SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

Lecture I. INTRODUCTORY.

The Problem:

How the Church passed from the Sermon on the Mount to the Nicene Creed; the change in spirit coincident with a change in soil 1, 2

The need of caution: two preliminary considerations 2

1. A religion relative to the whole mental attitude of an age: hence need to estimate the general attitude of the Greek mind during the first three centuries A.D. 3, 4

2. Every permanent change in religious belief and usage rooted in historical conditions: roots of the Gospel in Judaism, but of fourth century Christianity—the key to historical—in Hellenism 4, 5

The Method:

Evidence as to process of change scanty, but ample and representative as to ante-Nicene Greek thought and post-Nicene Christian thought. Respects in which evidence defective 5-10

Two resulting tendencies:

1. To overrate the value of the surviving evidence.

2. To under-estimate opinions no longer accessible or known only through opponents 10

Hence method, the correlation of antecedents and consequents 11-13

Antecedents: sketch of the phenomena of Hellenism 13, 14

Consequents: changes in original Christian ideas and usages 14

Attitude of mind required 15

1. Demand upon attention and imagination 15, 16

2. Personal prepossessions to be allowed for 17, 18

3. Need to observe under-currents, e.g.

(a) The dualistic hypothesis, its bearing on baptism and exorcism 19, 20

(b) The nature of religion, e.g. its relation to conscience 21

History as a scientific study: the true apologia in religion 21-24

Lecture II. GREEK EDUCATION.

The first step a study of environment, particularly as literary. The contemporary Greek world an educated world in a special literary sense 25-27

I. Its forms varied, but all literary:

Grammar 28-30

Rhetoric 30-32

A “lecture-room” Philosophy 32-35

II. Its influence shown by:

1. Direct literary evidence 35-37

2. Recognized and lucrative position of the teaching profession 37-40

3. Social position of its professors 40-42

4. Its persistent survival up to to-day in general education, in special terms and usages 42-48

Into such an artificial habit of mind Christianity came 48, 49

Lecture III. GREEK AND CHRISTIAN EXEGESIS.

To the Greek the mystery of writing, the reverence for antiquity, the belief in inspiration, gave the ancient poets a unique value 50, 51

Homer, his place in moral education; used by the Sophists in ethics, physics, metaphysics, &c. 52-57

Apologies for this use culminate in allegory, especially among the Stoics 57-64

The Allegoric temper widespread, particularly in things religious.

Adopted by Hellenistic Jews, especially at Alexandria; Philo 65-69

Continued by early Christian exegesis in varied schools, chiefly as regards the Prophets, in harmony with Greek thought, and as a main line of apologetic 69-74

Application to the New Testament writings by the Gnostics and the Alexandrines 75, 76

Its aid as solution of the Old Testament problem, especially in Origen 77-79

Reactions both Hellenic and Christian: viz. in

1. The Apologists’ polemic against Greek mythology 79, 80

2. The Philosophers’ polemic against Christianity 80

3. Certain Christian Schools, especially the Antiochene 81, 82

Here hampered by dogmatic complications 82

Use and abuse of allegory—the poetry of life 82, 83

Alien to certain drifts of the modern spirit, viz.

1. Historic handling of literature 84

2. Recognition of the living voice of God 84, 85

Lecture IV. GREEK AND CHRISTIAN RHETORIC.

The period one of widely diffused literary culture.

The Rhetorical Schools, old and new 86-88

Sophistic largely pursued the old lines of Rhetoric, but also philosophized and preached professionally 88-94

Its manner of discourse; its rewards 94-99

Objections of earnest men; reaction led by Stoics like Epictetus 99-105

Significance for Christianity 105

Primitive Christian “prophesying” v. later “preaching.”

Preaching of composite origin: its essence and form, e.g. in fourth century, A.D.: preachers sometimes itinerant 105-113

Summary and conclusions 113-115

Lecture V. CHRISTIANITY AND GREEK PHILOSOPHY.

