Oxford University

The Thomistic Institute at Oxford University presents by Prof. Lewis Ayres of Durham University titled “Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing? Or, Why Is the Creation So Central in Early Christian Teaching?”

Monday, March 6

7:30 PM

Blackfriars

This lecture is free and open to the public.

About the lecture:

In this lecture I will ask why early Christian thinkers placed so much emphasis on getting right how they envisaged the world as “created.” I will argue that for these thinkers what is said about the creation (and thus about humanity) is inseparable from what is said about the nature of God, and thus learning to imagine the creation properly is intrinsic to Christian faith.  The main thinkers considered will be Irenaeus of Lyons and Augustine of Hippo, with some mention of Origen of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa

About the Speaker:

Lewis Ayres is Professor of Catholic and Historical Theology at Durham University in the United Kingdom. He specializes in the study of early Christian theology, especially the history of Trinitarian theology and early Christian exegesis. He is also deeply interested in the relationship between the shape of early Christian modes of discourse and reflection and the manner in which renewals of Catholic theology during the last hundred years have attempted to engage forms of modern historical consciousness and sought to negotiate the shape of appropriate scriptural interpretation in modernity, even as they remain faithful to the practices of classical Catholic discourse and contemplation. His publications include Augustine and the Trinity (2010) and Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Trinitarian Theology (2004). He is co-editor of the Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (2004) and of the Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology (forthcoming). Professor Ayres has co-edited the Blackwell Challenges in Contemporary Theology series (since 1997), the Ashgate Studies in Philosophy and Theology in Late Antiquity series (since 2007), and has just co-founded with Fortress Press the Renewal: Conversations in Catholic Theology series. He serves on the editorial boards of Modern Theology, the Journal of Early Christian Studies, and Augustinian Studies. He has also served on the board of the North American Patristics Society.