake of questions, rather than the need for answers.
C. It began as an attempt to harmonize faith and reason, or an effort to
demonstrate that the truths of Christian faith did not contradict logic and reason.
III.
Schools
A. Realism: Founded on Plato’s theory that universals or ideals exist apart from the
particular things or individuals that make up the world; universals exist before
the created things; emphasizes faith.
B. Moderate Realism: Founded on Aristotle’s theory that particular things are the
most real to us but universals are most real in themselves; universals exist in
particular things as their common nature; emphasizes reason.
C. Nominalism; General truths or ideas have no objective existence outside the mind;
rather, they are merely subjective ideas of common characteristics developed by
the mind as a result of observation of particular things; empiricism.
IV.
Key Players
A. Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
1. One of the first to hint at nominalism, that everything that exists in reality is
a particular. He was one of the first to organize theology around topics,
rather than the contours of the Biblical text, and the first to refer to himself
as a “theologian” as someone who studies this topic for the sake of itself.
2. His method was one of questioning – instead of simply reading a
commentary with an explanation of the text, Abelard wanted to provide the
“reasons” not found in the text.
3. Eventually, his method of questioning was separated from the context of
reading the text so that theology became detached from exegesis, and
eventually reason from faith, and philosophy from theology.
B. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
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1. Considered the greatest of the Medieval theologians.
2. Had a two-story view of reality – on the top was grace (including concepts
like God, heaven, soul) and on the bottom is the sphere of nature (the
created, earth, visible, man’s body).
3. He starts with the particulars and works toward the big pictures. God is its
subject; it’s impossible to prove that God is the First cause
4. Philosophy and theology can know some of the same things, but in very
different ways.
a. His followers separated philosophy and theology completely.
5. Gave 5 proofs for the existence of God: ontological, prime mover (first cause),
argument from design, efficient cause, degree of truth and goodness.
6. He put theology under philosophy.
C. John Duns Scotus (1266-1308), called John the Scot
1. Said there are limitations to reason; that God is not bound by reason; he is
nonrational.
2. Said man must accept teaching of the church even though they may sem
irrational and cannot be proven by reason – at most reason can show that
the teaching is possible.
3. He put theology above philosophy.
D. William of Ockham (c. 1280-1349)
1. Developed full-fledged nominalism – insisted that theological dogmas were
not rationally demonstrable and that they must be accepted on the authority
of the Bible; completely separated faith and reason and denied the existence
of objective universals and said that universals are only names for the mental
concepts men create in their heads for the sake of communication. Only the
“particular” has real existence, which can be known only through the senses.
2. His teachings led to the defeat of the scholastic attempt to prove the validity
of Christian teaching by reason and logic, as well as the long-standing divorce
between reason and revelation, which led to the materialism of the
Renaissance.
Pre-Reformation Issues and Reformers
I.
Europe in 1300’s
A. Black Death (1347-1349)
1. Loss of 1/3 of Europe’s population; perhaps up to ½ of England’s population
2. Created social and economic mobility for men of ability
B. Growth of towns, middle class, demise of feudal systems
C. The decline in scholasticism and the growth in humanism; rebirth of classical
culture
D. The invention of printing; John Gutenberg – 1445 moveable type, 1456 – Bible
II.
The Church
A. The Church had incredible power. 1/3 to ½ of all the land in Europe was owned
by the Church; corruption in the church ranks; unworthy, immoral clergy;
excessive wealth, nepotism, simony; growing attacks against the papacy and
clergy.
B. Boniface VIII (1294-1303) had declared that there was neither salvation nor
remission of sins outside the Roman Church. The pope is the supreme spiritual
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III.
IV.
and temporal power. Submission to the Pope is necessary for salvation.” He
eventually died in prison in a feud with the King.
C. The Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy (1309-1377) – the French King moved the
papacy to Avignon, France.
D. Papal Schism – between 1378 and 1418 there were between two and three popes;
chaos in the church; Council of Constance (16th ecumenical council) ended it.
