Валерий Антонов – SCHOLASTICISM: HISTORY, METHOD, LEGACY. Volume One, Two (страница 3)

The Fathers were acutely aware of fundamental differences between Greek philosophy and Christianity:

· Tatian condemned pagan contradictions and immorality.

· Tertullian asked: "What do Athens and Jerusalem have in common?"

· Irenaeus accused Gnostics of "imitating philosophers" and distorting truth.

The Church Fathers engagement with philosophy was characterized by:

· Selectivity—identifying what was true and consistent

· Criticism—rejecting what was false

· Creativity—transforming old concepts

· Functionality—applying philosophical tools to serve theology

They were not "Christianized Platonists" but Christian theologians who employed Platonic language to defend and explain a faith whose origins lay beyond any philosophy.

Some Christian thinkers could not completely avoid distortions caused by flawed philosophical premises:

· Origen—controversial doctrines such as preexistence of souls, apocatastasis, and subordination of the Spirit to the Son.

· Tertullian—Stoic materialism leading to problematic notions about the soul.

· Tatian—extreme rejection of Hellenism hindering a true synthesis of faith and reason.

However, it would be unfounded to generalize from these isolated cases to conclude that Greek philosophy decisively distorted Christianity.

Justin Martyr: The First True Theologian?

Justin Martyr (c. 100–165) is crucial for understanding early Christianitys relationship with Greek philosophy.

In his Second Apology, Justin describes how Platonism stimulated his spiritual growth before conversion: "The study of immaterial entities greatly inspired me I believed I would soon behold God itself—for this is indeed the goal of Platonic philosophy."

However, Justin was acutely aware of the gap between Greek wisdom and Christian truth. He found true philosophy only in Christianity: "In contemplating the teachings of Christ, I discovered the only philosophy that is genuine and salvific."

Justins renowned theory holds:

1. Universal presence of the Logos—truth scattered among philosophers actually belongs to Christians.

2. Two ways to comprehend the Logos—through natural reason (the "seed of the Logos") and through the prophets.

3. Partial vs. full revelation—what philosophers accessed was a seed; the full Logos is revealed in Christ.

As Georgy Florovsky wrote: "For Justin, Christianity was the only true philosophy This was not an attempt to Hellenize Christianity but rather a Christian evaluation of Greek thought."

Justin established a paradigm in which philosophy is recognized as valuable but ultimately insufficient as a preparation for truth—only in Christ can its full potential be realized. As Jean Daniélou put it, this was not a "Hellenization of Christianity" but a "Christianization of Hellenism."

Clement of Alexandria: Philosophy as a Preparatory Step toward Truth

Clement (c. 150–215) further developed and systematized Justins ideas, emphasizing that philosophy has a preparatory and protective role.

Clement distinguished between philosophical truth and Christian truth:

"Greek truth is different from the truth we embrace in terms of the scope of knowledge, the strength of its arguments, and its divine authority." (Stromata I, 20, 99)

Christian truth possesses divine power leading to salvation; philosophical speculation lacks such transformative force.

Clement explicitly compared philosophy to the Mosaic Law:

"Philosophy prepared the Greek people for Christ, just as the Law prepared the Jews" (Stromata I, 5, 28)

Thus, philosophy serves a preparatory function analogous to the Old Testament Law. It disciplines the mind, cultivates morality, and awakens a thirst for truth, leading one toward revelation.

For those who have already embraced faith, philosophy becomes a tool for defense: it "prepares the way for the royal doctrine enabling them to accept the truth" (Stromata I, 16, 80). Clement explicitly calls it a "protective barrier" for Greeks against heresies and false teachings.

Clement unequivocally states that the use of philosophy in no way implies Christianity is incomplete or in need of improvement. Philosophy merely clarifies, systematizes, and defends truth already revealed in Christ.

As V. V. Bolotov wrote: "Clement adopted the form of Greek wisdom but retained its Christian content."

Clement presents a theological model that utterly rejects the notion of Hellenization:

· Hierarchy—philosophy is subordinate to theology

· Function—preparatory (paidagōgos) and protective (phragmos)

· Content independence—Christian truth is self-sufficient and perfect

· Divine educational purpose—philosophy is a vital stage in Gods plan to save pagan peoples

Added conclusion for this section: Clement presents not a reformation of Christianity but its triumphant affirmation as the supreme and ultimate truth—such that all prior wisdom merely served as a preparatory stage. This perspective became fundamental to subsequent Orthodox and Catholic traditions, including scholasticism.

End of First Part (Up to Clement of Alexandria)

This completes the first segment of Chapter One. The next part will continue with:

· Origen as the first systematizer

· The Cappadocian Fathers and terminological precision

· Augustines synthesis of faith and reason

· Boethius and the Opuscula Sacra

· John of Damascus and the prototype of the Summa

Origen as the First Systematizer: Methodological Principles in Peri Archōn

Origen (c. 185–254) is rightfully regarded as the first to attempt a truly systematic exposition of Christian doctrine. The historian of dogmatics R. Seeberg described him as a "methodologically rigorous scholar," and his work Peri Archōn represents "the first great example of that scientific methodology" later adopted by Anselm of Canterbury and Thomas Aquinas.

The Distinction between the Spheres of Faith and Reason

In the introduction to Peri Archōn, Origen established principles that would become foundational for later scholasticism:

1. The Principle of Ecclesial Authority: The ultimate authority stems from the unwavering teachings of the Church and the Apostles; one should believe only what conforms to these doctrines.

2. The Distinction between Quia and Quomodo: The Apostles clearly conveyed the content of revelation (what something is), but the rational investigation into how and why this is so—its logical structure and coherence—was left to subsequent generations.

Added nuance: As the French scholar Ferdinand Prat noted, this distinction already outlines the future separation between the subject of faith (as revealed) and the object of theology (the intellectual study of that revelation). It reflects the principle credo ut intelligam—"I believe in order to understand"—later articulated by Anselm.

Doctrines as Foundational Principles (Principia) of Theology

Origen did not merely list the truths of faith; he treated them as foundational principles for constructing a systematic theological framework. As M.-D. Chenu observed, the notion that the doctrines of the Creed constitute the principia of theology—a concept shared by thinkers like Alexander of Hales and Thomas Aquinas—first received clear methodological justification in Origen's work.

Origen employed two types of arguments:

· Direct textual evidence from Scripture

· Logical inferences derived from these texts

This dichotomy prefigured the later scholastic distinction between arguments based on authority (auctoritas) and those grounded in reason (ratio).

Attitude toward Greek Philosophy: Critical Eclecticism

Although Origen made extensive use of Greek philosophy, especially Platonism, his approach was consciously critical and eclectic. V. V. Bolotov emphasized that the influence of Greek philosophy on Origens doctrines is often overstated. Origen was highly educated but did not belong to any particular philosophical school. His goal was to use concepts from Greek speculation—especially those of the Platonists—to express Christian doctrine without contradicting it.

Henry Crouzel agreed, stating that for Origen, philosophy was not a source of truth but rather a tool (organon) for elucidating and defending it. His approach can be described as a Christian synthesis in which philosophical concepts were subordinated to and reinterpreted in the light of biblical revelation.