This lecture covers Augustine and his secular ambitions and conflicts. His mother Monnica has a full understanding of salvation- life coming out of death. Augustine was gradually persuaded by Ambrose. Ambrose preaches the Scripture and it is Scripture that leads Augustine to faith. Scripture is what gives life. The Bible itself is its own great defender. It is a mystery that God can become man. With mysteries, you cannot reason yourself to them. Augustine admired his friend, Alypius due to his virtue. The Fall of man is re-enacted every day. Augustine suffered under the burden of sin but was afraid to be liberated. Augustine and Alypius want to live the life of philosophic contemplation. Consider that if one God is the God of all things, then there is a need to wrestle with the problem of good and evil.

CC504 Lesson 51

This lecture covers Augustine and the Manichee and astrologer along with his time spent in Carthage, Rome, and Milan. Augustine believed it worse for an innocent person to be condemned than for the guilty to be acquitted. Love in your heart can only be filled by God. Augustine finds faith in Milan and comes to Ambrose. Ambrose interpreted the Old Testament allegorically. Augustine could not believe Jesus could become a man like he had become.

CC504 Lesson 50

The lecture covers Augustine's thoughts on time and eternity in Confessions. Our purpose ultimately in everything we do should be doxology. It also covers Augustine's thoughts on Platonic and Christian creation. Augustine looks for illustrations of the Trinity. He holds that the three aspects of the self are being, knowing, and willing. He rounds off the book by coming back to creation. He rests from the works of self-justification. To find rest in the finished work of Christ is to find true rest. He ends with an "Amen" which makes his writing a prayer.

CC504 Lesson 53

This lecture has a focus on Augustine and his Neoplatonic quest. Augustine struggled with the idea that God became flesh. Augustine did not find in the Platonists what he found in the Bible. All truth is God's truth. Consider that Christians can plunder the writings of the ancients for truth. To possess the humble Jesus you must become humble yourself. Augustine wanted to be identified with Christ and the Church.

CC504 Lesson 52

This lecture focuses on Augustine as a student in Carthage. Due to the free grace of God, Augustine's shame becomes his testimony. He struggled with the idea that God became man. Sin needs to be punished no matter what democracy says. Augustine believed that natural law exists. Consider how natural law is a limitation on democracy.

CC504 Lesson 49

This lecture covers Augustine's early years. The whole of Confessions is a retelling of Genesis 1. The sanctifying work of God is a process. God's creative work anticipates his redemptive work. Very early on we show evidences of our selfishness and depravity.

CC504 Lesson 47

This lecture continues to unpack the modes of Aristotle's Rhetoric. The aim of a political speech is to encourage people to good action. The best mode for political speech is ethos. For forensic speech, the best mode is logos. In ceremonial speech, the best mode is pathos. In political speech, the speaker must be virtuous and honest. In forensic speech, the speaker must be logical. In ceremonial speech, the speaker must use emotion. Consider the five canons of rhetoric - invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery.

CC504 Lesson 44

Augustine's Confessions is written as a prayer. Augustine had a clear recognition that he was a new man in Christ. There is a perennial quarrel over the understanding of the nature of man. Is man so corrupted that he needs a complete and total transformation by God or is he only affected by sin and able to reason his way to faith? Consider the five points of Calvinism - total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Both Luther and Augustine wrestled with their own carnality. Through the struggle of celibacy, Augustine realized his will was not free - it was in bondage.

CC504 Lesson 45

Augustine is a faithful defender of the doctrine of the Trinity. Consider Augustine's view on the sacraments. Augustine had a Catholic view of baptism - that it takes away original sin. Understand that the Catholic view of the Catholic Church was that it was coextensive with the Kingdom of heaven. Augustine taught that what brings you to faith are the books you read. Genesis is the book that defines Augustine. Confession has three meanings, praising God, confession of sin, and confession of faith.

CC504 Lesson 46

This lecture covers Augustine's adolescence in Confessions. The theme of restlessness is seen throughout the book. Augustine's time of crisis involves theft that indicates his character. Augustine understands his fallen condition. Augustine gives thanks for the grace that restrained him from evil acts which he did not do.

CC504 Lesson 48

Very informative. Everyone should listen to these classes. Dr. Gage does a superb job of not only guiding one through the great books of the western world but also pointing the student back to Jeuss. Consider taking these classes for credit through Knox Theological Seminary. You will not be disappointed.

