Philosophy in Christian Antiquity

Christianity began as a little-known Jewish sect, but rose within 300 years to dominate the civilised world. It owed its rise in part to inspired moral leadership, but also to its success in assimilating, criticising and developing the philosophies of the day, which offered rationally approved life-styles and moral directives. Without abandoning their allegiance to their founder and to Holy Scripture, Christians could therefore present their faith as a ‘new philosophy’. This book, which is written for non-specialist readers, provides a concise conspectus of the emergence of philosophy among the Greeks; an account of its continuance in early Christian times, and its influence on early Christian thought, especially in formulating the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation; and finally a brief critical assessment of the philosophy of St Augustine - arguably the greatest philosopher of the first millennium.

• Fills a real gap in the market by providing for non-specialists a lucid and non-technical account of major Greek and Christian thinkers • A very senior and well-established author • Based on the most up-to-date research, with select bibliographies for further reading

Foreword; List of abbreviations; Part I. The Philosophical Background; 1. From the beginnings to Socrates; 2. Socrates and the Platonic forms; 3. The philosophy of Plato’s maturity; 4. Aristotle; 5. Epicurus and the Stoics; 6. The Middle Platonists and Philo of Alexandria; 7. The philosophy of late antiquity; Part II. The Use of Philosophy in Christian Theology: 8. The debate about Christian philosophy; 9. Greek and Hebrew conceptions of God; 10. Proofs of God’s existence; 11. God as simple, unchanging being; 12. How God is described; 13. Logos and Spirit; 14. Unity of substance; 15. Substance and persons; 16. Christ as God and man; 17. Two natures united; PART III. Augustine: 18. Philosophy, faith and knowledge; 19. Freedom and goodness; Bibliography; Indexes.