Through the Church Fathers: Janua...
Through the Church Fathers: January 21

Through the Church Fathers by C. Michael Patton

Episode notes

To call something good is never neutral, because goodness always reveals where our unity, desire, and trust are finally anchored. Ignatius writes to the Ephesians as a man on his way to martyrdom, urging them to cling to unity with their bishop and with one another, because communion with the Church is communion with Christ Himself, and division is never spiritually harmless. Augustine then exposes how vice is parasitic, showing that every sin is a distorted imitation of God—pride mimics God’s greatness, lust mimics His love, and envy mimics His excellence—yet only God truly possesses what sin pretends to grasp. Aquinas finally brings this to its metaphysical foundation by arguing that goodness belongs to God alone by essence, since He alone is being itself, while all created goodness exists only by participation, real yet dependent. Together, th ... 

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Keywords
Apostolic FathersThomas AquinasSumma TheologicaScholasticismThrough the Church Fathers in a YearAugustineConfessionsC Michael PattonCredo HouseIgnatiusTheologyPatristicsEarly ChurchChurch History