Theology and Religion Overview

The book's central thesis is that the church fathers (and some mothers) looked for "the face of God." Which two church fathers would you cite to explain this search, and what did Wilken mean by these? What methods did these church fathers use to look for God's face? What contributions made by these church fathers are claimed to have achieved this, and what lasting impact did they have on the church throughout the ages?
Wilken talks about how some church leaders in the past dictated how quickly the church was built and how quickly the gospel was spread. The ancient thinkers took it upon themselves to create a spiritual and intellectual world that served as an inspiration to many other thinkers. Among the thinkers include Gregory of Nyssa and St. Augustine. In his works, Wilken demonstrates how the two and others who follow suit set the foundation of spiritual thinking and illustrate how their messages remain influential in the contemporary world. At the time that religion was still considered controversial, the thinkers served as voices of reason explaining to people about the essence of God and how to ensure that the believers adhere to the expectations of their creator.
The early thinkers relied on philosophies and rhetorical traditions to dispute the arguments of the non-believers in the past. They explained the biblical terms in easy terms and connected the spiritual world and the people. Ideally, the great minds were focused on winning the hearts of people and changing their lives. Through their writings, the thinkers have demonstrated that their voices are still relevant to date. For examples, Trinity by St. Augustine remains a widely read and referenced religious book dealing with the Christian concept of God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. On his part, Gregory of Nyssa insisted on the belief that human beings resemble their creator among other aspects in his Creed: What Christians Believe and Why.
Armstrong describes the medieval worldview as the counter to the immediatism of the modern era stepped in tradition (immersed in 'old books' etc) thinking within a tradition, and open to God's revelation in the natural world. What do these things mean?
Armstrong uses the concept of "immediatism" in illustrating the way of reaching God without mediation. The scholar shows how philosophies, cultures and theologies are forces that compel believers to grow into Christian disciples. Observably, Armstrong argues that we need to understand the past in order to comprehend the present. That is, believers should understand how people in the past kept in touch with their creator in order to learn more about spirituality and theology. Thus, Christians should read from the old blocks that provide detailed information about how believers conducted their matters of religion in the past.
Through an understanding of the past, Armstrong argues that it becomes easier to soberly understand God and the religion in the present world. One of Armstrong's influences is the medieval literature which seems to explain why he is obsessed with the past in understanding religion. One of the ideas pointed out is Dante's Inferno, a unique cosmology on how God will punish sinners during the judgment day. The medieval poet illustrates the procedural and divine punishment that sinners based on their magnitude of the wrongs will suffer in hell. In essence, Armstrong demonstrated to his audience that there was no need to create many religious movements but to rather understand the destiny of the spiritual world through the ancient wisdom.
Choose either Augustine or Aquinas and describe the person's context/biography, two of his major works, and two key theological insights brought to the larger church. Be certain to provide detail.
Thomas Aquinas, born in 1225 in Roccasecca, Italy, is a theologian who believed in philosophy as the basis of knowing God. In fact, most of his works are pure philosophy but his strong belief in God was never in question. His works ranging from logic to metaphysics, psychology, epistemology, theology, ethics, and political philosophy among others are still influential. Apparently, the most outstanding work in his religious philosophy is what he called five ways he attempts to prove presence of God. It follows that his arguments were sought after by renowned people including kings and popes who relied on his thinking. Apart for the five ways, his popular works is theologiae which centralizes on his defense against the Catholic Church. He offers clear explanations on the faith of the Catholics. Accordingly, Aquinas argued that the church is a distinct institution whose doctrines deserve respect because it is headed by spiritual persons. In many of his works, he quotes church fathers and even controversially interrogates the pagans to draw a distinction.



Bibliography
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Armstrong, Chris. Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in an Forgotten Age, with C.S Lewis. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2016.
Leget, Carlo. Living with God: Thomas Aquinas on the Relation between Life on Earth and Life after Death. Leuven: Peeters, 1997.
Wilken, Robert Louis. The Spirit of early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.