Moderator: Paul Contino & Stefano Rebeggiani
READINGS
Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (on death)
Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies
Athanasius, Orations against the Arians
Celsus, On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians
The Christian idea of God assuming a human body was deeply bizarre, even repulsive, to non-Christian contemporaries in the ancient world. We can tell this from the writings of philosophers like Plato, Lucretius, and Celsus. But several important episodes in the ancient Church reaffirmed the centrality of the Incarnation and the significance of God being revealed in the medium of real human flesh. The key readings here are three Church fathers from the second to fourth centuries: Irenaeus of Lyons, arguably the first Christian theologian; the combative North African lawyer, Tertullian; and the tireless Egyptian bishop, Athanasius.
This Event is made possible by the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in any publications, videos, lectures, etc. associated with this project are those of the author(s) or speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.
Seminar Schedule:
9:00-9:30 Mass in Church of Our Savior (optional)
9:30-10:00 Coffee & donuts on patio
10:00-11:30 Session 1 in Newman Hall
11:30-12:30 Buffet Lunch outside on the patio
12:30-1:30 Session 2 in Newman Hall