Christians, Gnostics and Philosophers in Late Antiquity

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, General Christianity
Cover of the book Christians, Gnostics and Philosophers in Late Antiquity by Mark Edwards, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mark Edwards ISBN: 9781351219129
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: February 6, 2018
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Mark Edwards
ISBN: 9781351219129
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: February 6, 2018
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Gnosticism, Christianity and late antique philosophy are often studied separately; when studied together they are too often conflated. These articles set out to show that we misunderstand all three phenomena if we take either approach. We cannot interpret, or even identify, Christian Gnosticism without Platonic evidence; we may even discover that Gnosticism throws unexpected light on the Platonic imagination. At the same time, if we read writers like Origen simply as Christian Platonists, or bring Christians and philosophers together under the porous umbrella of "monotheism", we ignore fundamental features of both traditions. To grasp what made Christianity distinctive, we must look at the questions asked in the studies here, not merely what Christians appropriated but how it was appropriated. What did the pagan gods mean to a Christian poet of the fifth century? What did Paul quote when he thought he was quoting Greek poetry? What did Socrates mean to the Christians, and can we trust their memories when they appeal to lost fragments of the Presocratics? When pagans accuse the Christians of moral turpitude, do they know more or less about them than we do? What divides Augustine, the disenchanted Platonist, from his Neoplatonic contemporaries? And what God or gods await the Neoplatonist when he dies?

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Gnosticism, Christianity and late antique philosophy are often studied separately; when studied together they are too often conflated. These articles set out to show that we misunderstand all three phenomena if we take either approach. We cannot interpret, or even identify, Christian Gnosticism without Platonic evidence; we may even discover that Gnosticism throws unexpected light on the Platonic imagination. At the same time, if we read writers like Origen simply as Christian Platonists, or bring Christians and philosophers together under the porous umbrella of "monotheism", we ignore fundamental features of both traditions. To grasp what made Christianity distinctive, we must look at the questions asked in the studies here, not merely what Christians appropriated but how it was appropriated. What did the pagan gods mean to a Christian poet of the fifth century? What did Paul quote when he thought he was quoting Greek poetry? What did Socrates mean to the Christians, and can we trust their memories when they appeal to lost fragments of the Presocratics? When pagans accuse the Christians of moral turpitude, do they know more or less about them than we do? What divides Augustine, the disenchanted Platonist, from his Neoplatonic contemporaries? And what God or gods await the Neoplatonist when he dies?

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Economics of Innovation, New Technologies and Structural Change by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Foucault and Derrida by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Building Customer-brand Relationships by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Life & Work In Medieval Europe by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Drama 7-11 by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Overcoming Inequality in Latin America by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Organizational Learning in the Global Context by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Extractive Economies and Conflicts in the Global South by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Religion and Violence in South Asia by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Doing Business in Mexico by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Manufacturing in the New Urban Economy by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Global Perspectives in the Geography Curriculum by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Group Therapy by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Cultural Studies by Mark Edwards
Cover of the book Fifty Contemporary Choreographers by Mark Edwards
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy