Philosophy
In Life
Paul M. Aijian, Ph.D. Prof, of Apologetics, Talbot Theological Seminary E a r ly Chr istian D eve lopm en ts
fter the formulation of the Neo- Platonic system and its subsequent modifications, philosophy in the Western world came under the sway of an advancing Christian front. As the “glory which was Greece” faded into history, the dominant thought- patterns were being established by Christian churchmen. These men had the roots of their intellectual life deep in the rich ground of Greek philosophy, but the inner core of their personality had been touched by the life of Christ through the Spirit. From this new Christian perspec tive the profounder minds of the church sought to re-examine the propositions of philosophy. With a view to determining not only the logical soundness and systematic ade quacy of philosophy but also the na ture of its practical implications in the light of one historical revelation, they submitted Greek thought to those forces which were able to realign the boundaries of the world of concepts. Apparently the dynamic of the Chris tian experience-was sufficient in that day to work so fundamental a change in the intellectual and emotional life that the world has never been the same since. The insistence upon the authority of a definite historical revelation marked one of the major departures of Christian philosophy from those earlier philosophies which shared the Platonic influence. In general the Platonic and the Christian systems agreed as to the need for an immed iate revelation if one is to find God. However, the Platonists did not limit this revelation to one authoritative act. They taught that the revelation conies directly to the philosopher in all the moments of his mystical and ecstatic union with the divine. It is true that not all men may attain the beatific vision due to their lack of consecrated and disciplined living; and it is further true that even for the favored few these moments of di vine ecstasy are rare. Nevertheless, when they did occur they carried
the mark of authority— indeed, of the highest authority of which Plato could conceive. Church historians are familiar with the great contro versies by which the Christian com munity established the authority of one revelation. Another point of departure for the church from the accepted philosophi cal practice of the day was the atti tude of Christian thinkers toward evil. In Platonic thought, the doctrine of the co-existence of God and the world rendered matter evil. This was true almost by definition, since anything that was not wholly God and there fore good was in the logic of the situation not-God, and therefore bad. Whether one recognizes this highest good as God or simply defines it as the Creative principle, the scale-of- being by which such thought is char acterized makes inevitable this con clusion about matter. There was a tendency even in some Christian cir cles to make the struggle between the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit the expression of a uni versal dualism—God in the Spirit and Satan in the flesh. However, the fundamental Christian conviction con cerning the Incarnation as the central fact of the revelation could not in that day, nor does it in our day, al low this dualistic doctrine to become a part of orthodoxy. Perhaps the moist distinguishing mark of Christian thinking as con trasted with Greek philosophy is the development of the concept of per sonality. In all of the earlier thought, the person as the individual was swallowed up in the system to which he belonged. With the advent of Christian doctrine this individual per son came into his own. Real value now resided in him because of the nature of his relationship to the Su preme Being. Person was no longer a thing to be pushed around by uni versal forces. Rather in personality —on the human level and ultimately in the Supreme’ Personality—all of the significant and timeless values came together. END.
throughout the west... the B I B L E INSTITUTE H O U R
• Heart searching messages
• Thrilling testimonies
• Outstanding features
• Inspiring music
MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY M U TU A L DON LEE NETWORK
FOR FREE STATION LOG WRITE TO BIBLE INSTITUTE HOUR LOS ANGELES 17, CALIF.
22
TH E KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker