God in Dispute , livre ebook

G OD IN D ISPUTE
G OD IN D ISPUTE Conversations among Great Christian Thinkers
R OGER E. O LSON
2009 by Roger E. Olson
Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Olson, Roger E.
God in dispute : conversations among great Christian thinkers / Roger E. Olson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8010-3639-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Theology, Doctrinal-History. 2. Church history. I. Title.
BT21.3.O46 2009 230.09-dc22 2009016437
Most Scripture is loosely rendered; a few quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Dedicated to my students, who have endured and enjoyed these conversations as they were being written and especially to those who volunteered to play roles as they performed them in my historical theology classes.
Contents
Introduction
1. Second-Century Critic Celsus Queries Polycarp, Valentinus, and Montanus about the Christian Sect
2. Second-Century Critic Celsus Interviews Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Clement about Christianity
3. Second- and Third-Century Leaders Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement Discuss Beliefs Necessary to Be a True Christian
4. Second- and Third-Century Origen and Tertullian Debate Faith s Relationship to Reason and the Nature of the Eternal Godhead
5. Third-Century Bishop Cyprian of Carthage Is Interviewed about the Church and Salvation
6. Fourth-Century Alexandrians Deacon Athanasius and Presbyter Arius Are Interviewed about the Council of Nicaea
7. The Fourth-Century Cappadocian Fathers Meet to Settle on the Orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity
8. Prominent Fifth-Century Thinkers Cyril, Apollinaris, Nestorius, and Eutyches Discuss the Humanity and Divinity of Jesus Christ
9. Fifth-Century Bishop Augustine of Hippo and British Monk Pelagius Argue about Sin and Salvation
10. Medieval Abbot-Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury and Monk-Philosopher Abelard Debate Faith, Reason, and Atonement
11. Medieval Scholastic Philosopher-Theologian Thomas Aquinas and Tree-Hugger Francis of Assisi Enthuse on How to Know God
12. Sixteenth-Century Bucer Convenes Luther, Karlstadt, Erasmus, Zwingli, Grebel, Calvin, and Servetus on Church Reform
13. Reformer Luther and Roman Catholic Theologian Eck Dispute the Nature of Salvation, Grace, Faith, and Justification
14. Reformers Luther, Hubmaier, Zwingli, and Calvin Debate the Lord s Supper and Baptism
15. Sixteenth-Century Reformer Calvin and Seventeenth-Century Theologian Arminius Contest Divergent Views of Salvation
16. Eighteenth-Century Evangelical Revivalists-Theologians Wesley and Edwards Compare Differing Views of Salvation
17. Eighteenth-Century Irish Deist Toland and English Evangelist Wesley Debate Faith and Reason, God and Miracles
18. Enlightenment Philosophers Locke, Kant, and Hegel Deal with Issues Impinging on Christian Theology
19. Father of Modern Theology Schleiermacher and Philosophers Kant and Hegel Debate the Essence of Religion and Christianity
20. Theologians Liberal Rauschenbusch and Conservative Machen Argue about True Christianity, the Bible, Evolution, and Doctrine
21. Twentieth-Century Barth and Brunner Discuss Theological Method with Nineteenth-Century Liberal Schleiermacher
22. Barth and Brunner Contest Their Differences on Natural Theology and Whether All Will Be Saved
23. Twentieth-Century Theological Giants Barth and Tillich Discuss Crucial Issues, Christ and Culture
24. Twentieth-Century Ethicists Rauschenbusch, Niebuhr, Guti rrez, Yoder, and Olasky Dispute the Meaning of Justice
25. Twentieth-Century Theologians Bultmann and Pannenberg Debate Faith, Myth, and Jesus s Resurrection
26. Twentieth-Century Theologians Henry and Ramm Dispute Evangelical Theology, Modernity, and the Enlightenment
27. Twentieth-Century Roman Catholic Theologian Rahner Is Interviewed about His Controversial but Influential Theories
28. Three Liberation Theologians Debate about Humanity s Worst Oppression and How Liberation Should Happen
29. Two Postmodern Theologians Discuss the Meaning of Theology in Postmodern Culture
Conclusion
Introduction
This book rises out of my use of imaginary dialogues in various historical theology courses I have taught over the last three decades. Most of my students have found the practice to be helpful if not delightful. I usually ask one or more students (depending on how many roles are in a dialogue) to play the part of a theologian and use dramatic inflection for emphasis. I began to think that others might enjoy listening in and perhaps using such dialogues in their classes. Yet I ve written them so that anyone can benefit from and enjoy them, not just theologians or teachers of theology.
