Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine : The Theology of Colin Gunton in the Light of Augustine

Bradley G. Greens close reading of Augustine challenges Colin Guntons argument that Augustine bequeathed to the West a theological tradition with serious deficiencies. According to Gunton, Augustines particular construal of the doctrine of God led to fundamental problems in the relationship between creation and redemption. However, Green persuasively argues that Augustine did not sever the link between creation and redemption, but rather affirmed that the created order is a means of genuine knowledge of God by which redemption is accomplished. Green suggests the prominent role this relationship plays in Augustines doctrines of man and God, provides the kind of relational Christian ontology that Gunton sought. In short, Augustine could have provided Gunton with fundamental theological resources in countering the modernity he so rightly challenged. Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine: The Theology of Colin Gunton in Light of Augustine 6 Contents 10 Lewis Ayres: Foreword 12 Acknowledgments 14 1 Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine 16 Developments and Critiques of Augustinian Trinitarianism from Anselm to Zizioulas 25 Anselm, Richard of St. Victor, and Aquinas 26 John Calvin 30 Friedrich Schleiermacher 32 Karl Barth 34 Karl Rahner 36 Jürgen Moltmann 37 Wolfhart Pannenberg 40 John D. Zizioulas 43 Conclusion 44 2 Creation and Redemption in the Theology of Colin Gunton 45 Creation and the Created Order 48 Man, the Imago Dei, and Sin 55 Revelation 59 Christ 65 Holy Spirit 69 Redemption 73 Church 75 Eschatology 76 Conclusion 80 3 Being and Ontology in the Theology of Colin Gunton 82 Ontology and Relationship 85 The Being of God as a Model 92 Persons, Substance, and Ontology 95 Conclusion 101 4 Creation and Redemption in Augustine’s De Trinitate 103 Creation and the Created Order 104 Creatio Ex Nihilo 105 Creation and Trinity 105 Creation and Evil 106 Revelation 107 Man, Dualism, and Resurrection 109 Christ 111 Holy Spirit 116 Redemption 124 Augustine’s Doctrine of the Work of Christ 124 The Enemies of the Work of Christ 131 Central Images of Redemption 133 Redemption, Wisdom, and Knowledge 137 Purpose, Rhetoric, and Polemic in De Trinitate 138 Church 143 Eschatology 144 Conclusion 147 5 Being and Ontology in Augustine’s De Trinitate 149 Ontology and Relationship 154 Augustine and Aristotle 155 Being of God as a Model 167 Persons, Substance, and Ontology 169 Conclusion 180 6 A Critique of Colin Gunton 184 The One and the Many 185 Creation 188 Creation and God’s Will 190 Creation and Trinity 191 Creation and Revelation 192 The Order and Purpose of Creation 194 Redemption 197 Missions and Processions 197 Te Centrality of the Incarnation and the Cross 199 Te Holy Spirit and God’s Relationship to the World 203 Ontology 206 The One and the Tree 206 Three Persons, One God 207 Being and Relationship 209 The Trinity, the Imago Dei, and Being 211 Conclusion 216 7 Conclusion 217 Augustine and Gunton 218 Possibilities for Further Research 220 Bibliography 222 Index 236 The British systematic theologian Colin Gunton argued that Augustine bequeathed to the West a theological tradition with serious deficiencies. According to Gunton, Augustine's particular construal of the doctrine of God led to fundamental errors and problems in grasping the relationship between creation and redemption, and in rightfully construing a truly Christian ontology. In Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine, Bradley G. Green's close reading of Augustine challenges Gunton's understanding. Gunton argued that Augustine's supposed emphasis of the one over the many severed any meaningful link between creation and redemption, contra the theological insights of Irenaeus, and furthermore that because of Augustine's supposed emphasis on the timeless essence of God at the expense of the three real persons, he failed to forge a truly Christian ontology, effectively losing the insights of the Cappadocian Fathers). For all of Gunton's many insights, Green argues that on the contrary, Augustine did not sever the link between creation and redemption, but rather affirmed that the created order is a means of genuine knowledge of God, that the created order is indeed the only means by which redemption is accomplished, that the cross of Christ is the only means by which we can see God, and that the created order is fundamentally oriented toward a telos - redemption. Concerning ontology, Augustine's teaching on the imago Dei, and the prominent role that relationship plays in Augustine's doctrines of man and God, provides the kind of relational Christian ontology that Gunton sought. In short, Green argues, Augustine could have provided Gunton key theological resources in countering the modernity he so rightfully challenged. Foreword by Lewis Ayres Acknowledgments 1. Colin Gunton and the Failure of Augustine 2. Creation and Redemption in the Theology of Colin Gunton 3. Being and Ontology in the Theology of Colin Gunton 4. Creation and Redemption in Augustine's De Trinitate 5. Being and Ontology in Augustine's De Trinitate 6 A Critique of Colin Gunton 7. Conclusion Bibliography Index A penetrating critique of Colin Gunton's analysis of Augustine's doctrine of God, showing how Augustine's theology in fact provides the insight into the relation between creation and redemption that Gunton was seeking.