Abstract
This paper examines the differing role of divine foreknowledge within the philosophy of St. Augustine. First an overview on the general concept of divine foreknowledge is given in order to understand its influential role during these times. Then the paper examines its role as applied to the philosophy of St. Augustine. The writer also looks at the theory that humans have the free will to make their own decisions. The writer concludes that what makes St. Augustine's work so important and successful, in both religious and philosophical circles, is its ability to understand the conflict and the importance of reconciling these concepts in order to preserve both the sanctity of divine foreknowledge and human will.

Outline:
Introduction
Divine Foreknowledge vs. Freewill
St. Augustine
Conclusion

From the Paper
"According to the theory of divine foreknowledge, god is omniscient and therefore holds knowledge of everything: past, present and future. In other words, divine foreknowledge is god's ability to know everything about all things. Further, since god has knowledge of everything, everything that god knows is necessarily a truth. For example, if god knows that X will go and do Y, then it is true that X will do Y, even if X has not yet done Y. Further, since it is a truth that X will do Y, it is also impossible that X will not do Y. In other words, in a pure system of divine foreknowledge, humans have no freewill. The two cannot co-exist.
"However, some theorists, including St. Augustine, have developed a non-pure system of divine foreknowledge and instead believe that although god has divine foreknowledge, he is not all knowing in a traditional sense."

Tags:god, philosopher, omniscient, freewill

Abstract
The issue of the foreknowledge of God is a mystery that St. Thomas Aquinas, Augustine and Boethius all struggled with. Divine foreknowledge involves the idea that the will of God articulated itself most comprehensively in divine predestination, of which the plan of salvation is an integral part. Thus, Christ himself was, obviously, predestined. This, of course, means that God knew that evil would come into the world and that Jesus would have to redeem mankind. Nonetheless, while God knew that evil would come into the world, he also willed an end, and in this his action can be seen as perfect. To protect his own freedom, God caused events contingently and without necessity; therefore his own causation and will was free. God, therefore, predestined contingently. In this way, we can understand that God was not the captive of his own action, but remained free.

Tags:THEOLOGY AND RELIGION STUDIES / CHRISTIANITY, divine foreknowledge

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that the issue of free will and divine foreknowledge creates a somewhat problematic paradox for Christians. At the basis of the dilemma is the question that, if God knows beforehand the outcomes of everything on earth, can free will even be said to exist? This paper discusses and analyzes specific Christian philosophers' views on free will and presents the writer's personal views on the issue. The writer concludes that when the scale of divine foreknowledge is reduced to human scale, this creates a paradox that cannot be solved. Instead, divine foreknowledge should be seen for what it is - a force on a universal scale that can only be understood partially by the human mind. The writer maintains that it is compatible with human free will, because human beings are not forced by any means to make the choice for or against Christian salvation.

From the Paper
"After considering Augustine's argument for free will on the basis of explanatory writings such as those of Christine Murray and Katherin A. Rogers, Norman Swartz's work on the topic is examined to provide a balance of the modern thinking regarding free will and divine foreknowledge. Swartz indeed also includes a consideration of the secular manifestation of free will and how this relates to universal determinism. All the authors examined appear to be in agreement that, in whatever form, free will does indeed exist, or at least appears to do so.
"According to Murray, Augustine's view of free will is his own observation that human beings indeed make choices of their own free will."

Tags:Augustine, preordination, God, Catholicism

Abstract
This paper discusses Dante's placement of sinners and star crossed lovers and the characters of Francesca, Paolo, Pia del Tolomei, and Cunizza da Romano in the "Divine Comedy". The paper looks at Dante's inclusion of his own beliefs.

From the Paper
"In placing his various characters, Dante was moved by his own responses to stories of star-crossed lovers and great sinners, widely known in his own era by his personal experiences of life and love and by his desire to illustrate the various types of humans and their sins and corresponding punishment. He was further motivated by his desire to allow the great poet of Roman antiquity, Virgil, to speak for him or as a poetic voice standing in for his..."

Tags:Dante, Divine Comedy, Sinners, characters

Abstract
This is a persuasive argument essay discussing the concept of divine providence from the perspectives of Plotinus and Thomas Aquinas and arguing that Aquinas' view is the correct one.

From the Paper
"The two philosophers, Plotinus and Thomas Aquinas, were separated not only by many centuries but also by their divergent views on the divine providence of God. Plotinus, a pagan, viewed God as the source of all things although he did not believe that God created evil, evil is simply the absence of good. Aquinas, on the other hand, believed that God is the cause of everything that exists and that everything depends upon Him for its..."

Tags:Plotinus, Thomas Aquinas, divine providence, persuasive argument

Abstract
In this paper, the dream sequence in Canto IX of Dante's Divine Comedy is explained as a visionary prefiguring of the upward aspiration of a soul seeking salvation.

