See, for instance, Pamphilus, Apol. . behind the scenes Hellenistic religion, any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of eastern Mediterranean peoples from 300 bc to ad 300. ; Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995) 11925Google Scholar. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. ; Darmstadt, Germany: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1992). Rather, they worked with the Greek idiom. Trajan responded that Christians legitimately brought before Pliny should be punished but that the governor should not seek out Christians for persecution. Jewish culture and civilization during the Hellenistic period was in intense dialogue with Hellenistic culture and civilization, beginning with the translation of Hebrew scriptures into Greek, a translation which survives and which we know as the Septuagint. There was a high degree of comfort or acculturation with many aspects of Greek life and thought. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. See as well, Pamphilus, Apol. 15 Below I focus on Phaedrus since Origen specifically alludes to this work when discussing pre-existence. Pliny executed Christians who were brought before him and who refused to worship the emperor and Roman gods but then sought the emperors advice on how to treat Christians in his province. Is there Scriptural Legitimacy for Jehovahs Witnesses Christology of the Firstborn as the First of Gods Created Beings? Both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism belong to what can be termed Hellenistic Christianity, that is, a form of Christianity heavily influenced by Greek philosophies, particularly Gnosticism. Christian Gonzalez. Jean Hering, tude sur la doctrine de la chute et de la prexistence des mes chez Clment d'Alexandrie (Bibliothque de lcole des hautes tudes, sciences religieuses 38; Paris: E. Leroux, 1923) 2834. Oonn? Ep. 49 Princ. 8 Jean Danilou, Gospel Message and Hellenistic Culture (trans. 3.1.1/GK 462, 195.8). Indeed, many of these native religions underwent a conscious archaism during this period, attempting to recover earlier forms and practices. Groups such as the Donatists in North Africa, for example, refused to recognize as Christians those who had sacrificed to the emperor or turned over holy books during the persecutions. 246bc. So for some it probably meant no more than what it would be like to live in a modern city with a very mixed culture. why did christianity succeed? Hellenistic religion was based on a polytheistic tradition of hundreds of Greek gods, conflicting with Christianity's adherence to belief in one God. Most notable of the Hellenists were Philo of Alexandria and the Apostle Paul. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. With few exceptions, each of these religions, originally tied to a specific geographic area and people, had traditions extending back centuries before the Hellenistic period. 50. Glen Bowersock, Peter Brown and Oleg Grabar; Cambridge, Mass. 1516; Cels. 34 Princ. That seems to me a confusion. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Love your neighbor as yourself. Rather it is best understood as the study of archaic Mediterranean religions in their Hellenistic phase within both their native and diasporic settings. 160). 11 Mark Edwards, Origen against Plato (Ashgate Studies in Philosophy & Theology in Late Antiquity; Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002) 159 (and 114). The reasons for this persecution are uncertain but have been ascribed, among other things, to the influence of Galerius, a fanatic follower of the traditional Roman religion; Diocletians own devotion to traditional religion and his desire to use Roman religion to restore complete unity in the empire; and the fear of an alienation of rebellious armies from emperor worship. press reaction. 2.9.7; 3.3.5). ; Stuttgart: Teubner, 1904] 2:63033]). 47 Indeed, for several centuries after Origen's death, there was vigorous debateand open confusionin Christian circles about how to think about the soul's embodiment. 27 Givens, Terryl L., When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010) esp. 166; Cassiodorus, De Anima 7; Gregory the Great, Ep. The empire of Alexander and his successors created a great world community which, whether in Macedonian, Greco-Roman, or its later Christian form, established a cultural unity that was destined to be broken only 1,000 years later with the advent of Muslim imperialism (beginning in 7th century ad). John Austin Baker; 3 vols. Hellenism (, Hellnisms) is a religious movements which revive or reconstruct of ancient Greek religious practices from antiquity. 3.1.35. The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. mine). During the 3rd century, economic collapse, political chaos, military revolt, and barbarian invasion nearly destroyed the empire. During the second century and beyond there's a continuing engagement over a variety of issues. Hellenissm influence on chritianity - Academia.edu 3.9 (432a) and Philo, Leg. