Abstract

The purpose of the dissertation was to examine the communication of the doctrine of providence in the writings of Theodoret of Cyrus. It looked for consistency of conceptualization and communication of the doctrine of providence. After an introductory chapter presented an overview, chapter 2 examined Theodoret's life and surroundings for individuals, social groups, and sociological contexts that provided the conceptual foundations and influences in his thought. ;Chapter 3 sketched the Christian theological heritage that Theodoret drew upon as he communicated the doctrine of divine providence. It argued that there were at least two traditions that developed early on in the life of the Christian community concerning the providential activity of God on behalf of the world and the creatures in it. ;Chapter 4 examined Theodoret's concept of divine providence as he communicated it in the Curatio. The examination revealed that Theodoret presented both philosophical and practical traditions but tied the philosophical tradition more closely to the doctrine of providence. ;Chapter 5 analyzed the doctrine of providence communicated in Theodoret's De Providentia. The analysis showed that it was primarily philosophical in nature, with Theodoret's arguments and illustrations stemming from the Greek philosophical tradition. However, Theodoret did provide examples of providence as it functioned in the particular rather than in general expression to counter the criticism stemming from the inequalities of life, but, he drew them exclusively from the accepted canon of scriptures and provided no contemporary examples at all. Still, the chapter demonstrated that even though Theodoret did not support his argument with contemporary examples, he did ardently believe that God worked providentially both in a universal fashion and in a particular or personal fashion. ;Chapter six examined the doctrine of providence depicted in Theodoret's Historia Religiosa. The analysis showed it to be overwhelmingly practical in nature with no real systematic philosophical expression. The study illustrated how the miraculous accounts Theodoret narrated painted a picture of how God acted providentially in the lives of individuals. An assessment of Theodoret's argument showed that it assumed and portrayed a doctrine of providence throughout the Historia Religiosa. ;Chapter 7 surveys the analysis done in previous chapters and evaluates the variation in Theodoret's communication of the doctrine of providence. It also suggests some possible influences that caused Theodoret's communication of his doctrine of providence to vary