From the Paper
"Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" is considered the greatest epic poem in Italian literature. This Christian allegory about the soul's journey through the afterlife bridges the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance and has had a profound influence on both Western literature and Christian dogma. Dante's Inferno: Dante describes his journey through the land of the dead in a first person narrative written in terza rima lines of eleven..."

Tags:Dante, Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, salvation

Abstract
This paper discusses how throughout Greek history the relationship between human beings and divine figures is a noticeable and predominant one, evident in myth, and especially literature. The author examines such literature of the time, in particular, Homer's Iliad and Herodotus' Histories, to better understand this unique and extraordinary relationship between humans and divine powers in the ancient Greek world.

From the Paper
"Throughout Greek history the relationship between human beings and divine figures is a noticeable and predominant one. Evidence of this relationship exists in many forms, such as architecture, art, myth, and especially literature. By examining the literature of the time, we as historians, philosophers and archaeologists, among others, can better understand this unique and extraordinary relationship between humans and divine powers in the ancient Greek world. The "Iliad" of Homer demonstrates many principles of this relationship through the story of the Trojan War. The characters, their actions and the events that take place demonstrate the interaction of humans and gods, the individual relationships, the authority of divine power, and the helplessness of humans. We also see the treachery and deceit of the gods towards humans. We can look at other later literary works such as Herodotus' Histories to examine the human and divine relationship as well."

Tags:antiquity, divinity, gods, heroes, religion, roman, trojan, war, achilleus, zeus, patroklos, croesus, apollo, athene, hektor

Abstract
This paper discusses the concept of divine light. It investigates the origin of the concept and how it is integrated with social values and ideals of various times throughout history. The paper discusses the history of divine light and suggests that in these modern times, the concept of the divine has stretched and evolved to include a variety of principles, religions and lifestyles. The paper gives examples of its use and particularly focuses on the concept of divine light in architecture.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Divine Light
Divine Light in Architecture
Greek Temples
Early Christian Architecture
Medieval Christian Churches
Baroque churches
Modern Churches
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Instead, Tadao Ando asserts that a universal spirituality is possible through the use of natural forces. This in turn is reminiscent of the enclosures around Greek Temples, where natural elements were used to connect the human spirit to the divine. Ando recognizes that the divine, if architecture is going to be truly universal, is largely undefined by the paradigms of modern society. We live in an integrated world. Ando therefore uses natural elements that appeal universally to the human spirit. This provides for a "divine light" that is flexible: human beings can use its effect to connect to any form of the divine that pleases them. In this integrated approach, Ando emphasizes the creative force, once assumed to be from exterior or supernatural forces, that comes from within the spirit. As such, his work is a true integration of modern social values."

Tags:spirituality, architecture, Christianity

Abstract
This paper examines how divine intervention influenced the outcome of Odysseus' journey in "The Odyssey" by Homer. First, a definition of divine intervention is given and how it was used by the gods in both positive and negative ways. Various examples of divine intervention from the text are cited. The paper further explores how positive and negative divine intervention worked for and against Odysseus as he tried to return to Ithaca. The paper concludes by describing how the challenges Odysseus faced because of diving intervention helped him refine his character.

From the Paper
"Poseidon and Athena were not the only gods who divinely intervened in The Odyssey. Other gods include Zeus, Kirke, Hermes and Kalypso. Odysseus and his crew travel to Kirke's Island in desperate search of food and water. When they arrived at Kirke's home, she welcomes them and serves them a concoction of potions. Her hospitality was really trickery. "On thrones she seated them, and lounging chairs, while she prepared a meal of cheese and barley and amber honey mixed with Pramnian wine, adding her own vile pinch, to make them lose desire or thought of our dear father land." (Book 10 Lines 257-261) The twenty-two men who drink the potion quickly turn into pigs. By the request of Odysseus, Hermes orders Kirke to return the sailors to human form and let them go."

Tags:Odyssey, Homer, hubris, Greek mythology

Abstract
This paper discusses that Boethius' belief regards free will seems self-evident, yet some religious philosophers have held that our actions are determined by God. This paper points out that Boethius, a Platonist deriving elements from both Plato and Aristotle, considers human nature a distinct entity and argues that Christ embodied both a divine nature and human nature. The author believes that Boethius sets forth the essential paradox in Christian thought between freedom and determinism, with determinism inherent in what he calls "God's universal foreknowledge," meaning the fact that God already knows all that is to happen.

From the Paper
"Boethius laments his situation and the changes that have been wrought in his life. He is now imprisoned and is forced to look within for answers, given that his outer world is no more than a prison cell. He is changed physically in that old age has come upon him too early. Happiness is to be found in conquering this inner world, represented for Boethius not only within himself but also in his writings as he conveys his inner world to others and finds ways to shape his own relationship with that inner world through the written word. Lady Philosophy suggests that the poet must seek the truth within and that since all things are ruled by reason, it is wrong for the individual to be sick with despair when he or she can seek the truth by looking inward to find God."

Tags:foreknowledge, paradox, determinism, human, divine