Great Course

Aeschylus & Aristotle

Consider that Tragedy is a crossing of boundaries not meant to be crossed. Comedy is the conjunction of wisdom and power. Affirmation is the fundamentally tragic nature of the fallen human condition. Knowledge that man is not supposed to have brings about the tragic condition.  Explore the movement of tragedy and that hubris leads to the envy of the gods and ultimately madness is sent to man from the gods.

CC504 Lesson 07

Aristotle develops the ideas of potentiality and actuality. The Aristotilian way of looking at things has an Anthropological centrality or view that the center of all things is man. Ethics is the nature and purpose of man and the end of man is virtue.  Machiavelli viewed cruelty as a virtue. He viewed everything as either image or things-nothing was ethereal. The death of Socrates produced Academics, Skeptics, Stoics, Epicureans, and Cynics.  Skeptics believed man can not really know anything.  Stoics face life courageously. Epicureans lived for pleasure. Cynics affirmed that man is an animal. The virtue of the spirited aspect of the soul is courage. The virtue of the appetitive aspect of the soul is temperance. The noetic is not subject to the mean.

CC504 Lesson 22

Explore Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound and tragedy. The Prometheus theme is that he is immortal but made to suffer. He is also a benefactor of mankind as he gives the gift of fire to man and it becomes the basis of civilization. Every ruler is harsh but his rule is new. A great theme of tragedy is transgressing some limit. Prometheus has also gifted mortals from foreseeing doom. Consider that Prometheus was a benefactor to man knowing man could do nothing in return.

CC504 Lesson 05

Continue to explore Louise Cowan’s Essay. Consider that the Reformed vision of God is Epic. Mundis imaginalis is the world of imagination. Epic always has the battle, the founding, and the ruling. Lyric is anticipation, consummation, and lamentation. The tragic has the fall, suffering, and reconciliation. The comic is infernal, purgatorial, and paradisal. Consider that the Emmaus narrative is comic genre and Epic corresponds to Genesis 1. Lyric corresponds to the Song of Songs and Psalm 45. The grand story of the Bible is the restoration of the whore, which is comedic.

CC504 Lesson 03

Explore Aristophanes’ The Clouds and consider that comedy is ribald. Aristophanes fully understood the entire Socratic enterprise. An “apology” is a formal defense in a Greek court. For the philosopher, we can know truth through reason alone. Consider that Philosophy ultimately destroys the social fabric. Community cannot adhere without fear of the gods. Herodotus explains that the differences in the nations is how they look at poetry. The first temptation in the Bible is to believe a false poetry. Consider that Democracy can never have a balanced budget and its end is always collapse and tyranny.

CC504 Lesson 06

In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 6, he discusses intellectual virtues. Justice is the proper functioning of the human soul. The first part of Aristotle's Ethics is about how we should act. The last part is about how we should think. Prudence is thought through for the benefit of the community. Cleverness has the same capacity but to benefit oneself, not the community. Wisdom alone is not sufficient. The point of the Old Testament is that there is only one Hero, Jesus Christ. Understand that the charge against the philosophy is why aren't the philosophers rich? The ultimate particular is the defining aspect of true humanity.

CC504 Lesson 27

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Book 2 concerns the doctrine of the mean. For Aristotle, virtue is a response to a passion and equal to the mean. The mean is not objective but subjective. The mean has a relationship to individuals - it is not universal. Virtue is expressed at the right time, right grounds, to the right people, for the right motive, in the right way, in the best degree. The mean is not applied to actions and feelings that are in essence evil.  Aristotle held that to have vice or virtue there must be responsibility.

CC504 Lesson 25

The four genres of literature are Epic, Lyric, Tragic and Comic.  Aristotle defines tragedy as an "imitation of an action that is admirable, complete, and possesses magnitude; in language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts performed by actors, not through narration effecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotions."  Blindness is a theme in tragedy. In an anagnorisis, the tragic protagonist will recognize and see himself. Tragedy on the Athenian stage achieved its end. Understanding the four genres of literature helps us to understand the Scriptures. Explore as an example, the Gospel of John and Revelation are a diptych or two parts of one epic story.

CC504 Lesson 08

Why did Puritanism fail? Puritanism failed because it did not have the proper orientation of the soul. Consider that faith can be communicated but if it becomes legalism, it will be overthrown by the people.  Reflect on the professor’s testimony of his journey of faith from bitterness to the restoration of joy in his redemption. Consider Micah 7:8 as it shows us something of the comedic vision.

