1 / 6

Conclusion to the Confessions

Explore the intricate meanings of Scripture and the concept of creation from a deeper perspective, unraveling the essence of the Trinity and spiritual progression. Delve into the mysteries of the Church and self-discovery through reflection on the days of creation.

mharvey
Download Presentation

Conclusion to the Confessions

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Conclusion to the Confessions Dr. Ann T. Orlando 28 January 2008

  2. Books XI, XII, XIIII • Book XI: In the beginning • Book XII: God created heaven, and earth. And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; • Book XIII: and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.

  3. Book XII • Understanding “God created heaven, and earth. And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep” • What was the void and deep: unformed matter • God created unformed matter by His Word, and gave it form by his Word • The only thing not from God is what has no existence: sin • Two things created by God lie outside of time • Angels • Formless matter

  4. Book XII: Multiple Meanings of Scripture • What did Moses mean? • Multiple meanings of ‘heaven and earth’ • Heaven might be figurative of intellect, earth of corporeal • Heaven and earth might mean all visible things • There can be multiple true interpretations • As long as each interpreter tries to ascertain in the holy scriptures the meaning the author intended, what harm is there if the reader holds an opinion which you show to be true, even though it was not intended by the author • They all believe that Moses spoke is a truthful spirit • Truth is not mine, nor his, nor hers, but belongs to all of us • Had I been Moses...I would hope to have written in such a way that if anyone else had in the light of truth seen some other valid meaning, that too should not be excluded

  5. Book XIII • Understanding “the Spirit of God moved over the waters” and the days of creation • The Spirit is the third person of the Trinity • The Trinity is the creator of the whole universe • Spirit, super-eminent in love, is poised over waters; Trinity creates in an eternal unmoved movement of love • Two movements of our heart • In love with restless cares • Movement upward beyond cares to all-surpassing rest in God • Can anyone comprehend the Trinity?

  6. Book XIIIOurselves and the Church • Our triad within, distant analogy to Trinity • Being, knowledge, will • All three in one life • Trinity unchangeably exists, unchangeably knows, unchangeably wills • Days of creation as individual spiritual progress, starting with Baptism • Days of creation as figurative of building up of Church, predestined before creation • What human can empower another human to understand these things? Let us rather ask of you, seek in you, knock at your door. Only so will we receive, only so find, and only so will the door be opened to us. Amen

More Related