1. TIMEBOMB
One person asks a question to someone based on what we have studied then throws it to someone. That person then has to answer, think of a question and throw it on. When the clock hits zero the bomb goes off and that person is ELIMINATED!!!!

2. Conscience in the Early Church
Agenda…
To understand the foundations of the Early Church development of conscience, including the letters of St. Paul
To consider the disputes and differences in Early Church approaches with particular focus on Augustine
HWK – Research Eastern developments of the idea of the conscience

3. 1 – Biblical Foundations
Nothing in Gospels
Letters of St. Paul – 27 times
Sees it as the difference between good and evil.
‘The Law is written on our hearts’
Conscience can be weak and may be mistaken (Corinithans)

4. 2 – Clement of Alexandria (150AD)
Clement of Alexandria ( ) was the first Christian to argue that by use of human reason alone it was possible to work out what was morally right or wrong and that this was compatible with the Christian revelation.

5. 3 – Influence of Ancient Greeks
Idea of conscience (deciding right from wrong) based on reason alone came from Plato and Aristotle.

6. 4 – Early Schism
Some felt that conscience could be based on reason alone. Others maintained importance of revelation (scripture and prayer).
Why does this matter?
If it is based on reason, everyone can act rightly without accepting God, diminishing importance of Revelation and allowing Universal Salvation.

7. 5 – The Difficult Second Disagreement
If we are trying to work out how to act, what does this mean?
1 – Right Conduct is discerned using intuition.
2 – Right Conduct is discerned using rational thought.

8. 6 – St. Jerome (350AD) Intuitionist
…’the spark of conscience …with which we discern that we sin.’

9. 7 - St. Augustine (354AD) Agreed with St. Jerome
Conscience innate and placed in our hearts by God.
Being virtuous is not enough…we must be directed by God’s grace.
Without God’s grace, we cannot be good (deterministic)

10. 8 - St. Augustine (354AD)
Conscience is not identified by action but by motive.
Only good motive is to love God.
‘To live well is nothing other than to love God with all one’s heart, soul and mind.’

11. 9 – Pelagius
Massive critic of Augustine. We can decide for ourselves what is good and bad (Augustine says we cannot do this without sola gratia).
Church Council sided with Augustine’s view That only Christians possess this grace

12. Summary
Understood the following… Sola gratia, st. paul, reason, intuition, clement of Alexandria, scriptura, revelation, right conduct, st. Jerome, Pelagius, Augustine
Let’s see…MEMORY then scattergraph game