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John Henry Newman
 An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
Chapter 1 The Development of IdeasSummarySection 1. The ProcessAn idea is the representation of an object of thought. Just like an object, an idea can only be fullyunderstood when it is observed from a distance – from a number of different perspectives.When an idea arrests and possesses the mind – it is said to have life.Many ideas have a persistence and follow a life cycle. The final representation of an idea will be of the same substance but it will be completed by the meditations and reflections of many minds.An idea does not evolve – it does not change from its original substance. Things do not change overtime – they change but stay the same.Ideas include contradictions and paradoxes.“But one aspect of Revelation must not be allowed to exclude or obscure another; andChristianity is dogmatical, devotional, practical all at once; it is esoteric and exoteric; itis indulgent and strict; it is light and dark; it is love, and it is fear.” p.36There will be an initial time of confusion but as time proceeds new light will be shed and a definiteteaching will emerge. It will interact with other systems, it will be criticised by enemies and respond.The idea develops but stays the same:“Then in time it will have grown into an ethical code, or into a system of government, orinto a theology, or into a ritual, according to its capabilities: and this body of thought,thus laboriously gained, will after all be little more than the proper representation of one idea, being in substance what the idea meant from the first, its complete image asseen in a combination of diversified aspects, with the suggestions and corrections of many minds, and the illustrations of many experiences.” p.38“In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change and to be perfect isto have changed often.”Section 2. The kinds of developmentIn order to analyse the kinds of development we need to look at the ways the word ‘development’ isused generally in common language. There are roughly 3 main ways it is used:-
 
for the process of development-
 
for the results of development-
 
for a development, true or false ie a corruptionWe also need to exclude:-
 
mathematical development, a series of logical statements-
 
physical development
 
-
 
material developmentPolitical developmentWhen society is the subject matter of an ideaoften irregular process subject to personalities / fate of battles.As the idea develops it is often detached from the political development.Logical developmentAlthough the idea may be initiated in the church it is developed in a logical environment – such asthe courts.For example, the doctrine of Royal SupremacyAfter the start of the Anglican church the idea of the head of state becoming head of the churchdeveloped so that ‘sedition, conspiracy and rebellion’ rank as higher sins than ‘heresy and schism’ inthe prayer book.Historical developmentOver time the accumulation of judgements / wisdom moves toward the development of an idea:‘truth is the daughter of time’Ethical developmentWhat is desirable / optional over time may become ‘what is essential’ this in essence is the ideabehind ethical development.Over a period of time with an accumulation of experience what was originally only optional is cometo be seen as obvious and necessary.Guizot – religion is man’s way of organising the rapid growth of ethical development. Religion couldbe seen as the optional element that over time becomes essential. Guizot saw religion as a way toorganise human nature.Metaphysical developmentThe analysis of an idea with ‘complete delineation’.What happens when an idea grows in the mind to become an essential element of though such as acharacter in fiction. For example Shakespeare’s development of Hamlet or Ariel.“the mind may be employed in developing the solemn ideas, which it has hitherto heldimplicitly and without subjecting them to its reflective and reasoning powers.” p.52The mind contemplates and forms ideas
 
*ideas evolve*this process is a developmentthus the power of the mind develops impressions into systems or creeds.The religious vision that we have is only capable of being expressed through such ideas.“As to Christianity, supposing the truths of which it consists to admit of development,that development will be one or other of the last five kinds. Taking the Incarnation as itscentral doctrine, the Episcopate as taught by St Ignatius, will be an instance of politicaldevelopment, the
Theotokus
of logical, the determination of the date of our Lord’s birthof historical, the Holy Eucharist of moral, and the Athanasian Creed of Metaphysical.”Episcopate –
§ 45. Development of the Episcopate. Ignatius.It is matter of fact that the episcopal form of government was universally established in theEastern and Western church as early as the middle of the second century. Even the hereticalsects, at least the Ebionites, as we must infer from the commendation of the episcopacy in thepseudo-Clementine literature, were organized on this plan, as well as the later schismaticparties of Novatians, Donatists, etc. But it is equally undeniable, that the episcopate reachedits complete form only step by step. In the period before us we must note three stages in thisdevelopment connected with the name of Ignatius in Syria (d. 107 or 115), Irenaeus in Gaul(d. 202), and Cyprian in North Africa (d. 258).The episcopate first appears, as distinct from the presbyterate, but as a congregational officeonly (in distinction from the diocesan idea), and as yet a young institution, greatly needingcommendation, in the famous seven (or three) Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch a disciple of theapostles, and the second bishop of that see (Evodius being the first, and Hero the third). He isalso the first who uses the term "catholic church," as if episcopacy and catholicity sprung upsimultaneously. The whole story of Ignatius is more legendary than real, and his writings aresubject to grave suspicion of fraudulent interpolation. We have three different versions of theIgnatian Epistles, but only one of them can be genuine; either the smaller Greek version, orthe lately discovered Syriac.
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The question of the genuineness will be discussed in§165. Cureton (1845) Bunsen, Lipsius, and others accept the Syriac version as the originalform of the Ignatian epistles, and regard even the short Greek text as corrupt, but yet asdating from the middle of the second century. Rothe, Hefele, Schaff (first ed.), Düsterdieck,Uhlhorn, Zahn, Harnack, defend the genuineness of the shorter Greek recension. The largerGreek recension is universally given up as spurious. The origin of the hierarchical system isobscured by pious frauds. See below, §164 and 165.87 In the latter, which contains only threeepistles, most of the passages on the episcopate are wanting, indeed; yet the leading featuresof the institution appear even here, and we can recognise ex ungue leonem.
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In theSyriac Ep. to Polycarp, the word bishop occurs four times; in the Syriac Ep. to the Ephesians,God is blessed for having given them such a bishop as Onesimus. In the shorter Greek Ep. toPolycarp episcopacy is mentioned in the salutation, and in three of the eight chapters (ch. 5
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