Undergraduate Research

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Browsing Undergraduate Research by Author "Blackburn, Lee"

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    Origen: Platonism and the Preexistence of Souls in the Gospel of John
    (2022) Konstantopoulos, Anna; Blackburn, Lee
    Philosophy and religion have been at odds nearly as long as both have existed. There is a never ending tension between philosophy and religion, reason and faith. Many believe these categories are completely separated, with no need to use one with the other. Others believe reason is essential to faith, otherwise it is impossible to know what one really believes. Origen of Alexandria was one of these people. An early church father who was considered the father of biblical scholasticism, he is the perfect example of what it means to integrate philosophy with theology. But Origen was not a true Platonist, as many believe. He simply used Platonism as a means to interpret scripture more accurately, which can be seen in his Commentary on the Gospel according to John. This paper looks at both the historical and literary contexts and Origen’s Commentary on the Gospel of John to show that he was first and foremost a Christian who used his philosophical knowledge to find scriptural truths. It specifically focuses on the doctrine of the preexistence of souls and how his language surrounding it is misused as evidence of Platonism.
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    Orosius' use of Vergil in The Seven Books of History Against the Pagans
    (2024-04-19) Kastens, Marlee; Blackburn, Lee
    In 418 C.E., Orosius published his Seven Books of History Against the Pagans: one of the first universal Christian histories. Previous scholarship regarding Orosius has centered on his contributions to historiography, but not as much on the historical influences affecting him. Vergil is one such influence, whom Orosius uses to attempt a synthesis of his Christian history with the legacy of Roman imperial history. His presence within the work points to Vergil's lingering influence in Roman society long after the coming of Christianity and provides context for Vergil's role within late antiquity Rome. He was not seen as simply a valued historian, but also as an unmatched rhetorician and a testament to the ideals of Roman society. Vergil’s appearance within Orosius' history speaks to these ideals, providing a way to synthesize the influences of the pagan past with the present Christian reality. Orosius’ use of Vergil also points towards the impact which Roman civilization had on its subjects, one which seeped into almost every part of their lives. Ultimately, Orosius' use of Vergil reveals him to be walking a thin line between respect and reverence for Vergil and the Roman Empire he represents.