I ve carefully chosen the twenty-nine dialogues in this book to represent selected high points of the development of Christian thought over the centuries. Some important thinkers are necessarily neglected. Perhaps a sequel volume can include them.
Each dialogue is preceded by a section called Setting, which provides information about the thinkers in the conversation and where the imaginary dialogue is supposed to be taking place. Then comes the dialogue itself, followed by Analysis that discusses the dialogue and what happened there. Finally, each conversation/chapter ends with suggestions For Further Reading to assist readers interested in learning more.
I realize that I have taken fairly large poetic license with thinkers in some of these conversations. I put words into their mouths. When it comes to content, I try to be faithful to their ideas; but when it comes to style, I try to entertain the readers with jokes and jibes, snide remarks and warm, friendly comments. Hopefully the participants in the conversations will come alive and seem quite real.
I believe that a careful reading of this book will deliver a brief course in the history of Christian thought. In each conversation I have tried to include the participants most important contributions to Christian theology. If you re intrigued, read further in the conversation partners own writings (mentioned in the text) and secondary sources about the thinker (mentioned in the sections For Further Reading ).
1 Second-Century Critic Celsus Queries Polycarp, Valentinus, and Montanus about the Christian Sect
Setting
Little is known about the personal life of the Roman philosopher Celsus. He may have been a Christian early in life, but by the time he wrote his anti-Christian polemic commonly known as The True Doctrine in about 175 or 180, he was Christianity s leading critic in the empire. His knowledge of Christianity was limited, but he seems to have gone to some trouble to find out what Christians believed even if he sometimes got it wrong. In his book he states quite unequivocally that Christians worship Jesus as God, which for him is a mark against them. Contemporary critics of orthodox Christology-belief that Jesus is fully God and fully human-often claim that this doctrine, known as the hypostatic union, was invented by fourth-century Christian bishops under the influence of the half-Christian, half-pagan emperor Constantine. They have obviously never read Celsus or the early church fathers.
It is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that Celsus ever met the early Christian bishop and martyr Polycarp, who was burned at the stake and killed by a dagger in Smyrna in about 155. Nor would he have met or talked to the so-called heretics (considered so by leading Christian bishops of the Roman Empire) Valentinus and Montanus (second century, though their exact dates are unknown). Little is known about either man s personal life or even their teachings, other than from what their more orthodox Christian opponents said about them. Valentinus lived in Rome and led a group of Gnostic Christians, who considered matter evil and denied both the true humanity of Jesus and his bodily resurrection.
Montanus lived in Asia Minor (now Turkey) and led a group of Christians who called their movement The New Prophecy. They were the extreme charismatics of the middle of the second century. The group believed not only in the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit (like contemporary Pentecostals and charismatics) but also that the Holy Spirit spoke through Montanus, and his sayings were considered equal in authority with those of the apostles and their writings.
Scholars looking back at the infancy of the Christian movement often consider Valentinus and Montanus to be archheretics, who led many innocent Christians astray. Polycarp is usually held up as a great representative of orthodox Christianity, who gave up his life rather than bow to the emperor. Like other so-called Apostolic Fathers, he likely knew at least one of the original apostles-probably John.
In this imaginary conversation, Celsus encounters Polycarp, Valentinus, and Montanus on a ship sailing to Rome. He queries them about Christianity for his research, which will lead to the book he plans to write: The True Doctrine . The ensuing debate reflects the diversity of Christianity in the second century; Celsus s three new Christian acquaintances agree about little.
In a way, Polycarp, Valentinus, and Montanus respectively represent three impulses within historic Christianity: the orthodox impulse for theological correctness, the Gnostic impulse for higher knowledge and wisdo