Essentialism vs Essence–Energies, Part 9 of Augustine of Hippo: An Orth. Persp., Dr. C. Veniamin

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Series: Mystical Theology
Episode 28: Augustine’s Essentialism and the Essence–Energies Distinction of Basil the Great, Part 9 of Augustine of Hippo: An Orthodox Perspective, Dr. C. Veniamin
In Part 9 of our presentations on Augustine of Hippo a comparison is made between the theological approach of Augustine and Basil the Great vis-a-vis the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, based on our reading of Augustine’s De Trinitate Book IX, and of Basil’s Epistles 2 and 234. A brief explanation of what is meant by the “substance and attributes” distinction is also given. Other themes touched upon are included in the Timestamps.
Q&As available in The Professor’s Blog
Recommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022); The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016); The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature (2022); and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).
Further bibliography may be found in our "Scholar's Corner" webpage.

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1. Intro: “Love" and “Knowledge” exist in a substance of their own (00:00:00)

2. “Substance” and “Attribute” (“Accidents”) (00:01:12)

3. St. Augustine an “essentialist”: thinks in terms of “substance” (00:04:58)

4. Reading §6 of Bk 9, De Trinitate: “Lover” & “Knower”, “Knowledge” & “Love" = relative terms (00:05:20)

5. “Mind” & “Spirit” are not relative terms (00:05:45)

6. “Head” & “Headed" = relative terms but also substances (00:06:44)

7. Comparison of drink comprised of wine, water and honey (00:08:41)

8. Image of 3 similar rings made of one piece of gold (00:10:18)

9. Triad in which the mind knows and loves itself (00:11:01)

10. A better solution? (00:14:35)

11. “Beatific Vision” = vision of divine Substance (00:15:32)

12. Gregory the Theologian: God at once one flash of lightning and three (00:16:39)

13. Image of God in human beings (00:17:21)

14. Sprit–Matter distinction supersedes the Created–Uncreated distinction (00:17:52)

15. The heart in Augustine and Plato (00:18:46)

16. Analogies of Mind not from Scripture (00:19:29)

17. Christological revelation also Trinitarian (00:20:06)

18. Augustine’s audience initially limited (00:20:54)

19. Created effects and symbols (00:21:39)

20. Comparison with Basil the Great (Eps 7 and 234) (00:22:23)

21. Some thoughts by way of conclusion (00:32:24)

22. Appeal (00:34:00)