Abstract ideas among the Greeks, who were hardly aware of the different degrees of precision possible in mathematics and philosophy 116-118

Tendency to define strong with them, apart from any criterion; hence dogmas 118-120

Dogmatism, amid decay of originality: reaction towards doubt; yet Dogmatism regnant 120-123

“Palestinian Philosophy,” a complete contrast 123, 124

Fusion of these in the Old Catholic Church achieved through an underlying kinship of ideas 125, 126

Explanations of this from both sides 126-128

Philosophical Judaism as a bridge, e.g., in allegorism and cosmology 128, 129

Christian philosophy partly apologetic, partly speculative.

Alarm of Conservatives: the second century one of transition and conflict 130-133

The issue, compromise, and a certain habit of mind 133, 134

Summary answer to the main question 134

The Greek mind seen in:

1. The tendency to define 135

2. The tendency to speculate 136

3. The point of emphasis, i.e. Orthodoxy 137

Further development in the West. But Greece the source of the true damnosa hereditas 137, 138

Lecture VI. GREEK AND CHRISTIAN ETHICS.

The average morality of the age: its moral philosophy 139, 140

An age of moral reformation 140-142

1. Relation of ethics to philosophy and life 142

Revived practical bent of Stoicism; Epictetus 143-147

A moral gymnastic cultivated 147

(1) Askesis (ἄσκησις): Philo, Epictetus, Dio Chrysostom 148-150

(2) The “philosopher” or moral reformer 150-152

2. The contents of ethical teaching, marked by a religious reference. Epictetus’ two maxims, “Follow Nature,” “Follow God” 152-155

Christian ethics show agreement amid difference; based upon the Divine command; idea of sin: agreement most emphasized at first, i.e. the importance of conduct 158, 159

1. Tone of earliest Christian writings: the “Two Ways:” Apostolical Constitutions, Bk. i. 159-162

2. Place of discipline in Christian life: Puritan ideal v. later corpus permixtum 162-164

Further developments due to Greece:

1. A Church within the Church: askesis, Monasticism 164-168

2. Resulting deterioration of average ethics: Ambrose of Milan 168, 169

Complete victory of Greek ethics seen in the basis of modern society 169, 170

Lecture VII. GREEK AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. I. The Creator.

The idea of One God, begotten of the unity and order of the world, and connected with the ideas of personality and mind. Three elements in the idea—Creator, Moral Governor, Absolute Being 171-174

Growth of idea of a beginning: Monism and Dualism 174, 175

1. Monism of the Stoics: natura naturata and naturans: a beginning not necessarily involved 175-177

2. Dualism, Platonic: creation recognized 177-180

Syncretistic blending of these as to process: Logos idea common. Hence Philo’s significance: God as Creator: Monistic and Dualistic aspects; his terms for the Forces in their plurality and unity: after all, God is Creator, even Father, of the world 180-188

Early Christian idea of a single supreme Artificer took permanent root; but questions as to mode emerged, and the first answers were tentative 188-190

1. Evolutional type; supplemented by idea of a lapse 190-194

2. Creational type accepted 194

There remained:

(i.) The ultimate relation of matter to God: Dualistic solutions: Basilides’ Platonic theory the basis of the later doctrine, though not at once recognized 194-198

(ii.) The Creator’s contact with matter: Mediation hypothesis: the Logos solution 198-200

(iii.) Imperfection and evil: Monistic and Dualistic answers, especially Marcion’s 200, 201

But the Divine Unity overcomes all: position of Irenæus, &c., widely accepted: Origen’s cosmogony a theodicy. Prevalence of the simpler view seen in Monarchianism 202-207

Results 207, 208

Lecture VIII. GREEK AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. II. The Moral Governor.

A.—The Greek Idea.