CC504 Lesson 04

Aristotle uses three main types of proof. His first proof is ethos. Ethos resides in the character of the speaker. As Christians, we need to best present ourselves so that we do not hinder the preaching of the Gospel. Aristotle held that you cannot be a good speaker without being a good person. Pathos is Aristotle's second proof. Passion is an experience of suffering, misfortune or a strong emotion of desire or craving. Misuse of pathos is manipulation of people's emotions. It is an attempt to get them to do something they would not ordinarily do. Logos is Aristotle's third proof. Logos is to arrange in order and in speaking, always with a rational content. Logos is the logic or ration of speech.

CC504 Lesson 42

Aristotle explains there are only three types of proof available to the rhetorician. Argument is logos, character is ethos, and emotion is pathos. There are three objectives. Fist, to establish justice. Second, to establish admirability and third to establish advisability. Consider the question, "Does a person's theology drive which proof they are more comfortable with?" There are different denominations because God makes people different and in that there is value. Examine the three modes of persuasion which are political, forensic, or ceremonial.  An audience for a political speech is a delegation or church session. An audience for a forensic speech is a judge or jury. An audience for a ceremonial speech is for a funeral or critic. Political speech deals with the future while forensic speech deals with the past. Ceremonial speech deals with the present. The aim in a political speech is to determine if it is advisable or harmful to do a particular action. Forensic speech aims at justice and injustice. Ceremonial speech aims at praise or blame. To do what is biblical is the most advantageous of all.

CC504 Lesson 43

Rhetoric is the attempt to try and persuade people. Why do we use rhetoric? Aristotle teaches that even if your position is correct, rhetoric may need to be employed. Consider that all truth is God's truth. The question,  "Is the study of rhetoric biblical?" is answered.

CC504 Lesson 41

Ostracism is the democratic gesture to rid someone thought to have the power to become the tyrant. The middle class stabilizes the country. Oligarchy can take democracy off its track. Tyrants most often arise from popular leaders. If the country is evolving into a democracy, the constitution is devalued. The problem is when those with preeminence act arrogantly and self-deal. Education does not create virtue. Virtue is defined by what the Scriptures say Christ is. Only God's grace and justifying and sanctifying work of God makes us good. Consider that Aristotle is writing The Politics for Alexander the Great. Christians are called to act on behalf of virtue in order to seek justice. To set the well-off against the multitude is to undermine the concord of the regime. Fighting with the well-off divides the city into two.

CC504 Lesson 38

A citizen participates in the political discourse of decision making. The regime of a monarchy is based on wisdom and an aristocracy is based on virtue. A polity is based on freedom. Discover that cities are always in a state of civil war between the rich and poor. A democratic city must ostracize because people who are great can become tyrants.

CC504 Lesson 35

Aristotle covers the grounds of friendships in Ethics Book 9. He teaches that it is our duty to stick by friends even if there is some depravity but only if it can be cured. The good man is completely integrated or one and desires the same things with every part of his soul. Aristotle believes that to be truly happy you need to have virtuous friends.

CC504 Lesson 30

Aristotle holds the view that the demos are the most vulgar. There are three choices of life which correspond to the three parts of the Platonic soul. Aristotle holds that the idea of the forms is only an opinion. There is peace only with unity and differentiation brings struggle. In eastern culture there is no idea of the end because everything is one. For Aristotle, happiness is a virtuous activity of the soul but needs equipment. Property is needed for a virtuous life. Ultimately, happiness is virtue in motion with equipment.

CC504 Lesson 24

Aristotle answers the question, "What kind of life is the highest?" In Plato's Meno, the question is asked, "Can virtue be taught?"  Virtue can only be developed in community. How do you achieve sanctification - is it monergistic or synergistic? The ancient world reasoned that if virtue is not gotten by nature, then it must be acquired by nurture and habit. Christ represents what is excellence in man.  For Aristotle, the end of man is happiness.

CC504 Lesson 23

This lecture continues the account of The Bacchae. Wine has the property of stopping suffering. A messenger brings the news that Pentheus has died. When Dionysus returns, he brings madness. When he leaves, rationality returns. Contemplate the question, "Can madness come upon an entire city?" Blasphemy such as this results in exile and destruction for the city. Dionysus cannot suffer. Pentheus suffers in his place. Reflect that Jesus was lifted up on a tree for us. "This is my body, broken for you." God in his good providence prepared the Hellenistic world for the Gospel of the grace of God

CC504 Lesson 19

This lecture continues the conversation with Socrates. The advantage of philosophy to the city is that it teaches what is truly good and makes you noble. The focus is on virtue. Another advantage of philosophy is the understanding of human things. The Socratic rubric is that the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being. The Phaedo is the account of Socrate's death in which he is healed of the travails of this life. Socrates' last act is piety against which he had been charged to be a skeptic.

CC504 Lesson 16

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