Notes on a Method: Engaging with Augustine at the Intersection of Philosophy, Theology, and History

Abstract

This article addresses the following question: Is it possible, and if so, to what extent, to draw upon sources from different contexts or disciplines to perform theological research? The first part describes the historical origins and contemporary application of the handmaiden model of theology (“philosophy is the handmaiden of theology,” philosophia ancilla theologiae). In the second section, I consider two closely related objections to this model, namely confirmation bias (or eisegesis) and anachronism. Section three demonstrates that while these objections should be carefully considered, they do not preclude altogether the possibility of engaging with sources across temporal or disciplinary boundaries. Gadamer’s hermeneutical philosophy grounds the possibility of such interaction. The remainder of the article provides a more specific vision of how this model can be practiced. First, I look to the theological tradition itself, in particular Augustine’s interpretive principles as applied to Genesis 1 (Confessiones 12) and Michael Fishbane’s appropriation of the Jewish hermeneutical tradition. Finally, the contemporary scholars William Desmond and Cyril O’Regan exemplify the responsible constructive engagement with the sources. I argue that practitioners of the handmaiden model must take seriously objections to and concerns about their methodology. Nonetheless, once critically adapted to present circumstances, this model is feasible for a contemporary scholarly context. One can respect the integrity of the sources while also interpreting them in ways which apply to present theological interests. A key implication of this research is that for each to function properly, historical theology and systematic theology must consistently interact with each other.