1. Unity of God and Unity of the world: will and order 209

Order, number, necessity and destiny: intelligent force and law 209-211

The Cosmos as a city-state (πόλις) 211, 212

2. New conceptions of the Divine Nature: Justice and Goodness in connection with Providence 213-215

Thus about the Christian era we find Destiny and Providence, and a tendency to synthesis—through two stages—in the use of the term God 215-217

3. The problem of evil emerges: attempts at solution.

(a) Universality of Providence denied (Platonic and Oriental) 217

(b) Reality of apparent evils denied (Stoic) 217-220

This not pertinent to moral evil, hence:

(c) Theory of human freedom 220, 221

Its relation to Universality of Providence: the Stoical theodicy exemplified in Epictetus 221-223

B.—The Christian Idea.

Primitive Christianity a contrast: two main conceptions.

1. Wages for work done 224

2. Positive Law—God a Lawgiver and Judge 225

Difficulties in fusing the two types.

(i.) Forgiveness and Law 226

Marcion’s ditheism 227, 228

Solution in Irenæus, Tertullian, &c.: result 228-230

(ii.) The Moral Governor and Free-will.

Marcion’s dualistic view of moral evil 230, 231

Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenæus 231, 232

Tertullian and the Alexandrines 232

Origen’s comprehensive theodicy by aid of Stoicism and Neo-Platonism 233-237

Lecture IX. GREEK AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. III. God as the Supreme Being.

Christian Theology shaped by Greece, though on a Jewish basis 238, 239

A.—The Idea and its Development in Greek Philosophy.

Parallel to Christian speculation in three stages.

1. Transcendence of God.

History of the idea before and after Plato 240-243

Its two forms, transcendent proper and supra-cosmic 244

Blending with religious feeling, e.g. in Philo 244, 245

2. Revelation of the Transcendent.

Through intermediaries:

(i.) Mythological 246

(ii.) Philosophical, e.g. in Philo 246, 247

3. Distinctions in the nature of God.

Philo’s Logos 247, 248

Conceived both monistically and dualistically in relation to God 249

But especially under metaphor of generation 250

B.—The Idea and its Development in Christian Theology.

1. Here the idea of Transcendence is at first absent 250-252

Present in the Apologists 252, 253

But God as transcendent (v. supra-cosmic) first emphasized by Basilides and the Alexandrines 254-256

2. Mediation (= Revelation) of the Transcendent, a vital problem 256, 257

Theories of modal manifestation 257, 258

Dominant idea that of modal existence:

(i.) As manifold: so among certain Gnostics 258

(ii.) As constituting a unity 259

Its Gnostic forms 259, 260

Relation of the logoi to the Logos, especially in Justin 260-262

The issue is the Logos doctrine of Irenæus 262, 263

3. Distinctions in the nature of God based on the Logos.

(i.) Theories as to the genesis of the Logos, analogous to those as to the world 263, 264

Theories guarding the “sole monarchy,” thus endangered, culminate in Origen’s idea of eternal generation 265-267

(ii.) Theories of the nature of the Logos determined by either the supra-cosmic or transcendental idea of God 267, 268

Origen marks a stage—and but a stage—in the controversies 268, 269

Greek elements in the subsequent developments.

Ousia; its history 269-272

Difficulty felt in applying it to God 273, 274

As also with homoousios: need of another term 274, 275

Hypostasis: its history 275-277

Comes to need definition by a third term (πρόσωπον) 277, 278

Resumé of the use of these terms; the reign of dogmatism 278-280

Three underlying assumptions—a legacy of the Greek spirit 280, 281

1. The importance of metaphysical distinctions.

2. Their absolute truth.

3. The nature of God’s perfection.

Conclusion 282

Lecture X. THE INFLUENCE OF THE MYSTERIES UPON CHRISTIAN USAGES.

A.—The Greek Mysteries and Related Cults.

Mysteries and religious associations side by side with ordinary Greek religion.

1. The Mysteries, e.g. at Eleusis 283, 284

(i.) Initial Purification, through confession and lustration (baptism) 285-287

(ii.) Sacrifices, with procession, &c. 287, 288

(iii.) Mystic Drama, of nature and human life 288-290

2. Other religious associations: condition of entrance, sacrifice and common meal 290, 291

Wide extent of the above 291, 292

B.—The Mysteries and the Church.

