Philosophy and Theology in the Middle Ages

by G.R. Evans

In the ancient world being a philosopher was a practical alternative to being a christian. Philosophical systems offered intellectual, practical and moral codes for living. By the Middle Ages however philosophy was largely, though inconsistently, incorporated into Christian belef. From the end of the Roman Empire to the Reformation and Renaissance of the sixteenth century Christian theologians had a virtual monopoly on higher education. The complex interaction between theology and philosophy, which was the result of the efforts of Christian leaders and thinkers to assimilate the most sophisticated ideas of science and secular learning into their own system of thought, is the subject of this book. Augustine, as the most widely read author in the Middle Ages, is the starting point. Dr Evans then discusses the classical sources in general which the medieval scholar would have had access to when he wanted to study philosophy and its theological implications. Part I ends with an analysis of the problems of logic, language and rhetoric. In Part II the sequence of topics - God, cosmos, man follow the outline of the summa, or systematic encyclopedia of theology, which developed from the twelfth century as a text book framework. Does God exist? What is he like? What are human beings? Is there a purpose to their lives? These are the great questions of philosophy and religion and the issues to which the medieval theologian addressed himself. From divine simplicity' to ethics and politics, this book is a lively introduction to the debates and ideas of the Middle Ages.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, History

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Professor Emeritus of Medieval Theology and Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge

Reviews

[EleneB · Rating 4 out of 5]

დამწყებისთვის ფილოსოფიაში და თეოლოგიაში გარკვევისათვის ერთ-ერთი ყველაზე ინფორმატიული და საინტერესოდ აგებული წიგნია.
წიგნი მოცულობით პატარაა რაც შესაბამისად არ იძლევა აღწერილი თემების ღრმა ანალიზს, მაგრამ შეუძლია ბევრ რამეზე დაგვაფიქროს და უკვე ნაფიქრის ახალი მხარეები აღმოგვაჩენინოს.

[Torsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

კარგი წიგნია, ერთგვარი გზამკვლევი მათთვის, ვინც ღრმად არაა ჩახედული ფილოსოფიაში და აინტერესებს თეოლოგია-ფილოსოფიის მიმართებანი შუა საუკუნეებში.

[Rui · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring.