The Divine Ideas Tradition's Role in Illuminating Christian Mystical Theology

The Divine Ideas Tradition's Role in Christian Mystical Theology

Introduction:

The divine ideas tradition within Christianity can be better comprehed by drawing an analogy. Just as a prolific author draws upon her personal consciousness and self-understanding to animate all the realities in her novels, the divine ideas teaching posits that God's eternal and infinite knowing and loving of Godself is the creative blueprint or archetype for every entity existing in time, and also the intelligible structure or concept through which the truth of each entity may be comprehed. By amplifying upon Plato's 'forms', Middle Platonists significantly transformed this notion. Augustine firmly anchored divine ideas within Trinitarian theology. Through this text, we will explore the multifaceted roles that this tradition played across various doctrines and its impact on the mystical or contemplative dimensions of Christian theology.

Keywords: Origen, Augustine, Aquinas, Bonaventure, Eckhart, Divine Ideas, Trinity, Christology, Salvation, Contemplation

Abstract:

The divine ideas tradition in Christianity serves as a profound metaphor for understanding the creation's origins and its truth. By examining this analogy, we can appreciate how God's infinite self-knowledge and love exemplify every creature's existence and provide their intelligible essence or form. Building upon Plato's 'forms', Middle Platonists further developed this concept, while Augustine integrated divine ideas into Trinitarian theology. This study will elucidate the various roles played by the divine ideas tradition across Christian doctrines and its influence on contemplative theology.

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