The Mind and World of Edward Irving

The influences and world that shaped Edward Irving—an important Pentecostal forerunner.

The mystery behind Irving and his world has created many different portraits. A mad man, an entertainer, an image of Scottish national pride, and a pentecostal pioneer, are some of the diverse opinions displayed. These options are under investigation as we look to discover the man behind the pulpit.

Some of his views and behaviors, even by today’s standards, are controversial and oft-putting. On the other hand, Irving and his followers were mystics, and Britain took a fancy to it. How could an Empire so steeped in Calvinist rigorous living, Methodist structures, and Anglican strictures, even entertain such features?

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Thomas Aquinas on the Prophet and Imaginary Visions

How to understand Aquinas’ use of imaginarius and imaginarias visiones in the office of prophecy.
The English translation of the Latin Imaginarius is typically imaginary, and imaginarius visiones as imaginary visions. However, this is not satisfactory. The use of the English word imaginary may mislead the reader. To many it means a personal fantasy, a child-like hallucination, an imaginary friend, or something that is totally cognatively disassociated. This is not what Aquinas intended.

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