Transition to the Christian Sacraments; influence, general and special 292-294

1. Baptism:

Its primitive simplicity 294, 295

Later period marked by:

(i.) Change of name 295, 296

(ii.) Change of time and conception 296, 297

Minor confirmations of the parallelism 298-300

2. The Lord’s Supper:

Stages of extra-biblical development, e.g. in Didaché, Apost. Const., the “altar,” its offerings as “mysteries” 300-303

Culmination of tendency in fifth century in Dionysius 303-305

The tendency strongest in the most Hellenic circles, viz. Gnostics 305, 306

Secrecy and long catechumenate 306, 307

Anointing 307, 308

Realistic change of conception 308, 309

Conclusion 309

Lecture XI. THE INCORPORATION OF CHRISTIAN IDEAS, AS MODIFIED BY GREEK, INTO A BODY OF DOCTRINE.

“Faith” in Old Testament = trust—trust in a person.

In Greek philosophy = intellectual conviction 310, 311

In Philo, these blend into trust in God—in His veracity, i.e. in the Holy Writings 311, 312

Contemporary longing for certainty based on fact 312

Here we have the germs of (1) the Creed, (2) the New Testament Canon 313

1. At first emphasis on its ethical purpose and revealed basis; then the latent intellectual element emerges, though not uniformly 315

The baptismal formula becomes a test.

Expansion by “apostolic teaching” 316, 317

The “Apostles’ Creed” and the Bishops 317-319

2. Related question as to sources of the Creed and the materials for its interpretation.

Value of written tradition: influence of Old Testament and common idea of prophecy: apostolicity as limit 319, 320

Marcion and the idea of a Canon 320, 321

“Faith” assumes the sense it had in Philo 321

3. But the speculative temper remained active upon the “rule of faith:” γνῶσις alongside πίστις, especially at Alexandria: Origen 321-323

Hence tendency to:

(1) Identify a fact with speculations upon it 323, 324

(2) Check individual speculations in favour of those of the majority 324-326

Results:

(i.) Such speculations formulated and inserted in the Creed, formally as interpretations: belief changed, but not the importance attached to it 327, 328

(ii.) Distinction between “majority” and “minority” views at a meeting, on points of metaphysical speculation 329

Resumé of the stages of belief 329, 330

Underlying conceptions to be noted 330, 331

(1) Philosophic regard for exact definition.

(2) Political belief in a majority.

(3) Belief in the finality of the views of an age so ascertained.

Development, if admitted, cannot be arrested 332

Place of speculation in Christianity 332, 333

Lecture XII. THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE BASIS OF CHRISTIAN UNION: DOCTRINE IN THE PLACE OF CONDUCT.

Association at first voluntary, according to the genius of Christianity 334, 335

Its basis primarily moral and spiritual: Holiness its characteristic: the “Two Ways,” Apost. Const. (Bk. i.), the Elchasaites 335-337

Also a common Hope: its changing form 337, 338

Coincident relaxation of bonds of discipline and change in idea of the Church 338, 339

Growing stress also upon the intellectual element 339, 340

Causes for this, primary and collateral 340, 341

(1) Importance given to Baptism realistically conceived: its relation to the ministrant 341, 342

(2) Intercommunion: the necessary test at first moral (e.g. Didaché), subsequently a doctrinal formula 343-345

This elevation of doctrine due to causes internal to the Christian communities: but an external factor enters with case of Paul of Samosata: its results 345-347

Lines of reaction against this transformation:

(1) Puritan or conservative tendency: Novatianism 347, 348

(2) Formation of esoteric class with higher moral ideal: Monachism 348, 349

Conclusion:

The Greek spirit still lives in Christian Churches: the vital question is its relation to Christianity 349, 350

Two theories—permanence of the primitive, assimilative development: no logical third 350, 351

On either theory, the Greek element may largely go 351

The problem pressing: our study a necessary preliminary and truly conservative 352

New ground here broken: a pioneer’s forecast: the Christianity of the future 352, 353