Plato and Aristotle: The Influence on Christianity

I enjoy discussing the historical influences on the evolution of Christianity. It’s important to understand how important image was to early Christians. Doctrine mandates that no thing comes before the Divine (and those appointed by the Church to be divine).

The power of mathematics was (is) seen as an affront to God’s power.

Only God (and those appointed by the Church) should be allowed to know things. All others are to wait until they’re told. Those outside of the Church’s divinity circles were best taught obedience.

Symbology was seen as divination. Mathematical symbology was heresy. Verily I tell you that many today still consider mathematics Divination.

However, since I learned my mathematics from the Jesuits, maybe I’ll get a pass.

Plato and Aristotle, two of the most influential philosophers in Western thought, had a profound impact on Christianity. It’s interesting that these Greek men, who lived long before Jesus, had such an impact on Christianity. Then again, not really. Rome borrowed quite a bit from Greece.

  1. Plato’s Influence:
    • Plato’s philosophy, particularly his ideas about the Forms or the Realm of Ideas, has influenced Christian thought in several ways. The concept of a higher reality beyond the material world resonates with the Christian notion of a transcendent God and an eternal realm.
    • Plato’s emphasis on the immortality of the soul and the idea of the soul’s journey towards truth and goodness contributed to the development of Christian beliefs about the afterlife and the soul’s salvation.
    • Plato’s dialogues, such as “The Republic,” also explored questions of justice, virtue, and the ideal state, which provided a framework for Christian theologians to discuss moral and ethical principles within the context of Christian teachings.
    • Interestingly, Plato’s view of God and mathematics WAS NOT included in the Christian framework.
      • “He who can properly define and divide is to be considered a god.” -Plato
      • God ever geometrizes.” -Plato
  2. Aristotle’s Influence:
    • Aristotle’s philosophical system, especially his logic and metaphysics, had a significant impact on Christian theology, particularly during the Middle Ages. His emphasis on reason and empirical observation laid the groundwork for the development of scholasticism, a medieval school of thought that sought to reconcile Christian faith with classical philosophy.
    • Aristotle’s teleological view of the universe, which posited that everything has a purpose or final cause, influenced Christian theologians like Thomas Aquinas, who integrated Aristotelian philosophy into Christian theology. Aquinas famously used Aristotelian principles to formulate his Quinque viæ “Five Ways” argument for the existence of God.
    • Aristotle’s ethical framework, centered on the concept of virtue and the pursuit of eudaimonia (flourishing or happiness), also influenced Christian ethics, although it was sometimes modified to align with Christian teachings on grace and salvation.

Overall, both Plato and Aristotle provided philosophical frameworks and concepts that Christian theologians drew upon to articulate and develop key doctrines and beliefs within Christianity. Their ideas helped shape the intellectual landscape of Christian thought for centuries.

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