Reason and Faith: Philosophy in the Middle Ages

by Thomas Williams

Streaming audio, 2007

Status

Available

Call number

189

Collection

Publication

The Great Courses (2007), 12 hours, 24 lectures

Description

Today we tend to separate questions of logic from questions of belief, philosophy from religion, reason from faith. But for 1,000 years during a pivotal era of Western thought, reason and faith went hand-in-hand in the search for answers to the most profound issues investigated by Christianity's most committed scholars. In 24 ambitious lectures, Professor Williams examines the great Christian philosophers from Augustine to Ockham, following their efforts to illuminate the full scope of Christian doctrine using philosophical tools inherited, in large part, from the ancient Greeks. Far from being a "dark" age, this was an era when faith was not blind and reason was not godless, when the great philosophers and the great theologians were the very same people, and no one saw anything surprising about that. Building on the work of Plato and Aristotle, medieval philosophers worked diligently to show how the Christian faith is consistent with what can be demonstrated by reason, asking such questions as: Can God's existence and attributes be established by reason alone? Are there Christian doctrines that are beyond the scope of logical demonstration? How can Christian beliefs be defended and shown to be internally consistent? During this extraordinarily rich period of intellectual ferment, philosophers participated in a common struggle with transcendent questions, using reasoning in the service of faith. This course serves as a fascinating philosophical backdrop to illuminate the stimulating debates that occupied many of the greatest minds of the era.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member jeterat
A great overview of medieval theology and philosophy that was both easy to listen to and interesting.

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

9 inches

ISBN

1598033395 / 9781598033397

Local notes

[1] Faith seeking understanding [2] Augustine's Platonic background [3] Augustine on authority [4] Augustine on the origin of evil [5] Boethius's The consolation of philosophy [6] Boethius on foreknowledge and freedom [7] Anselm and the 11th-century context [8] Anselm's proof that God exists [9] Anselm on the Divine attributes [10] Anselm on freedom and the fall [11] Abelard on understanding the Trinity [12] Abelard on understanding redemption [13] The rediscovery of Aristotle [14] Bonaventure on the mind's journey into God [15] Aquinas on what reason can and cannot do [16] Aquinas's proof of an unmoved mover [17] Aquinas on how to talk about God [18] Aquinas on human nature [19] Aquinas on natural and supernatural virtues [20] Scotus on God's freedom and ours [21] Scotus on saying exactly what God is [22] What Ockham's razor leaves behind [23] Ockham on the prospects of knowing God [24] The 14th century and beyond

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