The philosophical habit of mind : rhetoric and person in John Henry Newman's Dublin writings

argument: Theology in the 21 st century can think through its themes of reflection only by mirroring the polyphonic character of the early Christian tradition, seen asan open project. Patristic authors distinguished themselves through their constant attempt to construe Christian doctrine by contemplating theologically and conversing philosophically about truth, goodness, beauty, looked upon as first attributes of God. Thus, early Christianity did not bring about the divorce of revelation from the philosophical, aesthetic, literary or civic pursuit of truth. The early scholastic thinkers endeavoured, in their turn, to reconcile the patristic legacy with the metaphysical systems of Greek origin in ways that were later challenged both by theologians of Eastern Orthodox and Protestant persuasion. This new book series aims at exploring the conceptual and institutional organisation of Christian faith in conversation with different aspects of Western civilisation. In what way does the Eastern Orthodox differ from the Christian Latin understanding of fides et ratio? What was Athens to Jerusalem, and how different was Mecca from these European centres of art and thought? How does theology today relate to the Western history of ideas? How can the relationship between the Church and the secular politeia be envisaged in accordance with the particularities of each culture? These are only some of the many broad questions hosted by this Zeta Books series.