Treatise on Divine Predestination

Description

Treatise on Divine Predestination is one of the early writings of the author of the great philosophical work Periphyseon (On the Division of Nature), Johannes Scottus (the Irishman), known as Eriugena (died c. 877 A.D.). It contributes to the age-old debate on the question of human destiny in the present world and in the afterlife.

Author Bio

John Scottus Eriugena (c. 815 – c. 877) was an Irish theologian, neoplatonist philosopher, and poet. He wrote a number of works, but is best known today for having written The Division of Nature, which has been called the final achievement of ancient philosophy, a work which "synthesizes the philosophical accomplishments of fifteen centuries."

Mary Brennan was for eighteen years researcher and archivist at the Society for the Promotion of Eriugenian Studies, located at that time at University College Dublin. Her publications in this field since 1977 include Guide des Etudes Erigéniennes, A Bibliography of Publications in the Field of Eriugenian Studies, 1800–1975, and Materials for the Biography of Johannes Scottus Eriugena.

Avital Wohlman is part of the department of Philosophy, Faculty of the Humanities at the Hebew University of Jerusalem. Her research interests are ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, and philosophy of biology.

Reviews

“The De divina praedestinatione liber was written in 850-51 at the request of two prelates while John the Scot resided at the court of Charles II, grandson of Charlemagne. It is his earliest attested work, a refutation of the heretical teaching of Gottschalk on double predestination. Both John and Gottschalk claimed to base their interpretation on St. Augustine, and both continued to be subjects of controversy during the decade between 850 and 860.” ~Theology Digest