- Aug 4, 2013
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YOU ARE IN AN ORTHODOX FORUM BOARD. ORTHODOX RESPONSES ONLY PLEASE
"No reputable patristics scholar would say either that Christianity was absorbed into Platonism or that Christianity remained unaffected by it." Why Should We Affirm Christian Platonism? - Credo Magazine.
The author goes on to state that Platonism is historic Augustinianism. Well, for me, this raises interesting questions. Firstly, there are parts of Augustine's theological musings which were not well received by St. Photius and the bishops of Constantinople when they were translated into Greek. Augustine's anthropological musings are the foundational basis of Calvinist thought, which is heretical.
But more than that, what ramifications on the Christian faith does the above quote have? Was faith in Christ - aka "The Way" meant to be a continuation of Judaism? How did the culture around both Judaism in the OT and Greece in the NT affect the understanding of believers and their praxis?
It seems to me that the culture surrounding the Roman Empire gradually seeped into the theology and soteriology of the West. Roman culture was imbued with and colored by a great respect for Roman Law. This appears to be reflected in the way that salvation in the West is understood as a legal transaction of sorts, whereas one of the things I found greatly attractive about Orthodoxy was the understanding, almost unknown in the West, of salvation as healing and restoration.
Finally, how do cultural norms and understandings affect the writings of the Early Fathers and their theologoumenon? For instance, we see certain Fathers writing about the "immortality of the soul," which is completely Greek thought and opposed by what the Scriptures say. I find that many people treat the sayings of the Fathers and/or the saints as infallible and to be followed, whereas my understanding of what is binding upon me as an Orthodox believer is the Sacred Scriptures as properly understood by Holy Tradition and the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
This is the reason that I am posting this: because in discussions online, I keep having the writings of certain Fathers thrown at me whereas I cannot find what they have said in either the Councils or the Scriptures. But when I mention this, and state that a particular writing is not found in council or Scripture, I am abused as not being a true Orthodox believer because I don't bow down to everything that a Father says.
This is not to disrespect the Fathers. Lord knows, their writings brought me to the Apostolic faith, and I am thankful for that, but how do I discern what must be believed and what is merely theologoumenon which, while perhaps helpful, is not binding upon me?
Thoughts?
"No reputable patristics scholar would say either that Christianity was absorbed into Platonism or that Christianity remained unaffected by it." Why Should We Affirm Christian Platonism? - Credo Magazine.
The author goes on to state that Platonism is historic Augustinianism. Well, for me, this raises interesting questions. Firstly, there are parts of Augustine's theological musings which were not well received by St. Photius and the bishops of Constantinople when they were translated into Greek. Augustine's anthropological musings are the foundational basis of Calvinist thought, which is heretical.
But more than that, what ramifications on the Christian faith does the above quote have? Was faith in Christ - aka "The Way" meant to be a continuation of Judaism? How did the culture around both Judaism in the OT and Greece in the NT affect the understanding of believers and their praxis?
It seems to me that the culture surrounding the Roman Empire gradually seeped into the theology and soteriology of the West. Roman culture was imbued with and colored by a great respect for Roman Law. This appears to be reflected in the way that salvation in the West is understood as a legal transaction of sorts, whereas one of the things I found greatly attractive about Orthodoxy was the understanding, almost unknown in the West, of salvation as healing and restoration.
Finally, how do cultural norms and understandings affect the writings of the Early Fathers and their theologoumenon? For instance, we see certain Fathers writing about the "immortality of the soul," which is completely Greek thought and opposed by what the Scriptures say. I find that many people treat the sayings of the Fathers and/or the saints as infallible and to be followed, whereas my understanding of what is binding upon me as an Orthodox believer is the Sacred Scriptures as properly understood by Holy Tradition and the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
This is the reason that I am posting this: because in discussions online, I keep having the writings of certain Fathers thrown at me whereas I cannot find what they have said in either the Councils or the Scriptures. But when I mention this, and state that a particular writing is not found in council or Scripture, I am abused as not being a true Orthodox believer because I don't bow down to everything that a Father says.
This is not to disrespect the Fathers. Lord knows, their writings brought me to the Apostolic faith, and I am thankful for that, but how do I discern what must be believed and what is merely theologoumenon which, while perhaps helpful, is not binding upon me?
Thoughts?
