Alexandrine Teaching...by R. B. Tollinton
Preface Lecture I Alexandrine interest in the Universe--Limits of the period to be considered-Association of the teachers in question with Alexandria—Some characteristics of the city--Alexandrine teaching, eclectic, Platonic, abstract--Order of presentation; from the One to the many--The Transcendence of God--This doctrine in Philo-in Clement-Origen's view differs--Transcendence in Plotinus-Motives for this doctrine--It was in some sense a Theodicy-- It was also a reaction from polytheism--All Anthropomorphism is ruled out--A possible loss thereby LECTURE II Theories as to the origin of the Cosmic Order--God as the First Cause-After the problem of Being arises the problem of Evil--Intermediate agencies--Such Mediation relieves God of responsibility--And also secures divine action within the world-order --The Gnostic schemes; Marcion, Valentinus--Plotinus criticized the Gnostics--The Powers in Philo--Were these Powers persons or attributes?--Clement's doctrine of the Logos--The Logos was Creator, Revealer, Educator--Origen's theory of Eternal Generation—His interest in the manifold activities of the Word—The Demons in Origen-Plotinus--Two grades of Mediation, Spirit or Mind, and Soul--Spirit is Being--The nature and activity of Soul-Always these intermediate agencies are in a descending order—The Alexandrines anticipated recent teaching on a "Premundane Fall" --Some points of similarity or contrast between ancient and modern views. LECTURE III Earlier teaching on the Universe--The Book of Genesis--Plato's Timaeus --Stoic theories--In Alexandrine teaching the universe was not self existent--Creation ex nihilo--Emanation--Was matter eternal?--The astronomical scheme--The heavenly bodies as living creatures--The unity of the cosmic order--The spheres as "many mansions"--Plotinus on the revolution of the heavens--The planetary orbits--Astrology-- The nature of Matter--Relation of matter to evil--The universe regulated by Providence—How the problems involved were met--The Alexandrines allowed but undervalued the Beauty of the material world--Contrast our increased interest in physical nature--Also our greater recognition of change and process in the universe--But we share their belief in a reality beyond the world we see. LECTURE IV Man's place in the Universe--The body-Origin of the soul--Pre-existence--Little emphasis on heredity--The soul descends--Restricted interest in this present life--Original man--Reason in man--Ecstasy--A relatively low estimate of Faith--Human Freedom --Necessity, G race, Salvation in relation to freedom--The Alexandrine estimate of man aristocratic--Depreciation of Woman--Types of excellence--The Statesman in Philo--Clement's Gnostic—Origen's Ideal Teacher--Immortality--It was not conditional--Personality will be retained--The Resurrection in Origen--The rise and fall of souls in many worlds—The end as the beginning--Man's affinity with the universe--A difference of emphasis, then and now—The future hope, for the individual or for the race?--A dramatic element in ancient cosmology—Our greater sense of limitation--Yet the present estimate gives grounds of hope. Index Back to Previous Level