John Wycliffe (1328-1384)
A. Called “the morning star of the Reformation”
B. Attacked the authority of the pope and said the Bible is the sole authority;
C. Made the Bible available in English
D. Opposed transubstantiation and said the elements only had Christ spiritually
present
E. Followers were called “Lollards” who went out into the English countryside and
took copies of Scripture in English.
F. By the end of his life the whole Bible was translated into English and circulated
by his followers. He inspired the project to provide an English Bible for literate
laymen to read and from which to form their own judgments.
G. Pope Gregory XI condemned his teachings that immoral clergy be tried by secular
authority; he was tried and condemned by a council in London in 1381.
John Hus (1369-1415)
A. Attacked transubstantiation, subservience to the pope, popular belief in saints,
efficacy of priestly absolution, unconditional obedience to earthly rulers, simony.
B. Said that Scriptures are the only rule in matters of religion and faith and said the
Church is the body of Christ, and Christ is the head of the Church.
C. Bohemian – Capital was Prague
D. Czech people created the Brethren Church (Moravian), until the Emperor came
in and wiped them out and reestablished the RCC in Bohemia.
E. Burned at the stake at the Council of Constance (1414-1418)(which also ended the
papal schism, and condemned Wycliff’s teachings)
F. Luther said, “Are we not all Hussites?”
Renaissance
I.
Definition
A. The era of cultural re-orientation (rebirth literally), in which man substituted a
modern, secular, individualistic view of life for the medieval, religious, corporate
approach to life.
II.
Italian Renaissance
A. Centrality of the classics of Greek and Roman literature
1. Produced a secular approach ot life as classical literate replaced an interest in
theology.
2. Spread an interest in manuscripts, Greek language, secular heritage
3. Secular Humanism with its emphasis on the autonomy of man in the
temporal world became the philosophy.
a. Sacrificed absolutes and emphasized man’s enjoyment of the present.
B. Men of the Italian Renaissance
1. Petrarch (1304-1374) – “The Father of Italian Humanism”
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III.
IV.
V.
a. First to call the medieval times the Dark Ages because they were under
the dominion of the superstition of Christianity
2. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
a. His work contains suggestions for machines such as airplanes, tanks,
automatic guns, gears, and parachutes.
b. He painted The Last Supper, Mona Lisa
c. He said painting is the most important art because it was the best
method of presenting the work of nature to the senses.
3. Michaelangelo (1475-1564)
a. Supervised completion of St. Peter’s Cathedral
b. Painted ceiling of Sistine Chapel – 10,000 sq. ft. – hundreds of figures –
some 12 ft. high
4. Machiavelli (1469-1527)
a. “the father of modern despotism, Nazism”
b. Wrote The Prince, in which he said the end justifies the means. The state
is more important than the individual.
Teutonic Renaissance
A. Centrality of Scriptures
1. The first Greek New Testament in Holland was published by Erasmus.
B. Christian Humanism: emphasis on universal absolutes; future life is important;
man is spirit, soul and body; man ought to follow the will of God
C. Men of the Teutonic Renaissance
1. Erasmus (1467-1536)
a. Wanted reform rather than revolution; pointed out the evils of the
papacy; sympathized with Luther at first, then disagreed.
b. Free Will - emphasized freedom of human will
c. 1516 – published first Greek text
d. “He laid the egg that Luther hatched.” – He made the Reformation almost
inevitable.
Results
A. A secular approach to life – the beginnings of a pluralistic society
B. A new view of man – a human being with a right to choose his own development
and/or destiny.
C. Knowledge of the Bible, especially in northwestern Europe
1. Led to a more accurate and widespread knowledge of what the Bible taught
2. Bible, not church or fathers, was supreme authority to many.
D. An amoral approach to government; the end justifies the means
E. An interest in the material world.
Nation States
A. Holy Roman Empire fading; Papacy loses total control due to fighting several
kings;
B. France, Spain, and England all had their boundary lines drawn, which created
opportunities for defined religious reform.
C. Hundred Year’s War (1337-1453) – France vs. England
D. Spain unified under Ferdinand and Isabella (1452-1516); fought the French in Italy,
Expelled Jews in 1492; used inquisition to fight heresy.
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