Jared Ortiz | Hope College (original) (raw)

Papers by Jared Ortiz

Research paper thumbnail of "Making Worshipers into Gods: Deification in the Latin Liturgy"

Deification in the Latin Patristic Tradition, 2019

In “Making Worshipers into Gods: Deification in the Latin Liturgy,” I show that the rich and vari... more In “Making Worshipers into Gods: Deification in the
Latin Liturgy,” I show that the rich and varied presence of deification lan- guage and images in
the liturgical literature of the second to seventh century means that the Latin church of the
patristic period certainly believed in deifi- cation: lex orandi, lex credendi. But more than this,
the prayers and mystagog- ical teaching around the sacraments—especially of the baptism
liturgy—offer a coherent theology of deification which every Latin Christian would have en-
countered at some time in some form.

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Research paper thumbnail of Intellectual Disability and the Sabbath Structure of the Human Person

Evil and Creation: Historical and Constructive Essays, 2020

Some authors deny the personhood of the intellectually disabled, while others (seemingly) deny hu... more Some authors deny the personhood of the intellectually disabled, while others (seemingly) deny human nature in defense of their personhood. This essay seeks a middle ground which defends a both the personhood (and therefore infinite dignity) of persons with intellectual disabilities while also emphasizing the importance of our common human nature. I attempt to do this by retrieving a basic philosophical distinction between person and nature. This distinction allows us to both defend the dignity of intellectually disabled persons while also providing a realistic framework for understanding the meaning of disability. Moreover, I seek to deepen this account theologically by exploring what I call the “Sabbath structure” of the human person. I try to show that the Sabbath is a constitutive dimension of our humanity which can help account for the transformative power people often experience when living with the intellectually disabled.

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Research paper thumbnail of The Whole Christ: Deification in the Catholic Tradition

With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition, 2021

An account of deification in the Catholic Tradition, emphasizing especially the ecclesial and sac... more An account of deification in the Catholic Tradition, emphasizing especially the ecclesial and sacramental dimensions of deification.

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Research paper thumbnail of “Deification in the Latin Fathers.” In Called to Be the Children of God: The Catholic Theology of Human Deification, edited by Fr. David Meconi, S.J. and Carl E. Olson (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2016).

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Research paper thumbnail of “Creation in the Confessions.” In St. Augustine, The Confessions: Ignatius Critical Editions, edited by David Vincent Meconi (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012).

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Research paper thumbnail of “The Deep Grammar of Augustine’s Conversion,” Studia Patristica 70 (2013).

In light of the growing consensus that the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo is foundational for Augu... more In light of the growing consensus that the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo is foundational for Augustine’s thought, it would be fruitful to consider more fully its role in the Confessions, especially its role in how Augustine understands his conversion in Book
Eight.

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Books by Jared Ortiz

Research paper thumbnail of With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition - ToC, Introduction

With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition, 2021

Christ came to save us from sin and death. But what did he save us for? One beautiful and compell... more Christ came to save us from sin and death. But what did he save us for? One beautiful and compelling answer to this question is that God saved us for union with him so that we might become "partakers of the divine nature" (1 Pet 2:4), what the Christian tradition has called "deification." This term refers to a particular vision of salvation which claims that God wants to share his own divine life with us, uniting us to himself and transforming us into his likeness. While often thought to be either a heretical notion or the provenance of Eastern Orthodoxy, this book shows that deification is an integral part of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations. Drawing on the resources of their own Christian heritages, eleven scholars share the riches of their respective traditions on the doctrine of deification. In this book, scholars and pastor-scholars from diverse Christian expressions write for both a scholarly and lay audience about what God created us to be: adopted children of God who are called, even now, to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19).

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Research paper thumbnail of Deification in the Latin Patristic Tradition (CUA Press) - ToC and Introduction

It has become a commonplace to say that the Latin Fathers did not really hold a doctrine of deifi... more It has become a commonplace to say that the Latin Fathers did not really hold a doctrine of deification. Indeed, it is often asserted that Western theologians have neglected this teaching, that their occasional references to it are borrowed from the Greeks, and that the Latins have generally reduced the rich biblical and Greek Patristic understanding of salvation to a narrow view of redemption. The essays in this volume challenge this common interpretation by exploring, often for the first time, the role this doctrine plays in a range of Latin Patristic authors.

