The Making of Human Dignity in Christian Antiquity Jadwiga Guerrero van der Meijden

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Guerrero van der Meijden, Jadwiga., Author.

Series:

Contexts of ancient and medieval anthropology ; Volume 9.

Contexts of Ancient and Medieval Anthropology 9

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

early medieval anthropology.

human dignity.

dignitas hominis.

gnothi seauton.

know thyself.

patristic anthropology.

European culture.

image of God.

microcosm.

Local Subjects:

early medieval anthropology.

human dignity.

dignitas hominis.

gnothi seauton.

know thyself.

patristic anthropology.

European culture.

image of God.

microcosm.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (308 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Paderborn Brill | Schöningh 2024

Language Note:

English

Biography/History:

Jadwiga Guerrero van der Meijden, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University in Cracow, where she teaches medieval philosophy. Her research focuses on the concept of human dignity, patristic and medieval philosophy, Christian philosophy, phenomenology, and personalism. Her publications include a number of articles, book chapters, encyclopedia entries, and two monographs in the above described areas.

Summary:

The book examines the late ancient history of one pivotal concept of contemporary culture, that of human dignity, with the view to identifying the moment in history when European culture worked out a systematic category for human axiological status. Whereas some studies concentrate on the notion of dignity in the Renaissance, suggesting that the earlier Christian thought emphasized human insignificance, this analysis reveals that it was the patristic writers who undertook the decisive rethinking of human dignity, primarily in light of the incarnation and the introduction of the feast of Christmas. The volume traces the transformation of the culturally prevalent ancient maxim of self-knowledge (“know thyself”) into an axiological appeal (“know thy dignity”), claiming that it was within that tradition that “dignitas hominis” was popularized and entered the European mindset. In order to demonstrate the lasting changes, the volume outlines patristic axiology’s reception in the Middle Ages.

Contents:

Front Cover

Contents

List of Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 Forgotten Christian Antiquity

1.1 The Purpose of the Book

1.2 Why Study the Late Ancient Christian Conception of Human Dignity?

1.3 The Scope of this Study

1.4 Ancient Greek and Latin Terminology

1.5 Research Methodology

1.6 The Key Questions of the Study

1.7 The Thesis

1.8 Summary of the Chapters and the Development of the Argument

Chapter 2 Ancient Greek East. Lumen Orientale

2.1 Athanasius of Alexandria

2.1.1 The Deification Formula

2.1.2 The Dignitarian Formula

2.1.3 Human Creation in the Image of God

2.2 Basil the Great

2.2.1 Dignity of an Icon

2.2.2 Dignity of the Ransomed Captive

2.3 Gregory of Nyssa

2.3.1 The Great and Most Precious Human Being

2.3.2 Slavery as Sin against Freedom

2.4 Gregory of Nazianzus

2.4.1 Dignity of the Icon during the Final Judgement

2.4.2 Dignity of the Microcosm Binding the Earthly and the Divine

2.4.3 Dignity Manifested during Christmas

2.4.4 Dignity in Gregory's Approach

2.5 Theophilus of Antioch's Expression in the Cappadocian School

2.6 Nemesius of Emesa

2.6.1 Physical Majesty (εὐπρέπεια) of the Microcosm

2.6.2 Uniquely Human Prerogatives

2.6.3 Anthropocentric Finalism as a Justification of Human Dignity (εὐγένεια)

2.7 John Chrysostom

2.7.1 Conceptual and Terminological Continuity with the Greek Fathers

2.7.2 Reason as the Foundation of Human Dignity

2.8 Conclusions Concerning the Greek East

2.8.1 The Context in which Human Dignity Occurs

2.8.2 The Philosophical Arguments and Principles Concerning Human Dignity

2.8.3 The Justification of Dignity

2.8.4 Characterization of Dignity

Chapter 3 The Latin West. Magistra Latinitas

3.1 Hilary of Poitiers

3.2 Ambrose of Milan.

3.2.1 Axiological Themes and Terminology in Ambrose's Writings

3.2.2 "Know Thyself" Maxim Transformed into "Know Thy Dignity"

