Date of Award
Spring 1976
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Theology
First Advisor
Gunzie, Tad
Second Advisor
Calswell, Thomas
Third Advisor
Egan, Keith J.
Abstract
Sacrifice is a notion common to most religious traditions. Within the Christian tradition the notion of sacrifice is intrinsically associated with the person of Jesus Christ. The relationship between Jesus' own sacrifice and the life of the Christian community is cultically celebrated and doctrinally expressed in various ways within the Christian tradition; even within a single ecclesial community various theologies of sacrifice do exist. This dissertation is a study of Augustine's own theory of eucharistic sacrifice. Many interpretations of Augustine fail to take account of his world-view, and they often misrepresent his sacrificial theology. This study presents Augustine's sacrificial theology in a broader religious context; it shows the relationship between Christian sacrifice as understood by Augustine and sacrifice as understood in other religious traditions. Modern authors distinguish among three basic theories of sacrifice: the communion-meal theory, the victimhood theory,and the gift theory. These themes represent man's basic religious spirit, and they are embodied in various forms. All three are usually operative in a religious tradition, but one will inevitably dominate. The appearance of these themes in Christian sacrifice, specifically in Augustine's synthesis, affirms the true religious character of Augustine's synthesis...