Greek Thought And The Rise Of Christianity

On the synthesis of faith and rational philosophy.

This small book, the last work of a world-renowned scholar, has established itself as a classic. It provides a superb overview of the vast historical process by which Christianity was Hellenized and Hellenic civilization became Christianized. Werner Jaeger shows that without the large postclassical expansion of Greek culture the rise of a Christian world religion would have been impossible. He explains why the Hellenization of Christianity was necessary in apostolic and postapostalic times; points out similarities between Greek philosophy and Christian belief; discuss such key figures as Clement, Origen, and Gregory of Nyssa; and touches on the controversies that led to the ultimate complex synthesis of Greek and Christian thought.

Greek philosophy had formed the minds of the educated classes of the Roman Empire for centuries before the early Christians set out to spread their message there. If they wished to gain a hearing, therefore, the language of Greek philosophy was the language they had to speak. This venture was to have a long history and an enduring effect both upon Christianity itself and on the world that it was seeking to convince and convert.

This book describes the philosophy of ancient Rome in an original, convincing and, at the same time, captivating manner. Roman philosophy is both a continuation of Greek philosophy and a substantially different way of thinking. The predominant examples dealt with in this book are language and time. Emphasis is laid upon the interweaving of philosophy and religion. The principal figures here are Cicero and the Greek philosopher Plotinus; the rise of Christianity is shown against the background of the philosophy of those days.