Key Differences Between Christian Doctrine and Greek Philosophy
God, History, and Truth
A primary distinction lies in how Christianity and Greek philosophy relate God to existence. Christianity places God within history, emphasizing God’s providence in human affairs and the incarnation of God in Christ at a specific time and place. This contrasts with Greek philosophy’s focus on God’s relationship to the cosmos, often portraying God as the ordering intelligence or cosmic reason.
Furthermore, the Christian concept of God’s word as the absolute truth clashes with the plurality of philosophical schools in Greek thought, where no single truth prevailed.
The Nature of Humanity
The Christian understanding of humanity encompasses three elements: humankind created in God’s image, the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body at the end of time. This latter concept is absent in Greek philosophy.
Another difference lies in moral philosophy. Greek philosophy, particularly intellectualism, views sin as ignorance. Christianity, however, attributes sin to human evil and the individual’s free will to succumb to such inclinations, introducing the concepts of guilt, repentance, and redemption.
The Christian Image of God and Humanity
The Christian God
- Monotheism: Christianity staunchly upholds the existence of one God.
- Creationism: God created the world ex nihilo, emphasizing God’s limitless power.
- Omnipotence: The idea of an all-powerful God is central, linked to the concept of miracles.
- Divine Paternity: God is portrayed as a father figure.
The Christian View of Humanity
As mentioned earlier, the Christian view of humanity includes creation in God’s image, the soul’s immortality, and the eventual resurrection of the body.
Christian morality diverges from Greek intellectualism by attributing sin to human wickedness and free will, leading to the concepts of guilt, repentance, and redemption.
Platonism’s Influence on Christian Doctrine
Platonism offered several doctrines readily assimilated by Christianity:
- The existence of a world beyond the physical.
- The creation of the physical world in the image of ideas.
- The concept of participation, used by Christian philosophers to emphasize creation’s contingency and dependence on the creator.
- The Platonic Demiurge, seen as a prefiguration of the Christian creator God.
- The importance of a first principle beyond reality.
Regarding humanity, Platonism’s concept of the immortal soul, its destiny in the realm of ideas, and the judgment of souls after death aligned with Christian doctrines.
Main Currents and Authors of Medieval Philosophy
Platonic-Augustinian Current (6th-13th Centuries)
Influenced by Plato and particularly St. Augustine, this school of thought included figures like St. Anselm and St. Bonaventure.
The Rediscovery of Aristotle (12th-13th Centuries)
With the rise of Islam, Arab philosophers encountered Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle’s works. Averroes, a prominent Arab philosopher, offered a pure interpretation of Aristotle, devoid of Platonic influences.
The translation of Aristotle’s works into Latin in the 12th century led to the rise of Latin Averroism, which clashed with Christian doctrine on points like the eternity of the world and the mortality of the individual soul. The theory of double truth, an attempt to reconcile faith and reason, also emerged.
Thomas Aquinas and Aristotelianism (13th Century)
Aquinas challenged Averroist theses, arguing for the compatibility of creation and the eternity of the world, affirming the immortality of the higher faculty of the soul, and rejecting the theory of double truth.
Scholastic Crisis and Nominalism (14th Century)
The 14th century marked a crisis in scholasticism, with criticisms of philosophical systems based on Greek thought. William of Ockham’s nominalism stands out as a significant development during this period.