The introductory essay on the Latin liturgy shows the wide-ranging use of deification themes in Latin worship, while the last one comparing the Greek and Latin Fathers provides the first serious study of the East and West's understanding of deification in light of substantial evidence. The essays in between explore the theology of deification in Perpetua and Felicity, Tertullian, Cyprian, Novatian, Hilary, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Peter Chrysologus, Leo the Great, Boethius, Benedict and Gregory. Together, these essays demonstrate that deification is a native part of early Latin theology which was consistently and creatively employed.

This volume on deification in the Latin Patristic tradition will be the beginning of a long-overdue conversation. It promises to stimulate further inquiry into the place deification holds in the grammar of Latin Patristic thought and its relation to the Greek tradition.

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Research paper thumbnail of You Made Us for Yourself: Creation in St. Augustine’s Confessions (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016) - Cover, Contents, Introduction

Augustine’s Confessions is probably the most commented-upon text of early Christianity. Yet, ther... more Augustine’s Confessions is probably the most commented-upon text of early Christianity. Yet, there is a general consensus that this justly famous work is neither well composed nor structurally unified. “You Made Us for Yourself” aims to challenge this common notion by approaching the Confessions in light of what Augustine himself would have considered most fundamental: creation, understood in a broad sense. Creation, for Augustine, is an epiphany, a light that reveals who God is and who human beings are. It is not merely one doctrine or theme among others, but is the foundational context that illumines all doctrines and all themes. Moreover, creation, for Augustine, is dynamically ordered toward the church, toward the deified destiny the body of Christ both is and brings about. Thus, the Confessions itself can be understood as Augustine’s prayer of praise in thanksgiving for the unmerited gift of creation (and re-creation). It is his self-gift back to God—a kind of eucharistic offering intended to take up and bring about the same in his readers. Augustine’s rich understanding of creation, then, can account for the often despaired-of meaning, structure, and unity of the Confessions.

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Other by Jared Ortiz

Research paper thumbnail of The Best Advice I Received For Writing the Dissertation, Putting Together an Application, and Interviewing for Jobs

In gratitude for all the help I was given when applying to jobs after graduate school, I collecte... more In gratitude for all the help I was given when applying to jobs after graduate school, I collected all the best advice I received for writing the dissertation, applying to jobs, interviewing, and accepting an offer. Please feel free to share this with anyone who might benefit.

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Research paper thumbnail of Saint Benedict Instiute for Catholic Thought, Culture, and Evangelization

The Saint Benedict Institute seeks to promote and nurture intellectual work done from the heart o... more The Saint Benedict Institute seeks to promote and nurture intellectual work done from the heart of the Catholic Church, to foster an ecumenical community of Catholic Christians and friends committed to the renewal of culture, and to aid in the formation of intellectually and spiritually mature Christians by making available the riches of the Catholic tradition to Hope College and the wider community.

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Teaching Documents by Jared Ortiz

Research paper thumbnail of Augustine's City of God - Religion Capstone Seminar Syllabus

Description: A close reading of St. Augustine's City of God with attention to the structure and c... more Description: A close reading of St. Augustine's City of God with attention to the structure and coherence of the whole while also exploring the following topics as they arise in the work: suffering and suicide, civic religion and empire, virtue and vice, angels and demons, true and false worship, the nature of God and creation, the meaning of history, fall and redemption, sex and the body, happiness and peace, and the "last things" (heaven, hell, judgment). The course is structured to help students do high-level research by learning to ask questions and investigate them systematically. Office: Lubbers 107 Office Hours: TuTh 1:30-2:50 or by appointment Course Objectives: 1. To recognize the unity of Augustine's theological vision of God and the world. 2. To investigate one Augustinian theme in its relation to the whole of his thought. 3. To cultivate the habits of mind and heart for pursuing true intellectual work. 4. To complete a rigorous project of high-level academic writing and research. 5. To write with clarity and grace.

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Research paper thumbnail of Theology of the Human Person Fall Syllabus.pdf

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Research paper thumbnail of The Faith of the Early Church Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Introduction to the History of Christianity: From the Annunciation to the Reformation Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Holiness and the Intellectual Life Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Reading Scripture Theologically Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Religion 100: The Mystery of the Incarnation

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Conference Presentations by Jared Ortiz

Research paper thumbnail of Lumen Christi Webinar Series: Eastern Catholic Theology in Action

Distinct in their liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline of Church life, 23 Eastern Chur... more Distinct in their liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline of Church life, 23 Eastern Churches are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Second Vatican Council urged the Eastern Catholic Churches to cultivate and promote their unique share of the tradition. This series responds to that mandate and features leading scholars in the field to offer their theological perspectives drawn from the wisdom of Christian East. In view of broadening our understanding of the Catholic intellectual tradition, this series draws attention to the vantage points of Christians who worship, think, and pray in continuity with the first 1,000 years of the undivided Church.

