Seeds of the Word

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[[File:Sanzio_01_Plato_Aristotle.jpg|thumb|280px|Plato (left) and Aristotle in Raphael's 1509 fresco, The School of Athens]]
[[File:V&A - Raphael, St Paul Preaching in Athens (1515).jpg|thumb|280px|[[wikipedia:Saint Paul|Saint Paul]] delivering the ''Areopagus Sermon'' in [[wikipedia:Athens|Athens]], by [[wikipedia:Raphael|Raphael]], 1515.]]
[[File:Areopagus3.JPG|thumb|280px|Engraved plaque containing Apostle Paul's sermon, at the [[wikipedia:Areopagus|Areopagus]], [[wikipedia:Athens|Athens]], Greece.]]
[[File:Bloch-SermonOnTheMount.jpg|thumb|280px|Sermon on the Mount by Carl Bloch (1877)]]
 
'''Semina Verbi''' or '''Seeds of the Word''' is a cultural project aimed at examining the ways in which the Christian Gospel in particular, and the Word of God in general, have influenced the cultures of mankind, or how the cultural and creative expressions of mankind can have seeds of truth which are related to the Truth of the Word of God.
 
== Origins of the expression ==
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The expression goes back to [[wikipedia:Justin Martyr|Justin the Martyr]] and to [[wikipedia:Clement of Alexandria|Clement of Alexandria]].
 
Saint [[w:Justin Martyr|Justin (100-165 AD)]] affirms in his ''Second Apology'':
 
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And Saint [[w:Clement of Alexandria|Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)]] affirms in his ''Stromata'':
 
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The patrologist Berthold Altaner writes in regards to [[w:Justin Martyr|Justin the Martyr]] and his expression “seeds of the Word”:
 
{{Text and translation|{{lang|it|Con la sua teoria di λόγος σπερματικός [logos spermatikos] Giustino getta un ponte tra la filosofia antica e il Cristianesimo. In Cristo apparve, in tutta la sua pienezza, il Logos divino, ma ogni uomo possiede nella sua ragione un germe (σπέρμα) del Logos. Questa partecipazione al Logos, e conseguente disposizione a conoscere la Verità, fu in alcuni particolarmente grande; cosí nei Profeti del giudaismo e, fra i greci, in Eraclito e Socrate. Molti elementi della verità sono passati, cosí egli opina, nei poeti e nei filosofi greci dell’antica letteratura giudaica, poiché Mosè era ritenuto lo scrittore assolutamente piú antico. Di conseguenza i filosofi, in quanto vissero e insegnarono conformemente alle regole della ragione, furono dei Cristiani, in un certo senso, prima della venuta di Cristo. Tuttavia solo dopo questa venuta i Cristiani sono entrati in possesso della verità totale e sicura, priva di ogni errore. Il pensiero teologico di San Giustino è fortemente influenzato dalla filosofia stoica e platonica}}|With his theory of λόγος σπερματικός [logos spermatikos] Justin builds a bridge between ancient philosophy and Christianity. In Christ the divine Logos appeared in all his fullness, but every man possesses in his reason a germ (σπέρμα) of the Logos. This participation in the Logos, and consequent disposition to know the Truth, was particularly great in some; so in the Prophets of Judaism and, among the Greeks, in Heraclitus and Socrates. Many elements of the truth have passed, so he opines, in the Greek poets and philosophers of ancient Jewish literature, since Moses was considered the most ancient writer. Consequently, the philosophers, insofar as they lived and taught according to the rules of reason, were Christians, in a sense, before the coming of Christ. However, only after this coming did Christians come into possession of the total and sure truth, devoid of any error. The theological thought of Saint Justin is strongly influenced by Stoic and Platonic philosophy|author=Berthold Altaner|title=Patrologia|publisher=Marietti|edition=7ª ed.|year=1977|pages=pp. 70-71}}
{{Quote
|text=Con la sua teoria del λόγος σπερματικός [logos spermatikos] Giustino getta un ponte tra la filosofia antica e il Cristianesimo. In Cristo apparve, in tutta la sua pienezza, il Logos divino, ma ogni uomo possiede nella sua ragione un germe (σπέρμα) del Logos. Questa partecipazione al Logos, e conseguente disposizione a conoscere la Verità, fu in alcuni particolarmente grande; cosí nei Profeti del giudaismo e, fra i greci, in Eraclito e Socrate. Molti elementi della verità sono passati, cosí egli opina, nei poeti e nei filosofi greci dell’antica letteratura giudaica, poiché Mosè era ritenuto lo scrittore assolutamente piú antico. Di conseguenza i filosofi, in quanto vissero e insegnarono conformemente alle regole della ragione, furono dei Cristiani, in un certo senso, prima della venuta di Cristo. Tuttavia solo dopo questa venuta i Cristiani sono entrati in possesso della verità totale e sicura, priva di ogni errore. Il pensiero teologico di San Giustino è fortemente influenzato dalla filosofia stoica e platonica
|author=Berthold Altaner
|title= Patrologia, Marietti, 7ª ed., 1977, pp. 70-71
}}
 
=== Roots in the Gospel and the New Testament writings ===
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[[wikipedia:Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]] compared himself to a sower of seeds when he proclaimed the [[wikipedia:Parable of the Sower|Parable of the Sower]] to the crowds of people listening to Him.
 