3.2.3 Ambrose's Calls to Recognize One's Greatness

3.2.4 Value of the Human Soul. Anima Pretiosa

3.2.5 Value of Human Body. Corpus Praestantius

3.2.6 The Beauty of Human Life

3.2.7 Dignitas Christiana. Habet et Christianus Dignitatem Suam

3.2.8 Conclusions

3.3 Chromatius of Aquileia

3.4 Jerome of Stridon

3.4.1 Jerome's Homilies on the Psalms

3.4.2 Human Axiology in the Vulgate

3.5 Augustine of Hippo

3.5.1 The Dignity of a Direct Icon of the Trinity

3.5.2 Deformations of the Icon

3.5.3 Nature and Justice as Criteria for the Dignity of a Rational Being

3.5.4 Offences to Human Dignity (Dignitas Humana)

3.5.5 Message of Humility

3.5.6 Treatment of Slaves

3.6 Female Christian Intellectuals

3.7 Conclusions Concerning the Latin West

Chapter 4 Leo the Great and His Secretary. Spiritus Movens

4.1 The Clarion Call to Recognize One's Dignity

4.2 Dignitas Generis Nostri: Dignity of Human Nature

4.2.1 Imago Dei and a History of a Loss of Dignity

4.2.2 Felix Culpa: Reacquisition of a Greater Dignity after Incarnation

4.2.3 Human Dignity Glorified and Made Equal to God's Dignity

4.3 Dignities Specific to Certain Groups

4.3.1 Dignitas Tabernaculorum

4.3.2 Dignitas Pauperum

4.3.3 Dignitas Sacerdotalis, Dignitas Episcopalis and Dignitas Eventi

4.4 Origins of Leo's Call

4.4.1 Prosper of Aquitaine

4.4.2 Basil of Caesarea's Commentary to Psalm 48

4.4.3 Other Ancient Imperatives to Recognize Human Axiological Status

4.4.4 Biblical Inspirations for the Axiological Imperatives: A Construction Built on Rock

4.5 The Late Ancient and Medieval Reception of Leo's Call

4.5.1 The Late Ancient Reception

4.5.2 Carolingian Renaissance.

4.5.3 Twelfth Century

4.5.4 Thirteenth Century

4.5.5 Fourteenth Century

4.6 Liturgical Prayer about Dignity Created and Restored

4.7 Conclusions and Summary

Chapter 5 The End of an Era. Continuitas

5.1 Eusebius Gallicanus

5.2 Boethius and Cassiodorus

5.3 Gregory the Great

5.4 Dicta Albini de Imagine Dei

5.5 Dignitas Christiana: Ildefonsus of Toledo, Julian of Toledo

5.6 Conclusion

Chapter 6 The Patristic Idea of Human Dignity

6.1 When Did European Culture Start to Talk about "Human Dignity"?

6.1.1 Egalitarianism

6.1.2 Dignitas Christiana

6.1.3 The Raising of the Poor

6.1.4 Lumen Orientale

6.1.5 The Delphic Maxim

6.1.6 Establishing Christmas Liturgy

6.1.7 Christian Reading of the Psalms

6.1.8 Features of Human Dignity as an Indication of Homonymy Replacing Polysemy

6.2 Existing Assessments of the Role of the Patristic Period

6.2.1 Did Human Dignity Develop from an Idea of a Rank?

6.2.2 Was the Coining of the Category of Human Dignity a Discontinuous Process in European Culture?

6.2.3 Is Dignitas Christiana an Ecclesiastical Office?

6.2.4 Was Leo the Great the First Writer to Use the Concept Dignitas Hominis?

6.2.5 Was Cicero the One to Coin the Concept of Human Dignity?

6.2.6 Is Imago Dei the Main Christian Justification for Human Dignity?

6.2.7 Were Human Beings Considered Inferior to Angels?

6.2.8 Did the Ancient Christians Have Little to Say about Human Dignity?

6.3 The Threefold Symbol of Nativity

6.4 An Idea Old and New

Bibliography

Primary Literature

Secondary Literature

Indexes

Index of Terms

Index of Persons

Back Cover.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Attribution 4.0 International CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.de cc

ISBN:

9783657796700

3657796703

Publisher Number:

10.30965/9783657796700 DOI