You Tube Theology

In this interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Teresa Morgan (Yale) about her landmark book Roman Faith and Christian Faith: Pistis and Fides in the Early Roman Empire and Early Churches (2015).

We explore how the Greek word pistis and Latin fides — both rooted in the concept of trust — were used across the ancient Mediterranean world, and how early Christians gradually transformed this everyday language into the rich, complex concept of "faith" we have today. Topics range from Augustine's influential (but limiting) definition of faith, to Paul's "cascade of trust," to the Council of Nicaea's pivotal shift toward propositional belief.

Teresa Morgan studied classics at Cambridge University, theology at Oxford, and violin and viola in London and Cologne. She joined YDS in 2022, from Oxford University. Her research lies in the history of ideas and mentality, and the social and cultural practices and institutions which shape and are shaped by them. She is especially interested in the way groups of people think: particularly groups ‘below’ the level of the socio-intellectual elites who provide so much of our evidence for the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. One idea which underlies all her work is that mentality is as powerful a societal force as, for instance, politics or economics.

Dr. Morgan's books (affiliate links)
📖 Roman Faith and Christian Faith: Pistis and Fides in the Early Roman Empire and Early Churches (Oxford University Press, 2015) - https://amzn.to/4wH4wab
📖 Trust in Atonement - God, Creation, an Reconciliation (Eerdmans, 2024) - https://amzn.to/4eV2P2x

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Questions Answered:

• How did Augustine shape (and narrow) our modern understanding of faith?
• What did pistis and fides actually mean in the Greco-Roman world?
• How did trust function — and break down — in ancient society?
• How does the Septuagint develop a distinctive understanding of trust in God?
• Why were Philo and Josephus uncomfortable with Abraham's trust in God?
• What do the earliest Christian writings (1 Thessalonians) tell us about faith in Christ?
• What is the pistis Christou debate, and what does Prof. Morgan think it means?
• How did Paul use a "cascade of trust" to establish his authority?
• How do the Pastoral Epistles connect faith to social hierarchies and written texts?
• What makes the Gospel of John's use of pistis unique?
• When did faith shift from relational trust to propositional belief — and why?
• What does Hebrews 11:1 ("faith is the substance of things hoped for") really mean?
• Is James actually contradicting Paul on "faith without works"?

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0:00 Introduction & Welcome
1:30 About the Book: Roman Faith and Christian Faith
3:04 Augustine's Definition of Faith — and Its Limitations
6:12 Why Context Matters: Pistis in the Greco-Roman World
10:05 When Trust Works (and Doesn't) in Ancient Society
15:06 The Gods, Jupiter, and the Guarantee of Oaths
16:18 The Septuagint's Distinctive Understanding of Trust
17:31 Abraham's Trust in God (Genesis 15)
23:00 Philo and Josephus on Abraham's Faith
26:51 The Earliest Christian Writings: Faith in 1 Thessalonians
29:13 Paul's Evolving Christology and the Role of Christ
31:12 The Pistis Christou Debate Explained
36:24 Paul's "Cascade of Trust" and His Own Authority
40:49 The Pastoral Epistles: Faith Becomes Role-Specific
43:18 Pistos ho Logos — The Shift Toward Trusting Texts
44:52 The Gospel of John's Unique Use of Pistis
51:36 Interiority: Faith as an Inner Life
56:04 Q&A: When Did Faith Shift Toward Propositional Belief?
1:00:27 Hebrews 11:1 — "Faith Is the Substance of Things Hoped For"
1:02:36 James vs. Paul: Faith Without Works
1:06:43 What Prof. Morgan Is Working On Now