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St. Augustine and Plotinus: the Human Mind as Image of the Divine
Series: - Vigiliae Christianae, Supplements, Volume: 151
Author:
In Augustine and Plotinus: the Human Mind as Image of the Divine Laela Zwollo provides an inside view of two of the most influential thinkers of late antiquity: the Christian Augustine and the Neo-Platonist Plotinus. By exploring the finer points and paradoxes of their doctrines of the image of God (the human soul/intellect), the illustrious church father’s complex interaction with his most important non-biblical source comes into focus. In order to fathom Augustine, we should first grasp the beauty in Plotinus’ philosophy and its attractiveness to Christians. This monograph will contribute to a better understanding of the formative years of Christianity as well as later ancient philosophy. It can serve as a handbook for becoming acquainted with the two thinkers, as well as for delving into the profundity of their thought.
Laela Zwollo, Ph.D. (2016) Tilburg University, School of Catholic Theology, is a researcher of Early Christianity, Platonism and Gnosticism. She is affiliated with i.a. the Centre of Patristic Research in Utrecht.
Preface Abbreviations
1 Augustine and Plotinus on Imaging the Divine 1 Introduction 2 A New Study on Augustine and Plotinus? 3 Key Aspects of This Study 4 The Multiple Accounts of a Status Quaestionis in an Interdisciplinary Research
2 Augustine’s Appraisal of Plotinus’ Philosophy 1 Augustine’s Accounts of Platonism in Confessions 2 Augustine on Plato and the Platonists in De civitate Dei and De Trinitate 3 Augustine as Christian Platonist: Synthesis
3 Plotinus: Imaging, the Soul and the Ascent 1 Introduction 2 Images and Imaging in Plotinus’ Theogony and Cosmology 3 The Human Soul as Image: φύσις, Λόγος and Νοῦς 4 The Ascent: Intellectual Contemplation and the Soul’s Ascent to Beauty
4 Augustine: the Image of God in His Genesis Commentaries 1 Introduction 2 Augustine’s Doctrine of Creation: Ideas and Images 3 The Soul-Intellect in Augustine’s Doctrine of the Imago Dei in De genesi ad litteram 4 The Ascent: the Soul’s Vision and Contemplation of the Ideas
5 Augustine: the Image of the Trinity in De Trinitate 1 Introduction: The Trinity 2 The Trinitarian Godhead and Christology 3 The Imago Trinitatis: Knowledge and Love 4 Augustine’s Account of the Ascent in De Trinitate
Prologue: Introduction to Chapters 6–9 on Augustine and Plotinus
6 Augustine and Plotinus on the Godhead 1 Introduction 2 The Triune Godhead: Similarities 3 Differences 4 Synthesis and Conclusions
7 Augustine and Plotinus on the Image-Intellect and Epistemology 1 Introduction; Definition of the Terms, Image and Intellect 2 Epistemology: Similarities 3 Differences 4 Synthesis and Conclusions
8 Augustine and Plotinus on Love 1 Introduction 2 Summaries of Plotinus and Augustine on Love 3 General Correspondences 4 General Differences 5 Synthesis
9 Augustine and Plotinus on the Ascent 1 Introduction 2 Plotinus: the Epistemological Ascent and the Ascent by Love 3 Augustine on the Ascent 4 General Similarities 5 Gray Areas 6 Major Differences 7 Synthesis
10 Plotinus in Augustine’s Doctrine of the Image of God 1 Introduction 2 The Plotinian Influence on Augustine: Marked Similarities 3 Major Differences 4 Augustine’s Critique of Platonism from Chapter 2: an Evaluation
11 Augustine’s Christian Platonism 1 How Can We Characterize Augustine as a Christian? 2 How as a Platonist? 3 Augustine’s Relationship to Platonism (Confessions and The City of God) 4 Conclusions
12 Epilogue
Primary Sources Bibliography Bible References Index
1 Augustine and Plotinus on Imaging the Divine 1 Introduction 2 A New Study on Augustine and Plotinus? 3 Key Aspects of This Study 4 The Multiple Accounts of a Status Quaestionis in an Interdisciplinary Research
2 Augustine’s Appraisal of Plotinus’ Philosophy 1 Augustine’s Accounts of Platonism in Confessions 2 Augustine on Plato and the Platonists in De civitate Dei and De Trinitate 3 Augustine as Christian Platonist: Synthesis
3 Plotinus: Imaging, the Soul and the Ascent 1 Introduction 2 Images and Imaging in Plotinus’ Theogony and Cosmology 3 The Human Soul as Image: φύσις, Λόγος and Νοῦς 4 The Ascent: Intellectual Contemplation and the Soul’s Ascent to Beauty
4 Augustine: the Image of God in His Genesis Commentaries 1 Introduction 2 Augustine’s Doctrine of Creation: Ideas and Images 3 The Soul-Intellect in Augustine’s Doctrine of the Imago Dei in De genesi ad litteram 4 The Ascent: the Soul’s Vision and Contemplation of the Ideas
5 Augustine: the Image of the Trinity in De Trinitate 1 Introduction: The Trinity 2 The Trinitarian Godhead and Christology 3 The Imago Trinitatis: Knowledge and Love 4 Augustine’s Account of the Ascent in De Trinitate
Prologue: Introduction to Chapters 6–9 on Augustine and Plotinus
6 Augustine and Plotinus on the Godhead 1 Introduction 2 The Triune Godhead: Similarities 3 Differences 4 Synthesis and Conclusions
7 Augustine and Plotinus on the Image-Intellect and Epistemology 1 Introduction; Definition of the Terms, Image and Intellect 2 Epistemology: Similarities 3 Differences 4 Synthesis and Conclusions
8 Augustine and Plotinus on Love 1 Introduction 2 Summaries of Plotinus and Augustine on Love 3 General Correspondences 4 General Differences 5 Synthesis
9 Augustine and Plotinus on the Ascent 1 Introduction 2 Plotinus: the Epistemological Ascent and the Ascent by Love 3 Augustine on the Ascent 4 General Similarities 5 Gray Areas 6 Major Differences 7 Synthesis
10 Plotinus in Augustine’s Doctrine of the Image of God 1 Introduction 2 The Plotinian Influence on Augustine: Marked Similarities 3 Major Differences 4 Augustine’s Critique of Platonism from Chapter 2: an Evaluation
11 Augustine’s Christian Platonism 1 How Can We Characterize Augustine as a Christian? 2 How as a Platonist? 3 Augustine’s Relationship to Platonism (Confessions and The City of God) 4 Conclusions
12 Epilogue
Primary Sources Bibliography Bible References Index
Researchers of the Greek philosophical influence on early Christianity, in particular Augustine and Plotinus; also readers interested in acquainting themselves with the roots of Christianity and the Platonist tradition.