Philosophy Commons^™

Editor's Introduction, Mathew N. Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

The Edict Of King Gälawdéwos Against The Illegal Slave Trade In Christians: Ethiopia, 1548 -- Featured Source, Habtamu M. Tegegne

The Medieval Globe

This study explores the relationship between documentary-legal prescriptions of slavery and actual practice in late medieval Ethiopia. It does so in light of a newly discovered edict against the enslavement of freeborn Christians and the commercial sale of Christians to non-Christian owners, issued in 1548 by King Gälawdéwos. It demonstrates that this edict emerged from a dramatic and violent encounter between the neighboring Sultanate of Adal, which was supported by Muslim powers, and the Christian kingdom of Ethiopia, which had the support of expanding European powers in the region. The edict was therefore issued to reaffirm and clarify the principles …

Mutilation And The Law In Early Medieval Europe And India: A Comparative Study -- Open Access, Patricia E. Skinner

The Medieval Globe

This essay examines the similarities and differences between legal and other precepts outlining corporal punishment in ancient and medieval Indian and early medieval European laws. Responding to Susan Reynolds’s call for such comparisons, it begins by outlining the challenges in doing so. Primarily, the fragmented political landscape of both regions, where multiple rulers and spheres of authority existed side-by-side, make a direct comparison complex. Moreover, the time slippage between what scholarship understands to be the “early medieval” period in each region needs to be taken into account, particularly given the persistence of some provisions and the adapatation or abandonment of …

Women And Religion In Nigeria, Fatai A. Olasupo

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

Holy Places & Imagined Hellscapes: Qualifying Comments On Loca Sancta Sermon Studies—Christian Conversion In Northern Europe & Scandinavia, C. 500-1300, Todd P. Upton

Quidditas

The paper uses methods from medieval sermon studies to argue that an insularity in “monastic consciousness” can be traced to earlier centuries than the more generally discussed (and better documented) scholastic environments of 13th century monastic and cathedral schools. It assesses how a monastic discourse reliant on Biblical typologies informed the Christian conversion of northern Germanic and Scandinavian peoples (c. 500-1300, including the British Isles and Iceland). Moments of encounter between Christian missionaries and pagan cultures helped delineate this discourse, most apparent in extant records that reveal Christian and Norse perceptions of geography, holy places, deity worship, and eschatological expectations. …

Approaches To The Atonement In The Mystery Plays, Adam C. Wolfe

Quidditas

The English Corpus Christi plays were a vibrant expression of late medieval Christianity, but they did not survive the Reformation. Many Protestant reformers opposed religious drama altogether, but there were some attempts by reformers to edit the plays and recast them in a Protestant mold, attempts which were ultimately unsuccessful. This paper examines one such attempt and finds that the problem went far beyond obvious references to, and representations of, specifically Catholic beliefs. Focusing on representations of the Atonement in the York and Towneley plays, I found at least four distinct theological approaches to this central concept of Christian theology, …

The Education Of The Son In Paradise Regained: Milton’S Of Education As A Guide, Alice Matthews

Quidditas

“The Education of the Son in Paradise Regained: Milton’s Of Education as a Guide” argues that the character of Christ provides a model for effective learning, which is outlined in Milton’s treatise On Education. In the treatise, first published in 1644, some twenty- seven years before his brief epic, Milton explains the purpose for education as strengthening one’s relationship with God, and the best method for acquiring it— gradually, progressing from the easy to the more difficult. In my essay, I will analyze each step in Christ’s education, beginning with his boyhood and culminating in his temptation on …

William Of Auvergne And Popular Demonology, Thomas De Mayo

Quidditas

Theologian and bishop of Paris during St. Louis’ early reign, William of Auvergne (d. 1249) aimed in his life and writings to combat the myriad threats he perceived as facing Christianity. The early thirteenth century saw many potential competitors to official doctrines concerning the natural and supernatural worlds—Arabic philosophy imported into the universities, heretical attacks on the institutional church, and persistent folk beliefs and practices. William attributed these challenges to an underlying demonic conspiracy directed against humankind. This paper examines William’s treatment of popular beliefs on the Wild Hunt, a mysterious congregation of spirits, and related beliefs about female spirits …

Charlemagne’S Denarius, Constantine’S Edicule, And The Vera Crux, John F. Moffitt

Quidditas

In 806 a much-discussed silver denarius bearing the likeness of Charlemagne was issued. This is called the “temple-type” coin due to the (as yet unidentified) architectural structure illustrated on the reverse side, and which is explicitly labeled as representing the epitome of “Christian Religion.” By examining different kinds of archeological and documentary evidence, this building can now be finally identified. It is, in short, the “Edicule” built by Constantine the Great in 326 to cover the Tomb of Christ (or Holy Sepulcher) in Jerusalem.

