Augustine and "the Pure in Heart" in Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth

• Authors: William M. Wright IV

Title variants

PL

Augustyn i "czystego serca" w trylogii Jezus z Nazaretu Benedykta XVI

Abstracts

PL

Niniejszy artykuł podejmuje temat oczyszczenia serca w trylogii Jezus z Nazaretu Benedykta XVI jako sposobu widzenia i poznawania Boga zgodnie z augustyńską interpretacją jednego z ośmiu błogosławieństw: „Błogosławieni czystego serca, albowiem oni Boga oglądać będą” (Mt 5,8). Objaśnienia Benedykta XVI w znacznym stopniu oparte są na teologicznej epistemologii Augustyna, której główne elementy nakreślił w swoich wcześniejszych pismach. W artykule przedstawiono główne elementy analizy teologicznej epistemologii Augustyna dokonanej przez Ratzingera, a następnie omówiono trzy miejsca w trylogii Jezus z Nazaretu, w których Benedykt analizuje oczyszczenie serca w świetle nauczania św. Augustyna i w odniesieniu do Mt 5,8: błogosławieństwo dla tych „czystego serca”, obmycie stóp oraz objawienie Ojca i Syna w Mt 11,25–27. Podobnie jak Augustyn, Benedykt mówi o oczyszczeniu serca jako o Bożym działaniu w ludziach poprzez dary wiary i miłości oraz podkreśla miejsce duchowej komunii wierzących z Jezusem w tym szczególnym procesie oczyszczenia.

EN

This essay examines Benedict XVI’s treatment in his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy of the purification of the heart as leading to a manner of seeing and knowing of God, a treatment which follows an Augustinian interpretation of the beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt 5:8). Benedict’s account is much indebted to Augustine’s theological epistemology, the main elements of which he outlines in his early writings. After setting forth the main elements of Ratzinger’s analysis of Augustine’s theological epistemology, the essay examines the three places in Jesus of Nazareth where Benedict discusses purification of the heart in Augustinian terms and in relation to Matt 5:8: his interpretations of the “pure in heart” beatitude, the Footwashing, and the Father-Son saying in Matt 11:25–27. With Augustine, Benedict speaks of the purification of the heart as God’s action which he works in people by the gifts of faith and love. Benedict emphasizes the place of the believers’ spiritual communion with Jesus in this graced process of purification.

Keywords

PL

Joseph Ratzinger; Benedykt XVI; Augustyn; Jezus z Nazaretu; Mt 5,8; komunia; epistemologia teologiczna; oczyszczenie; serce; czystego serca; wzrok duchowy

EN

Joseph Ratzinger; Benedict XVI; Augustine; Jesus of Nazareth; Matt 5:8; communion; theological epistemology; purification; heart; the pure in heart; spiritual sight

• Publisher: Papieski Wydział Teologiczny we Wrocławiu
• Journal: Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny
• Year: 2023
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 219-241

Dates

published

2023

Contributors

author

William M. Wright IV

• Duquesne University, USA

• https://orcid.org/0009000747988334

References

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Identifiers

DOI

10.34839/wpt.2023.31.2.219-241

Biblioteka Nauki

31343722