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Research paper thumbnail of "Making Worshipers into Gods: Deification in the Latin Liturgy"

Deification in the Latin Patristic Tradition, 2019

In “Making Worshipers into Gods: Deification in the Latin Liturgy,” I show that the rich and vari... more In “Making Worshipers into Gods: Deification in the
Latin Liturgy,” I show that the rich and varied presence of deification lan- guage and images in
the liturgical literature of the second to seventh century means that the Latin church of the
patristic period certainly believed in deifi- cation: lex orandi, lex credendi. But more than this,
the prayers and mystagog- ical teaching around the sacraments—especially of the baptism
liturgy—offer a coherent theology of deification which every Latin Christian would have en-
countered at some time in some form.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Intellectual Disability and the Sabbath Structure of the Human Person

Evil and Creation: Historical and Constructive Essays, 2020

Some authors deny the personhood of the intellectually disabled, while others (seemingly) deny hu... more Some authors deny the personhood of the intellectually disabled, while others (seemingly) deny human nature in defense of their personhood. This essay seeks a middle ground which defends a both the personhood (and therefore infinite dignity) of persons with intellectual disabilities while also emphasizing the importance of our common human nature. I attempt to do this by retrieving a basic philosophical distinction between person and nature. This distinction allows us to both defend the dignity of intellectually disabled persons while also providing a realistic framework for understanding the meaning of disability. Moreover, I seek to deepen this account theologically by exploring what I call the “Sabbath structure” of the human person. I try to show that the Sabbath is a constitutive dimension of our humanity which can help account for the transformative power people often experience when living with the intellectually disabled.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The Whole Christ: Deification in the Catholic Tradition

With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition, 2021

An account of deification in the Catholic Tradition, emphasizing especially the ecclesial and sac... more An account of deification in the Catholic Tradition, emphasizing especially the ecclesial and sacramental dimensions of deification.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of “Deification in the Latin Fathers.” In Called to Be the Children of God: The Catholic Theology of Human Deification, edited by Fr. David Meconi, S.J. and Carl E. Olson (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2016).

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of “Creation in the Confessions.” In St. Augustine, The Confessions: Ignatius Critical Editions, edited by David Vincent Meconi (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012).

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of “The Deep Grammar of Augustine’s Conversion,” Studia Patristica 70 (2013).

In light of the growing consensus that the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo is foundational for Augu... more In light of the growing consensus that the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo is foundational for Augustine’s thought, it would be fruitful to consider more fully its role in the Confessions, especially its role in how Augustine understands his conversion in Book
Eight.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition - ToC, Introduction

With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition, 2021

Christ came to save us from sin and death. But what did he save us for? One beautiful and compell... more Christ came to save us from sin and death. But what did he save us for? One beautiful and compelling answer to this question is that God saved us for union with him so that we might become "partakers of the divine nature" (1 Pet 2:4), what the Christian tradition has called "deification." This term refers to a particular vision of salvation which claims that God wants to share his own divine life with us, uniting us to himself and transforming us into his likeness. While often thought to be either a heretical notion or the provenance of Eastern Orthodoxy, this book shows that deification is an integral part of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations. Drawing on the resources of their own Christian heritages, eleven scholars share the riches of their respective traditions on the doctrine of deification. In this book, scholars and pastor-scholars from diverse Christian expressions write for both a scholarly and lay audience about what God created us to be: adopted children of God who are called, even now, to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19).

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Deification in the Latin Patristic Tradition (CUA Press) - ToC and Introduction

It has become a commonplace to say that the Latin Fathers did not really hold a doctrine of deifi... more It has become a commonplace to say that the Latin Fathers did not really hold a doctrine of deification. Indeed, it is often asserted that Western theologians have neglected this teaching, that their occasional references to it are borrowed from the Greeks, and that the Latins have generally reduced the rich biblical and Greek Patristic understanding of salvation to a narrow view of redemption. The essays in this volume challenge this common interpretation by exploring, often for the first time, the role this doctrine plays in a range of Latin Patristic authors.

