In the Summer 2010 issue of Philosophia Christi – set to be released in a few weeks – we have several interesting articles. Two in the area of philosophical theology relate to sin and forgiveness.
R. J. Snell (Eastern University), “Thomas Aquinas and Noetic Sin, Transposed.”
Abstract: In this essay I argue that Thomas Aquinas is not as naively optimistic about the noetic effects of sin as is often portrayed by standard neocalvinist objections. Still, his metaphysics of the human person requires some development to better explain the mind’s impairment by sin, a development made possible by the work of Bernard Lonergan and the resulting Lonergan/Aquinas (L/A) model of the noetic effects of sin.
John Howell (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), “Forgiveness and Kierkegaard’s Agapeistic Ethic.”
Abstract: In this essay I examine the notion of forgiveness as found in Søren Kierkegaard’s Works of Love. After detailing the work of forgiveness in hiding the multitude of sins, I examine forgiveness as an example of Kierkegaard’s concept of redoubling. Then I relate Kierkegaard’s concept of forgiveness to his concept of hope. Throughout I emphasize the relation between forgiveness and neighbor love, which Kierkegaard views as an essential component of forgiveness. This emphasis counters the prevailing notion in the literature on forgiveness, which views forgiveness as solely concerned with the relinquishing of negative emotions. For Kierkegaard, while this relinquishing is no doubt part of forgiveness, true forgiveness must include love for one’s neighbor.
You can secure a subscription to
Philosophia Christ by clicking
here, and therefore read the above mentioned articles and so much more in Summer issue of the journal.