The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Platonism

Twice this past week, once hearing and once reading, I came across the presenter saying this concept is using platonism, not biblical Christianity. Will someone give a brief description in where Plato's philosophy intersects with Christianity, especially in areas where Christians may hold to a more platonic view than the Christian view.

John,

Oh dear.... that's such a broad question that I doubt anyone is going to be able to answer you in less than 150 pages. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> How about being specific? Surely, what you read/heard was in regard to a particular subject, right? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shrug.gif" alt="" />

No simple, concise bullets, hmm. I'm a bullet person, not the deep intellectual type.

The initial time was when my Bible study teacher was explaining that Christianity is 'all of life' (my wording) and there really is no such thing as Christian music, etc. Everything is done for the glory of God. Those who separated the sacred from secular in conceptualizing their Christianaity are using platonic reasoning.

The 2nd time related to when things came into existence. I might be wrong in my understanding of what is being said. I took it as the difference between God thinking it - it happens as opposed to God thinking it and it will happened some time in the future. Its a philosophical question in nature, and I guess it deals when 'something becomes real'. The overriding topic was in regards to the 'corridor of time' argument. One person accused the person thinking it will happen sometime in the future christian-esque platonism in his thinking.

Sorry, if this is even more confusing.

John,

I am probably more of a "bullet person" myself (I will have to remember that term) but I did find this article about the link between Eastern Orthodoxy and Platonism (or "neo-Platonism") by Douglas Jones to be helpful:

http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/vol6/none6-5.htm

I can't say I'm always thrilled with Credenda, but that issue on Eastern Orthodoxy wasn't bad. The main link for the issue is this one, at

http://www.credenda.org/old/issues/cont6-5.htm

Theo

I think that your teacher is wrong on two counts:

1) There is definitely a difference between "Christian music" and "Secular music". In fact this can be said about many things where the item in question is not of the natural creation but rather it is a product of man. There is certainly a difference again between "Christian education" and "Secular education"... catch my drift here, Snowbank? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

2) Likewise, and this would simply be an extension of #1, there is a difference between the "Sacred" and the "Secular". The Bible is rife with admonitions to "be not of this world" (cf. Jh 15:19; 17:14, 15; Col 2:8, 20; Jam 4:4; 1Jh 2:16).

See also: The New Pragmatism, by James Boice.

In His grace,

Perhaps this could help.



DirecTV Broadcasts
[color:"0000FF"]"Plotinus and Neo-Platonism", [/color] R.C. Sproul (Monday April 9, 2007)
Plotinus was exposed to Greek philosophy, Hellenistic Judaism and Christianity. He sought to modify Platonism to provide an alternative to Christianity. According to Plotinus, all reality emanates from the One.

Consequences of Ideas - Plotinus and Neo-Platonism - MP3 Format: Downloadable Media

Plottinus and NeoPlatonism

Perhaps the teacher was attempting to refute the idea that is common in Charismatic circles that only "churchy" things glorify God. The NT sanctifies the entire life, worldy vs. non-worldy is a Biblical distinction, but villifying things like work, caring for one's family, and stuff like that as not "for God" is not. And this is how it is often perceived, a false distinction between things that are done "for God", and those mundane things we must do to get through life. This was one of the tenets of the reformation in fact, it overturned this kind of thinking in Catholicism, which had produced evils like monasticism and celibacy (the belief that celibacy was more godly than marriage).

We had a discussion on this in Ex-charisma a while back, it came out that charismatic men tended to let their careers languish in favor of churchy things. They bordered on slackers at work, and were often first in line for layoffs and last in line for promotions.

The women were no less abused by this doctrine, often apologizing for having college degrees as something they did "before they were Christians".

- Kurt