Helena, Heraclius, And The True Cross, Hans A. Pohlsander

Quidditas

More than three hundred years stand between the empress Helena, or St. Helena, and the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. This chronological distance has not been a hindrance to a very close association of the two personalities with each other. The link is not dynastic but thematic; it is provided by the Holy Cross, or the True Cross, i. e. the very cross of Christ's passion. It is the purpose of this article to show the manifestation of this link in the religious literature and ecclesiastical art of the Middle Ages and in the liturgy to this day.

The Atheistic Influences Of The Christian Apologist, Eric Mcglaughlin

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

C.S. Lewis, though considered a great apologist for the Christian faith, did not become a Christian until the age of thirty-one. The many years spent as an atheist not only influenced his writings after his conversion, but allowed him to become a great apologist.

A Chestertonian Approach To Humor, Robert Moore-Jumonville

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

As a journalist, G.K. Chesterton used his humor to engage intellectual opponents who might not have otherwise listened. Borrowing from Chesterton’s tone and manner, this paper explores the role of humor in the realms of life, academics and faith as seen in Chesterton’s own writing.

The Sincere Body: The Performance Of Weeping And Emotion In Late Medieval Italian Sermons, Lyn Blanchfield

Quidditas

In 1493 the well-known and controversial Franciscan preacher Bernardino of Feltre gave a series of Lenten sermons to the people of Pavia. On March 11 he dedicated an entire sermon to the necessity of contrition—or perfect sorrow over sin—in the rite of confession. Speaking to a large audience of both men and women, rich and poor, and the local ecclesiastical and civic authorities, Bernardino discussed how one should behave when contrite: “If you cannot feel sorrow of the body, then at least [feel it] in [your] heart, and if you cannot weep with [your] bodily eyes, then at least [weep] …

Living In The Palaces Of Love: Love And The Soul In A Vision Of St. Aldegund Of Maubeuge (Ca. 635–684), Isabel Moreira

Quidditas

Abbess Aldegund of Maubeuge, in dictating her visions to the cleric Subnius in her later years, recalled a vision she had experienced in her youth. She saw herself entering a heavenly mansion, richly bejeweled and "steeped" with Christ's "sweet odor." The vision had made a great impression on her. She accredited it with having matured her spiritual understanding, for having first misunderstood the vision's meaning, she now understood it, "the scales having fallen from her eyes." Yet as historians we are not as fortunate as Aldegund claimed to be. Many centuries removed from the events of the seventh century, the …

Review Essay: Sheehan, Michael M. Csb. Marriage, Family, And Law In Medieval Europe. Collected Studies, Albrecht Classen

Quidditas

Sheehan, Michael M. CSB. Marriage, Family, and Law in Medieval Europe. Collected Studies. Ed. James K. Farge. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1996. xxxi + 330 pp. $45.00.

Wordsmiths As Warriors: The Intellectual Honesty Of G.K. Chesterton And C.S. Lewis, Daryl Charles

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

The writings of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis are rich with creativity and intellect, and maintain a strong defense for Christianity. They are models for the Christian apologist through their direct engagement with the world while loving it as Christ did.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Full Issue 1997 (Volume 1)

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

The collected papers presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Review Essay: Dinzelbacher, Peter, And James Lester Hogg, Eds. Kulturgeschichte Der Christlichen Orden In Einzeldarstellungen, Albrecht Classen

Quidditas

Dinzelbacher, Peter, and James Lester Hogg, eds. Kulturgeschichte der christlichen Orden in Einzeldarstellungen, ed. Kröners Taschenausgabe, 450. Kröner, Stuttgart, 1997. xii + 419 pp., 6 illustrations. DM 42.

