Faith Seeking Understanding
Pastor’s Blog Sections
Richard Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity: Books I to IV
Richard Hooker (1554-1600) in 1584 became the master or rector of the Temple in London. The Temple was a prominent church that was Puritan friendly because of the patronage of a prominent noble and a diplomat. Prior to the coming of Hooker a simpler worship service had been allowed and maintained by Walter Travers (1548-1635). Travers’ ordination was
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Aids to Reflection in the Formation of a Manly Character, on the Several Grounds of Prudence, Morality, and Religion
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), the author of the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, recovered from his opium addiction and recorded his insights of traveling from a pantheistic Unitarian as a young man to an evangelical Anglican at the end of his life.
Jonathan Edwards, Treatise on Grace and Other Posthumously Published Writings
A collection of important, but somewhat rare scholastic works of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) which tend to correct misunderstandings about Edward’s Trinitarianism and adherence to covenantal thought.
Frederick Copleston, Medieval Philosophy: From Augustine to Duns Scotus in A History of Philosophy, vol. 2
Frederick Copleston (1907-1994) was a Jesuit historian and philosopher appalled by the lack of philosophical knowledge of Roman Catholic seminarians and textbooks, and so he conceived and wrote the multivolume A History of Philosophy.
Kenelem Foster, tran. Aristotle’s “De Anima” in the Version of William of Moerbeke and the Commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas
A paragraph by paragraph commentary by the theologian Thomas of Aquinas (c. 1224-1274) of the philosopher Aristotle’s (384-322) De Anima or On the Soul. The book is arranged with Aristotle’s text and then Thomas’ commentary.
Peter Lombard, trans. Giulio Silano, The Sentences: Book Three—On the Incarnation of the Word
In 3.6.3.2 (pg. 27), he quotes as Augustine (354-430) Lanfranc (1010-1089) as found in Berengar (c.1010-1080) in defense of essentially transubstantiation.
Peter Lombard, trans. Giulio Silano, The Sentences: Book Four—On the Doctrine of Signs
In On the Doctrine of Signs we come to the bulk of the theological conclusions that were rejected in the Reformation by Protestants and to a great degree maintained by the post-Tridentine Roman Church.
John W. Cooper, Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate
A carefully written and researched defense of the traditional view of the soul over and against anthropological monism. Monism refers to the body and the soul being the same thing and dualism refers to the soul continuing to exist independently of an earthly body.
Peter Lombard, trans. Giulio Silano, The Sentences: Book Two—On Creation
Peter Lombard presents a confused understanding of Augustine’s view of creation and anthropology modified to a semi-Pelagian to almost Pelagian theology either purposely or through ignorance of Augustine’s authentic works.
Peter Lombard, trans. Giulio Silano, The Sentences: Book One—The Mystery of the Trinity
Peter Lombard (1100-1160) or the Master of the Sentences wrote the basic theological compendium of the Middle Ages. He was a student of Abelard (1079-1142/3)—the founder of