The introductory essay on the Latin liturgy shows the wide-ranging use of deification themes in Latin worship, while the last one comparing the Greek and Latin Fathers provides the first serious study of the East and West's understanding of deification in light of substantial evidence. The essays in between explore the theology of deification in Perpetua and Felicity, Tertullian, Cyprian, Novatian, Hilary, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Peter Chrysologus, Leo the Great, Boethius, Benedict and Gregory. Together, these essays demonstrate that deification is a native part of early Latin theology which was consistently and creatively employed.

This volume on deification in the Latin Patristic tradition will be the beginning of a long-overdue conversation. It promises to stimulate further inquiry into the place deification holds in the grammar of Latin Patristic thought and its relation to the Greek tradition.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of You Made Us for Yourself: Creation in St. Augustine’s Confessions (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016) - Cover, Contents, Introduction

Augustine’s Confessions is probably the most commented-upon text of early Christianity. Yet, ther... more Augustine’s Confessions is probably the most commented-upon text of early Christianity. Yet, there is a general consensus that this justly famous work is neither well composed nor structurally unified. “You Made Us for Yourself” aims to challenge this common notion by approaching the Confessions in light of what Augustine himself would have considered most fundamental: creation, understood in a broad sense. Creation, for Augustine, is an epiphany, a light that reveals who God is and who human beings are. It is not merely one doctrine or theme among others, but is the foundational context that illumines all doctrines and all themes. Moreover, creation, for Augustine, is dynamically ordered toward the church, toward the deified destiny the body of Christ both is and brings about. Thus, the Confessions itself can be understood as Augustine’s prayer of praise in thanksgiving for the unmerited gift of creation (and re-creation). It is his self-gift back to God—a kind of eucharistic offering intended to take up and bring about the same in his readers. Augustine’s rich understanding of creation, then, can account for the often despaired-of meaning, structure, and unity of the Confessions.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The Best Advice I Received For Writing the Dissertation, Putting Together an Application, and Interviewing for Jobs

In gratitude for all the help I was given when applying to jobs after graduate school, I collecte... more In gratitude for all the help I was given when applying to jobs after graduate school, I collected all the best advice I received for writing the dissertation, applying to jobs, interviewing, and accepting an offer. Please feel free to share this with anyone who might benefit.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Saint Benedict Instiute for Catholic Thought, Culture, and Evangelization

The Saint Benedict Institute seeks to promote and nurture intellectual work done from the heart o... more The Saint Benedict Institute seeks to promote and nurture intellectual work done from the heart of the Catholic Church, to foster an ecumenical community of Catholic Christians and friends committed to the renewal of culture, and to aid in the formation of intellectually and spiritually mature Christians by making available the riches of the Catholic tradition to Hope College and the wider community.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Augustine's City of God - Religion Capstone Seminar Syllabus

Description: A close reading of St. Augustine's City of God with attention to the structure and c... more Description: A close reading of St. Augustine's City of God with attention to the structure and coherence of the whole while also exploring the following topics as they arise in the work: suffering and suicide, civic religion and empire, virtue and vice, angels and demons, true and false worship, the nature of God and creation, the meaning of history, fall and redemption, sex and the body, happiness and peace, and the "last things" (heaven, hell, judgment). The course is structured to help students do high-level research by learning to ask questions and investigate them systematically. Office: Lubbers 107 Office Hours: TuTh 1:30-2:50 or by appointment Course Objectives: 1. To recognize the unity of Augustine's theological vision of God and the world. 2. To investigate one Augustinian theme in its relation to the whole of his thought. 3. To cultivate the habits of mind and heart for pursuing true intellectual work. 4. To complete a rigorous project of high-level academic writing and research. 5. To write with clarity and grace.

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Research paper thumbnail of Theology of the Human Person Fall Syllabus.pdf

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Research paper thumbnail of The Faith of the Early Church Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Introduction to the History of Christianity: From the Annunciation to the Reformation Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Holiness and the Intellectual Life Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Reading Scripture Theologically Syllabus

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Research paper thumbnail of Religion 100: The Mystery of the Incarnation

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Research paper thumbnail of Lumen Christi Webinar Series: Eastern Catholic Theology in Action

Distinct in their liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline of Church life, 23 Eastern Chur... more Distinct in their liturgy, theology, spirituality, and discipline of Church life, 23 Eastern Churches are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Second Vatican Council urged the Eastern Catholic Churches to cultivate and promote their unique share of the tradition. This series responds to that mandate and features leading scholars in the field to offer their theological perspectives drawn from the wisdom of Christian East. In view of broadening our understanding of the Catholic intellectual tradition, this series draws attention to the vantage points of Christians who worship, think, and pray in continuity with the first 1,000 years of the undivided Church.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact