Neoplatonism and Christianity
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| - | This article provides an overview of the relations between [[Christianity]] and its [[Christians|adherents]] with [[Paganism|Pagan religions]] and their [[Pagans|adherents]] from the early Christian era. | + | [[Neoplatonism]] was a major influence on [[Christian theology]] throughout [[Late Antiquity]] and the [[Middle Ages]] in the West notably due to (1) [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine of Hippo]], who was influenced by the early Neoplatonists [[Plotinus]] and [[Porphyry (philosopher)|Porphyry]], and (2) the works of the Christian writer [[Pseudo-Dionysius]], who was influenced by the later Neoplatonist, [[Proclus]]. |
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| - | [[Early Christianity]] developed in an era of the Roman Empire during which many religions were practiced, that are, due to the lack of a better term, labeled [[Paganism]]. | + | |
| - | "Paganism" in spite of its etymological meaning of "rural" in the context of [[early Christianity]] has a number of distinct meanings. It refers to the [[Hellenistic religions|Greco-Roman religions]] of the [[Roman Empire]] period, including the [[Roman imperial cult]], the various [[mystery religions]] as well as philosophic [[monotheistic]] religions such as [[Neoplatonism]] and [[Gnosticism]] as well as the "barbarian" [[tribal religions]] practiced on the fringes of the Empire. From the point of view of the early Christians these religions all qualified as "ethnic" (or "gentile", ''ethnikos'', ''gentilis'', the term translating ''[[goyim]]'', later rendered as ''paganus'') in contrast with [[Judaism]]. Since the [[Council of Jerusalem]], the Christian apostles accepted both [[Jewish Christians|Jewish]] and [[gentile Christians|pagan converts]], and there was a precarious balance between the [[Judaizers]], insisting on the obedience to the Torah Laws by all Christians, on one hand, and [[Pauline Christianity]], developed in the gentile missionary context, on the other. | + | |
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| - | Christianity during the [[Middle Ages]] stood in opposition to the "pagan" [[ethnic religion]]s of the peoples outside the former Roman Empire, i.e. [[Germanic paganism]], [[Slavic paganism]] etc. | + | |
| + | == Literature == | ||
| + | * Gerard O'Daly, ''Platonism Pagan and Christian: Studies in Plotinus and Augustine'', Variorum Collected Studies Series 719 (2001), ISBN 978-0860788577. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | *[[Christian debate on persecution and toleration]] | + | *[[Cambridge Platonists]] |
| - | *[[Christian views on magic]] | + | *[[Neoplatonism and Gnosticism]] |
| - | *[[Christianity and other religions]] | + | *[[Pseudo-Dionysius]] |
| - | *[[Circumcision controversy in early Christianity]] | + | *[[Christ the Logos]] |
| - | *[[Constantine I and Christianity]] | + | *[[Irenaeus]] |
| - | *[[Decline of Greco-Roman polytheism]] | + | *[[Origen]] |
| - | *[[Germanic Christianity]] | + | *[[Cappadocian Fathers]] |
| - | *[[History of early Christianity]] | + | *[[Maximus Confessor]] |
| - | *[[Jesus Christ in comparative mythology]] | + | *[[Basil the Great]] |
| - | *[[Neoplatonism and Christianity]] | + | *[[Gregory of Nyssa]] |
| - | *[[Orthopraxy]] | + | *[[Gregory of Nazianzus]] |
| - | *[[Persecution of Christians]] | + | |
| - | *[[Virtuous pagan]] | + | |
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Neoplatonism was a major influence on Christian theology throughout Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages in the West notably due to (1) St. Augustine of Hippo, who was influenced by the early Neoplatonists Plotinus and Porphyry, and (2) the works of the Christian writer Pseudo-Dionysius, who was influenced by the later Neoplatonist, Proclus.
[edit]
Literature
- Gerard O'Daly, Platonism Pagan and Christian: Studies in Plotinus and Augustine, Variorum Collected Studies Series 719 (2001), ISBN 978-0860788577.
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See also
- Cambridge Platonists
- Neoplatonism and Gnosticism
- Pseudo-Dionysius
- Christ the Logos
- Irenaeus
- Origen
- Cappadocian Fathers
- Maximus Confessor
- Basil the Great
- Gregory of Nyssa
- Gregory of Nazianzus
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