The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:

Provocative passages on deification abound in St. Augustine of Hippo. He relies on the term "deification" far more than other Latin fathers do. Even more important, the reality of the deified life runs throughout every major aspect of Augustine's presentation of Christianity.

By tracing how deification and related metaphors appear throughout Augustine's writings, David Meconi corrects generations of faulty readings on this crucial patristic theme. For Augustine, the Christian life is essentially an incorporation of the elect into the very person of Christ, forming his mystical body inchoately now in via and perfectly
in patria. This is the "whole Christ," the totus Christus, where Christ and Christian become one through the charity of the Holy Spirit and the church's sacraments that elevate and enable men and women to participate in God's own life. This work opens by showing how the metaphysic of deification are set in principio, as all creation is an imitation of the Logos. Among all creatures, though, the human person alone bears
the imago Dei, and emerges as the one called to appropriate God's life freely. For this purpose, the Son becomes human.

By treating Augustine's passages on deification both chronologically and constructively, Meconi situates Augustine in a long chorus of Christian pastors and theologians who understand the essence of Christianity as the human person's total and transformative union with God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Vincent Meconi, SJ, is assistant professor of theology at Saint Louis University.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:

"In recent years, many Western Christians have shown growing interest in what is usually thought of as a theme peculiar to the works of the Eastern Fathers: that committed participation in the life and prayer of the Church can open up for a believer the path to 'divinization' - to a geniune share by human creatures, through Christ and in the power of the Spirit, in the life of God himself. Fr. David Meconi's new book reveals, by careful analysis of many texts, that this kind of transformation is also a major theme in the thought of St. Augustine, even though it is not always expressed in the same terms that his Greek contemporaries used, and that divinization thus also lies at the source of mainstream Western Christian theology and spirituality. This is an original and important piece of scholarship on a largely neglected subject, and should be welcomed by all who are nourished by Augustine's thought"

- Father Brian Daley, SJ, the Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame

"For decades scholars have debated Augustine's theology of deification. David Meconi culminates that debate with a clear and persuasive account of the evidence. Of particular importance is Meconi's attention to the full implications of Augustine's insistence that Christians live and are transformed within the totus Christus, the 'whole Christ.' The book opens new avenues for students of Augustine himself, and also for all who want to see increased understanding between the Church's eastern and western 'lungs.'"

- Lewis Ayres, Bede Professor in Catholic Theology, Durham University

"Meconi goes to the heart of Augustine's life and thought: we are called to become Christ. Much has been written about the human condition as if Augustine only saw its downside. This book invites us to revel in the many ways that Augustine highlights human destiny as deification. It is a must-read for anyone who is 'stuck' on Augustine's supposed pessimism and―even more so―for those who want to explore what Augustine is really saying about God's plan for us."

―Allan Fitzgerald, OSA, The Augustinian Institute, Villanova University

The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification by David Vincent Meconi SJ

From reader reviews:

Steven Clayton:

Hey guys, do you wishes to finds a new book to read? May be the book with the headline The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification suitable to you? Typically the book was written by famous writer in this era. Often the book untitled The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deificationis the main one of several books that will everyone read now. That book was inspired a number of people in the world. When you read this reserve you will enter the new way of measuring that you ever know just before. The author explained their thought in the simple way, and so all of people can easily to comprehend the core of this reserve. This book will give you a great deal of information about this world now. So you can see the represented of the world in this book.

Jean Smith:

Reading a reserve can be one of a lot of activity that everyone in the world adores. Do you like reading book and so. There are a lot of reasons why people enjoy it. First reading a book will give you a lot of new information. When you read a book you will get new information mainly because book is one of several ways to share the information or their idea. Second, reading a book will make a person more imaginative. When you examining a book especially fictional works book the author will bring you to definitely imagine the story how the character types do it anything. Third, you are able to share your knowledge to other folks. When you read this The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification, it is possible to tells your family, friends along with soon about yours e-book. Your knowledge can inspire different ones, make them reading a guide.

Corrine Switzer:

You could spend your free time to learn this book this publication. This The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification is simple to deliver you can read it in the area, in the beach, train in addition to soon. If you did not have got much space to bring often the printed book, you can buy the actual e-book. It is make you quicker to read it. You can save the actual book in your smart phone. Thus there are a lot of benefits that you will get when you buy this book.

David Wade:

Some individuals said that they feel bored when they reading a e-book. They are directly felt that when they get a half portions of the book. You can choose the book The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification to make your personal reading is interesting. Your own skill of reading expertise is developing when you just like reading. Try to choose simple book to make you enjoy to read it and mingle the sensation about book and reading through especially. It is to be first opinion for you to like to start a book and examine it. Beside that the guide The One Christ: St. Augustine's Theology of Deification can to be your new friend when you're experience alone and confuse with what must you're doing of the time.