{{Bible quote|ref=Matthew 13:3-9,18-23|inline=0}}
{{Quote
|text= <sup>3</sup> And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. <sup>4</sup> And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. <sup>5</sup> Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, <sup>6</sup> and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. <sup>7</sup> Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. <sup>8</sup> But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. <sup>9</sup> Whoever has ears ought to hear.” ... <sup>18</sup> “Hear then the parable of the sower. <sup>19</sup> The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. <sup>20</sup> The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. <sup>21</sup> But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. <sup>22</sup> The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. <sup>23</sup> But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
|author=Jesus of Nazareth
|title=Gospel of Matthew 13:3-9,18-23
}}
 
The [[wikipedia:Areopagus sermon|speech of Saint Paul to the Athenians in the Areopagus]] is emblematic, as he refers to a known greek poet in order to make his point about the Gospel of Jesus, as well as making reference to their religious traditions:
 
{{Bible quote|ref=Acts of the Apostles 17:16-34|inline=0}}
{{Quote
|text= <sup>16</sup> While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he grew exasperated at the sight of the city full of idols. <sup>17</sup> So he debated in the synagogue with the Jews and with the worshipers, and daily in the public square with whoever happened to be there. <sup>18</sup> Even some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers engaged him in discussion. Some asked, “What is this scavenger trying to say?” Others said, “He sounds like a promoter of foreign deities,” because he was preaching about ‘Jesus’ and ‘Resurrection.’ <sup>19</sup> They took him and led him to the Areopagus and said, “May we learn what this new teaching is that you speak of? <sup>20</sup> For you bring some strange notions to our ears; we should like to know what these things mean.” <sup>21</sup> Now all the Athenians as well as the foreigners residing there used their time for nothing else but telling or hearing something new. <sup>22</sup>Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:“You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. <sup>23</sup> For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, '''I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.''' <sup>24</sup> The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, <sup>25</sup> nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. <sup>26</sup> He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, <sup>27</sup> so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. '''<sup>28</sup> For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’''' <sup>29</sup>Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination. <sup>30</sup> God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent <sup>31</sup> because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.” <sup>32</sup> When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We should like to hear you on this some other time.” <sup>33</sup> And so Paul left them. <sup>34</sup> But some did join him, and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
|title=Acts of the Apostles 17:16-34
}}
 
=== Magisterial Teachings of the Catholic Church ===
 
The Doctrinedoctrine of the Seeds of the Word, interpreted as truths of the Gospel being spread throughout human culture, is also present in the teachings of the [[w:Second Vatican Council|Second Vatican Council]]. The Decree on Missionary Activity ''[[wikipedia:Ad Gentes|Ad Gentes]]'' affirms:
 
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Similarly the [[w:Apostolic constitution|Dogmatic Constitution]] on the Church ''[[wikipedia:Lumen Gentium|Lumen Gentium]]'' states:
 
{{Quote
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The Declaration on non Christian religions, ''[[wikipedia:Nostra Aetate|Nostra Aetate]]'', uses the simile of a ray of light to express the same concept:
 
{{Quote
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}}
 
In the years following the [[w:Second Vatican Council|Second Vatican Council]], the metaphor ''Seeds of the Word'' and the theme ''Praeparatio evangelica'' were also used by the Popes.
 
[[wikipedia:Pope Paul VI|Pope Paul VI]], in the apostolic[[w:Apostolic exhortation|Apostolic Exhortation]] on evangelization, states:
 
{{Quote
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[[wikipedia:Pope John Paul II|Pope John Paul II]], in his first [[w:Encyclical|encyclical]] ''[[wikipedia:Redemptor Hominis|Redemptor Hominis]]'', writes:
 
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And the [[w:Catechism of the Catholic Church|Catechism of the Catholic Church]], quoting from ''[[wikipedia:Lumen Gentium|Lumen Gentium]]'', states:
 
{{Quote
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== Overview of the areas touched on ==
 
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The articles of this encyclopedia are organized into the following general categories:
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