The Early Church Fathers on various topics: This was a 3700
hour project which included going through 22896 pages of the 38 volume set
called Ante Nicene, Nicene, Post Nicene Fathers. I compiled 255 pages of quotes
showing that the Early Church was always and completely Catholic. All of these
quotes can be verified and found from the source which is free online.
Clement of Rome Recognitions book 9 ch 7 (27-97 ad)
For they represent these CLIMACTERICS as times of danger, in which one sometimes is destroyed, sometimes is not destroyed, not knowing that it is not the course of the stars, but the operation of demons, that regulates these things; and those demons, being anxious to confirm the error of astrology, deceive men to sin by mathematical calculations, so that when they suffer the punishment of sin, either by the permission of God or by legal sentence, the astrologer may seem to have spoken truth. And yet they are deceived even in this; for if men be quickly turned to repentance, and remember and fear the future judgment, the punishment of death is remitted to those who are converted to God by the grace of baptism.
Didache ch 3 (70-100 ad)
Be neither an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor a purifier, nor be willing to took at these things, for out of all these idolatry is engendered.
Hippolytus Refutation of All Heresies book 6 ch 8 (170-236 ad)
Let us, then, in the first place, learn how (the Peratists), deriving this doctrine from astrologers, act despitefully towards Christ, working destruction for those who follow them in an error of this description. For the astrologers, alleging that there is one world, divide it into the twelve fixed portions of the zodiacal signs, and call the world of the fixed zodiacal signs one immoveable world
Hyppolytus Refutation of all heresies book 4 (170-236 ad)
(he refutes horoscopes, not really a one quote thing)
Lactantius Epitome of the Divine Institutes (290-350 ad)
They also brought to light astrology, and augury, and divination; and though these things are in themselves false, yet they themselves, the authors of evils, so govern and regulate them that they are believed to be true.
Athanasius On the Incarnation of the Word par 11(296-373 ad)
Yet man, despising this, fill into idolatry, leaving the unseen God for magic and astrology; and all this in spite of God's manifold revelation of Himself.
Cyril of Jerusalem Catechetical Lecture 9 par 8 (315-386 ad)
And a than sitting in his ship, and sailing amid the boundless waves, steers his ship by looking at the stars. For of these matters the Scripture says well, And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for years, not for fables of astrology and nativities.
Basil Hexaemeron Homily 6 par 5 (329-379 ad)
(concerning the zodiac) then both those who give themselves up to this imaginary science and those who listen to them open-mouthed, as if they could learn from them the future, are supremely ridiculous.
Augustine City of God Book 5 par 9 (354-430 ad)
But that all things come to pass by fate, we do not say; nay we affirm that nothing comes to pass by fate; for we demonstrate that the name of fate, as it is wont to be used by those who speak of fate, meaning thereby the position of the stars at the time of each one's conception or birth, is an unmeaning word, for astrology itself is a delusion.
Augustine On Christian Doctrine Book 2 ch 22 par 33 (354-430 ad)
But to desire to predict the characters, the acts, and the fate of those who are born from such an observation, is a great delusion and great madness. And among those at least who have any sort of acquaintance with matters of this kind (which, indeed, are only fit to be unlearnt again), this superstition is refuted beyond the reach of doubt. For the observation is of the position of the stars, which they call constellations, at the time when the person was born about whom these wretched men are consulted by their still more wretched dupes. Now it may happen that, in the case of twins, one follows the other out of the womb so closely that there is no interval of time between them that can be apprehended and marked in the position of the constellations. Whence it necessarily follows that twins are in many cases born under the same stars, while they do not meet with equal fortune either in what they do or what they suffer, but often meet with fates so different that one of them has a most fortunate life, the other a most unfortunate. As, for example, we are told that Esau and Jacob were born twins, and in such close succession, that Jacob, who was born last, was found to have laid hold with his hand upon the heel of his brother, who preceded him. Now, assuredly, the day and hour of the birth of these two could not be marked in any way that would not give both the same constellation. But what a difference there was between the characters, the actions, the labors, and the fortunes of these two, the Scriptures bear witness, which are now so widely spread as to be in the mouth of all nations.
Leo the Great Letter 15 (395-461 ad)
it has plunged itself also in the shades of heathendom, so as to rest their religious faith and their moral conduct upon the power of demons and the influences of the stars through the blasphemous secrets of the magic arts and the empty lies of astrologers.
Apostolic Constitutions book 8 par 32 (400 ad)
He that is guilty of sins not to be named, a sodomite, an effeminate person, a magician, an enchanter, an astrologer, a diviner, an user of magic verses, a juggler, a mountebank, one that makes amulets, a charmer, a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, an observer of palmistry;
Doctrine of Addai (400 ad)
And be ye," said he, "far removed from false swearing and from wicked homicide, and from dishonest testimony, which is connected with adultery; and from magic arts, for which there is no mercy, and from sooth-saying, and divination, and fortune-tellers; and from fate and nativities, of which the deluded Chaldeans make their boast; and from the stars, and the signs of the Zodiac, in which the foolish put their trust.
5 comments:
St John of Demascus speaks highly of astrology (in relation to earthly actions rather than personal actions) and he also describes how God gave the four bodily humors. Much of the writing from the church fathers is now laughably discredited, unless of course you accept the four humors and you believe that the zodiac signs do impact the weather.
I have degrees in theology and have learned about astrology, and as a result have determined that the Bible is replete with positive references to the stars and the zodiac from Genesis to Revelation. Did the church fathers actually study the precepts of astrology and then discern those references in scripture when they made those comments?
The only positive I am aware of in the New Testament is the Magi and that was a special case. Isaiah 47:12-15 speaks negatively about it. One note about ancient astrology is that it lumps astronomy with it under the same name. What I know about the early church fathers is just by what they said. From Augustine's quote he understands at least one aspect of astrology as he refutes it with a real life example.
Yes. The issue is that astronomy and astrology grew up together so to speak, and there huge similarities in how they operate. Astrology goes one step further and imputes meaning to heavenly events. That’s where most modern astrology becomes problematic. But remember, ancient cultures were largely non-literate and highly reliant on the stars as mechanisms through which to record history and cultural myths. The stars were also an integral part of life, for instance, the passing of the sun through the zodiac at certain times of the year reminded them that it was time to sow, plant, reap etc.
BTW...If Augustine had studied astrology, he would have understood how twins can have different destinies.
And... Revelation is replete with astrological imagery, some of the imagery represents holy servants around God’s throne. Hardly negative and definitely not astronomical.. Again, a devoted Christian who learned astrological symbolism would see the parallels.
You don’t have to believe astrology nor practice it to know it and then see how God has used the heavens as signs for humanity’s benefit.
In any case, any reputable modern astrologer knows that astrology predicts nothing, nor should it claim to. Human beings are a reflection of the intersection of
Apologies, I pressed before finishing my post!
... the intersection of multiple facets of existence including genetics, environment, ethical frameworks, free will and spiritual calling. No horoscope can predict the course of a person’s life, although it MAY indicate themes that reappear throughout the life cycle. How we deal with those themes depends on many factors, including our ethical and spiritual frameworks; that is, our character shapes our destiny even as our genes and environment enforce circumstances that test that character.
There are still a few ethical astrologers (astrologers who don’t worship the stars and other deities - I argue that, today, the primary deity is the self - as the ancients did and as the prophets warned against) who promote the importance of ethical maturity in shaping destiny, despite the patterns that exist in a birth chart.
With Christ, we can turn from evil, use our gifts for God, and redesign our ‘destiny’.
Post a Comment