Theology department hosts Augustine lecture
John Corrales
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: News
The Theology department hosted a lecture last Tuesday given by one of the three candidates applying for a position in the department.
Dr. Ronnie Rombs presented his lecture titled "Augustine and the Creation of Man," which addressed "the development of Augustine's interpretation of Adam, illustrating a subtle development in the way that Augustine draws upon the Neoplatonic tradition as well as a growing appreciation in his thinking for the Christian doctrines of creation and history."
According to Rombs, Augustine initially interpreted temporality as man's medium through which he must return to paradise. Rombs said Augustine justifies this belief by deliberately focusing on Gen. 2:4-6, "In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the earth and no herb of the field had sprung up-for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground."
"Until then, God didn't have terrain," Rombs said. "Augustine interprets the greenery of field figuratively. He believes the soul is nourished by the [Garden of Eden's] internal spring that makes souls become green again. Therefore, man's teleological purpose after sin is to return to this mode of existence."
Rombs then focused on Augustine's understanding of man's purpose through temporality after man sinned. "After sin, the clouds and the rain became necessary for man," he said. "Ontologically, there is a unity between us and the 'green' within the prime of an individual's fragmentation of soul in which he reawakens to himself."
Rombs said that, according to Augustine, paradise is the happiness of soul that humans hope to return to through Christ. "Augustine believes in a circular system of time in which we return to our original position," he said. "The Resurrection promises us a return to that original state."
Rombs then directed his attention to Augustine's "City of God," in which Augustine analyzes God's command to humans to be fertile. Because Augustine believes paradise is a physical place, "he interprets Adam as one oriented to the future," said Rombs. "The temporality of man is linear and man is an intermediate between himself and beast."
"This idea is not equivalent to the passage of time, which is the vehicle of future blessedness," Rombs said. "Augustine differentiates creation and Christian hope."
A short question and answer period followed the lecture. The Theology department has yet to make a decision on its new hire.
Dr. Ronnie Rombs presented his lecture titled "Augustine and the Creation of Man," which addressed "the development of Augustine's interpretation of Adam, illustrating a subtle development in the way that Augustine draws upon the Neoplatonic tradition as well as a growing appreciation in his thinking for the Christian doctrines of creation and history."
According to Rombs, Augustine initially interpreted temporality as man's medium through which he must return to paradise. Rombs said Augustine justifies this belief by deliberately focusing on Gen. 2:4-6, "In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the earth and no herb of the field had sprung up-for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground."
"Until then, God didn't have terrain," Rombs said. "Augustine interprets the greenery of field figuratively. He believes the soul is nourished by the [Garden of Eden's] internal spring that makes souls become green again. Therefore, man's teleological purpose after sin is to return to this mode of existence."
Rombs then focused on Augustine's understanding of man's purpose through temporality after man sinned. "After sin, the clouds and the rain became necessary for man," he said. "Ontologically, there is a unity between us and the 'green' within the prime of an individual's fragmentation of soul in which he reawakens to himself."
Rombs said that, according to Augustine, paradise is the happiness of soul that humans hope to return to through Christ. "Augustine believes in a circular system of time in which we return to our original position," he said. "The Resurrection promises us a return to that original state."
Rombs then directed his attention to Augustine's "City of God," in which Augustine analyzes God's command to humans to be fertile. Because Augustine believes paradise is a physical place, "he interprets Adam as one oriented to the future," said Rombs. "The temporality of man is linear and man is an intermediate between himself and beast."
"This idea is not equivalent to the passage of time, which is the vehicle of future blessedness," Rombs said. "Augustine differentiates creation and Christian hope."
A short question and answer period followed the lecture. The Theology department has yet to make a decision on its new hire.
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