Christian Theology and the Philosophers

Abstract

Five tractates of varying length dealing with questions of theology are transmitted by the manuscripts, often in association with the Consolation of Philosophy, but in many cases independently. The first three and the fifth pieces attempt to disentangle some of the central logical problems besetting the traditional language of the Latin churches. Although the third contains nothing specifically Christian, the remainder discuss fundamental questions of Church Dogmatics – the Trinity and the Person of Christ – and can only have been written by a Christian thinker with a special interest in logical questions. The tractates, other than the fourth, contain even more Neoplatonism than the Consolation of Philosophy itself. This chapter examines the De fide catholica, the person of Christ, the Scythian monks, absolute and relative goodness, and God the Trinity.