The Abolition Of Man: First Principles And Pre-Evangelism (Or "What C.S. Lewis Taught My Brother"), Ted Dorman

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

In his work, The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis expresses a powerful analysis of the modern philosophies of the day. By defending what was deemed subjective and revealing the end point of modern thought, he communicates the Gospel in a way that resonates with unbelievers.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Dorothy L. Sayers: Thinking Passionately, Marjorie Lamp Mead

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

Examines the life of Dorothy Sayers and her perspectives on the relationship between Christianity and reason. Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Some Shattering Simplicity: Suffering, Love, And Faith In The Thought Of C.S. Lewis, Jennifer Woodruff

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

A repeated theme in the works of C.S. Lewis is the tension inherent in why and how we believe and accept Christianity. Christianity makes sense of reality, but at the same time shatters all our expectations of reality. Examining Lewis’s writings about the nature of suffering, faith, and love we learn how this is not a contradiction but a shattering simplicity that reveals the truth about reality.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

C.S. Lewis: Lightbearer In The Shadowlands, Angus Menuge

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

Angus J.L. Menuge discusses editing his book, Lightbearer in the Shadowlands: The Evangelistic Vision of C.S. Lewis.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Unto The End Of The World: Omega Point Eschatology In C.S. Lewis And Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, Chris Smith

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

There are many diverse understandings of the futuristic passages of scriptures and how to interpret their terms and symbols. Two eschatological perspectives on the “Omega Point” (the end of time when God would re-unite the church with himself) can be found in the writings of French Jesuit anthropologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and British Scholar C.S. Lewis.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

The Question Of Biblical Allegory In Tell We Have Faces, David Bedsole

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

In 1956, C.S. Lewis published a retelling of a pagan myth, Till We Have Faces. On the surface one may simply read it as a retelling, but considering his career as a theological author one can see how Till We Have Faces is rich with Christian themes and thought.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

C.S. Lewis And Christian Scholarship, Bruce Edwards

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

While well-loved and known for his profound impact on Christian apologetics, C.S. Lewis also made a mark on the world as a skilled academic. By observing his life one can see that his Christian work and academic work were not distinct, but born from the same desire to follow Christ.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Shadows That Fall: The Immanence Of Heaven In The Fiction Of Lewis And Macdonald, David Manley

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

C.S. Lewis’s view of heaven were shaped by George MacDonald’s fiction. By examining the fiction of of both men we see their vision of heaven, how art imitates heaven, and how heaven shall come to earth.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

George Macdonald's Answer To The Victorian Crises Of Faith, Pamela Jordan

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

Due to the advances in science and new philosophies, the people of the Victorian era faced a crisis of faith and its place in a new scientific era. Like other religious novelists, George MacDonald used his stories to address the theological questions and doubt of the time. This approach is particularly evident in his novel Thomas Wingfold, Curate.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

The Apologetics Of Chesterton And Lewis In A World Marked By Disbelief, Michael R. Smith

Inklings Forever: Published Colloquium Proceedings 1997-2016

In an age characterized by meaninglessness and relativeness, arguments once thought to be timeless are challenged by a postmodernism world view that evaluates all ideas as equal and flawed just the same. G.K Chesterton and C.S. Lewis are two sources of authority regularly referenced by current apologists, and provide a variety of logically sound arguments for Christianity.

Presented at the 1997 Frances White Ewbank Colloquium.

Review Essay: Ardolino, Frank. Apocalypse And Armada In Kyd's Spanish Tragedy, Robin B. Barnes

Quidditas

Ardolino, Frank. Apocalypse and Armada in Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. Sixteenth-Century Essays and Studies, 29. Sixteenth-Century Journal Publishers, Kirksville, Mo., 1995. xvi + 187 pp. $35.00.

"Pleasing Passages": Style In The Old English Pastoral Care, Ray Moye

Quidditas

The Old English Pastoral Care, a translation of Gregory the Great's Liber Regula Pastoralis which King Alfred completed sometime in the first few years of the 890s, was the first in a series of translations of Latin Christian works in English that would serve as the foundation of Alfred's program of cultural and educational reform aimed at restoring England's preeminence as a leading Christian intellectual center. This reputation that the land had enjoyed during the glory days of Bede and Alcuin had been lost as a consequence of continual Viking invasions in the eighth and ninth centuries, with the …