Following is the books list I'll be using this year to teach the inaugural course on Symbolism at our new college.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery General Editors: Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit & Tremper Longman III
On Christian Teaching by Augustine (selections)
Cratylus by Plato
Signs and Mysteries Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols by Mike Aquilina
Genesis
Through New Eyes by James Jordan
The Elizabethan World Picture by E. M. W. Tillyard
The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C. S. Lewis
Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees by Ernst and Johanna Lehner
Dictionary of Symbolism by Hans Beidermann
The Book of Beasts by T.H. White
The Theology of Arithmetic translated by Robin Waterfield
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
War in Heaven by Charles Williams
Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves by Edmund Spenser, ed Roy Maynard
Pieter Bruegel: 1525/30-1569 (masters of Netherlandish Art) by HF Ullman
Alchemy: The Great Secret by Andrea Aromatico
Heraldry: An Introduction to a Noble Tradition by Michel Pastoureau
Shakespeare, Donne, Herbert Poems
Showing posts with label Numbers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Numbers. Show all posts
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
On the Triad
From The Theology of Arithmetic by Iamblichus (4th century A.D.)
The triad has a special beauty and fairness beyond all numbers, primarily because it is the very first to make actual the potentiality of the monad—oddness, perfection, proportionality, unification, limit.
The triad is called ‘prudence’ and ‘wisdom’—that is, when people act correctly as regards the present, look ahead to the future, and gain experience from what has already happened in the past: so wisdom surveys the three parts of time, and consequently knowledge falls under the triad.
The triad has a special beauty and fairness beyond all numbers, primarily because it is the very first to make actual the potentiality of the monad—oddness, perfection, proportionality, unification, limit.
The triad is called ‘prudence’ and ‘wisdom’—that is, when people act correctly as regards the present, look ahead to the future, and gain experience from what has already happened in the past: so wisdom surveys the three parts of time, and consequently knowledge falls under the triad.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
One in Biblical Theology
Oneness is a quality of God and is a symbol of unity.
The Shema says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deut 6:4)
“First, God is the only God. Other gods have no right whatsoever. They must not be worshipped (Ex 20:1-6). God has created heaven and earth (Gen 1)…God’s reign is unrestricted by time and place.
“Second, there is only one God for all people…
“Third, there are no gradations in deity.”
Quote from Dictionary of Biblical Imagery edited by Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III
The Shema says: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deut 6:4)
“First, God is the only God. Other gods have no right whatsoever. They must not be worshipped (Ex 20:1-6). God has created heaven and earth (Gen 1)…God’s reign is unrestricted by time and place.
“Second, there is only one God for all people…
“Third, there are no gradations in deity.”
Quote from Dictionary of Biblical Imagery edited by Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III
Friday, January 30, 2009
On the Dyad
From The Theology of Arithmetic by Iamblichus (4th century A.D.)
Among the virtues, they liken [the dyad] to courage: for it has already advanced into action. Hence too they call it ‘daring’ and ‘impulse.’
The dyad is all but contrasted to the nature of God in the sense that it is considered to be the cause of things changing and altering, while God is the cause of sameness and unchanging stability.
Among the virtues, they liken [the dyad] to courage: for it has already advanced into action. Hence too they call it ‘daring’ and ‘impulse.’
The dyad is all but contrasted to the nature of God in the sense that it is considered to be the cause of things changing and altering, while God is the cause of sameness and unchanging stability.
On the Monad
From The Theology of Arithmetic by Iamblichus (4th century A.D.)
Everything has been organized by the monad, because it contains everything potentially: for even if they are not yet actual, nevertheless the monad holds seminally the principals which are within all numbers, including those which are within the dyad…it is demonstrably…beginning, middle and end of all things…
Just as without the monad there is in general no composition of anything, so also without it there is no knowledge of anything whatsoever, since it is a pure light, most authoritative over everything in general, and it is sun-like and ruling, so that in each of these respects it resembles God, and especially because it has the power of making things cohere and combine, even when they are composed of many ingredients and are very different from on another, just as he made this universe harmonious and unified out of things which are likewise opposed.
Everything has been organized by the monad, because it contains everything potentially: for even if they are not yet actual, nevertheless the monad holds seminally the principals which are within all numbers, including those which are within the dyad…it is demonstrably…beginning, middle and end of all things…
Just as without the monad there is in general no composition of anything, so also without it there is no knowledge of anything whatsoever, since it is a pure light, most authoritative over everything in general, and it is sun-like and ruling, so that in each of these respects it resembles God, and especially because it has the power of making things cohere and combine, even when they are composed of many ingredients and are very different from on another, just as he made this universe harmonious and unified out of things which are likewise opposed.
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