Augustine of Hippo : philosopher, exegete, and theologian : a second collection of essays

The union of Neoplatonism and Christian faith did not mean for Augustine a mingling of the two such that there resulted a tertium quid in which neither preserved its identity. Rather, the Christian faith was always for Augustine the norm or standard in accord with which he adopted elements of Neoplatonism or of what he took to be Neoplatonism, not to dilute or falsify, but to understand the Christian message. 8 Given such necessary qualifications, it was Neoplatonism I contend that provided the framework within which Augustine articulated for himself-and for the Church in the West for centuries to come-an understanding of the Christian faith. In providing that framework, Neoplatonism-at least to a large extent-provided Augustine with his view of what is ultimately real and the source of meaning. ## iii. a hierarChiCaL universe As the basis of his presentation of Augustine' s view of reality, Vernon Bourke took the three-tiered structure of the universe: "At the top is God, in the middle is the human soul, and at the bottom is the world of bodies." 9 Augustine expressed this hierarchical view in many texts. 10 For example, in Letter 18, written in 390 to his friend, Caelestinus, to whom Augustine had sent some of his early anti-Manichaean writings, he describes his three-tiered view of reality as "this small, but precious gem" (hoc quiddam grande et breve). At the lowest level there is "a nature that can change in both place and time, such as body." Next comes "a nature that can in no sense change in place, but can change in time, such as soul." Finally, at the top of the hierarchy there is "a nature that cannot change in either place or in time, and that is God." 11 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 6 Dedication......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 Augustine as Philosopher......Page 20 1 Ultimate Reality according to Augustine of Hippo......Page 22 2 Augustine, Flew, andt he Free Will Defense......Page 40 3 Platonic Reminiscence and Memory of the Present in St. Augustine......Page 62 4 Augustine of Hippo on Seeing with the Eyes of the Mind......Page 78 5 Augustine’s Epistula X: Another Look at “Deificari in otio”......Page 98 augustine as exegete......Page 110 6 Augustine, the Manichees, and the Bible......Page 112 7 Criteria for Figurative Interpretation in St. Augustine......Page 128 8 St. Augustine and the Vision of God......Page 146 9 St. Augustine on the Good Samaritan......Page 168 10 St. Augustine’s Use of “Manens in Se”......Page 194 augustine as theologian......Page 214 11 St. Augustine on the Humanity of Christ and Temptation......Page 216 12 Augustine, Maximinus, and Imagination......Page 236 13 The Definition of Sacrifice in the De ciuitate Dei......Page 254 14 The Image and Likeness of God In St. Augustine’s De Genesi adlitteram liber imperfectus......Page 272 Bibliography......Page 282 Index of names......Page 294 Ultimate Reality According To Augustine Of Hippo -- Augustine, Flew And The Free Will Defense -- Platonic Reminiscence And Memory Of The Present In St. Augustine -- Augustine Of Hippo On Seeing With The Eyes Of The Mind -- St. Augustine's Epistula X : Another Look At Deificari In Otio -- St. Augustine, The Manichees, And The Bible -- The Criteria For Figurative Interpretation In St. Augustine -- St. Augustine And The Vision Of God -- St. Augustine On The Good Samaritan -- St. Augustine's Use Of Manens In Se -- St. Augustine On The Humanity Of Christ And Temptation -- Augustine, Maximinus, And Imagination -- The Definition Of Sacrifice In The De Ciuitate Dei -- The Image And Likeness Of God In St. Augustine's De Genesi Ad Litteram Liber Imperfectus. By Roland J. Teske. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [281]-292) And Index. Here are fourteen articles and chapters by Teske gathered from many journals and books written over a span of years from 1980 to 2005.