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. 2.8.2; 2.8.5; 2.11.1; 3.4.1; 3.4.4. The second (or outer circle) was composed of either second- and third-generation immigrants or converts from groups for whom the religion was not native. Popular gossip soon accused the Christians of secret vices, such as eating murdered infants (because of the secrecy surrounding the Lords Supper and the use of the words body and blood) and sexual promiscuity (because of the practice of Christians calling each other brother or sister while living as husband and wife). 6.6; 6.14.810). The situation of the early church improved further the following year, when the emperor Constantine, prior to a battle against a rival emperor, experienced a vision of the cross in the heavens with the legend In this sign, conquer. Constantines victory led to his eventual conversion to Christianity. Upon the Jews' return from exile in Babylon, they endeavored to protect their national identity by following the law closely. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. For many others, both before and after Harnack, the Hellenization of Christianity has signaled a similar narrative of decline. : Peter Smith, 1973] 2). 2.8; Hom. In 64 ce a fire destroyed much of Rome, and, in order to escape blame, the emperor Nero killed a vast multitude of Christians as scapegoats. It has received its most extended critique in Gavrilyuk, Paul L., The Suffering of the Impassible God: the Dialectics of Patristic Thought (Oxford Early Christian Studies; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004)CrossRefGoogle Scholar. To regain divine protection, the emperors introduced the systematic persecution of Christians throughout the empire. 69 Princ. . 163, 165) where Origen appears to exclude the possibility of being labeled a heretic for one's view on the origin of the soul, since the church's rule has not handed down a pronouncement on the matter:But there are also certain other dogmas that are not included in the apostolic traditions. However, this is not the only passage relied upon to reconstruct Origen's account of pre-existence, and indeed, one can develop the case without reference to any of Origen's enemies (pace Origen's Platonism, 34). 3.1.35. Hellenism and the Shaping of the Byzantine Empire - Marquette University 166; 17172; Jerome, Ep. $3012``$@gL ` I See the extensive recent discussion of this topic by Blosser, Become Like the Angels, 60141. Does it Make Sense to Speak of a Hellenization of Christianity in Antiquity? Ti. This is correct, but it is not relevant to the discussion of humans, whose pre-existent souls Origen says did sin prior to their embodiment (Origen against Plato, 92). Ancient sacred books were translated or paraphrased into Greeke.g., the 4th3rd-century-bc Babylonian priest Berosus version of Babylonian materials, the 4th3rd-century-bc Egyptian priest Manethos Egyptian accounts, the Jewish Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament), or the 1st-century-ad Jewish historian Josephus Antiquities of the Jews, and the ethnic histories of the 1st-century-bc Greek writer Alexander Polyhistor. 970Google Scholar. 1.10.1; Comm. 5.29, with commentary by Martens, Peter W., On the Confusion of Tongues and Origen's Allegory of the Dispersion of Nations, SPhilo 24 (2011) 10727Google Scholar. 1.6.4; 1.7.1).Beyond these points, I think there are three additional worries with Edwards's reconstruction: (1) he does not address the full range of passages in Origen's corpus where he speaks of souls or minds existing before their bodies, including those passages that speak of these rational creatures falling in the primordial realm prior to their embodiment (among others, Princ. 3.81 [SC 136, 182.34]). 2, 30.1832.19; Augustine, Acad. Approved thesis at Harding School of Theology on divine impassibility. But there probably was no formal senatorial enactment proscribing Christianity at this time. Paris: tudes augustiniennes, 1985)Google Scholar. Hft; Gtersloh, Germany: C. Berteslmann, 1950) 92185. By and large, they sought both to make Christianity intelligible to members of Greco-Roman society and to define the Christian understanding of God, the divinity of Christ, and the resurrection of the body. Just as we see in major Jewish communities in Egypt at this same time as well, and had been there for two hundred years before. Greg. 4973. Ti. As Christianity spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders were educated in Greek philosophy. Lothar Lies; Innsbrucker theologische Studien 19; Innsbruck: Tyrolia Verlag, 1987] 260). Hom. Edwards correctly notes that there is no corresponding Greek or Rufinian Latin translation to this pastiche of texts, and most scholars would follow him in considering it a misleading editorial interpolation. Relations between Christianity and the - Britannica Angelo Di Berardino and Basil Studer; trans. 160. %%EOF 2.5.2223 (GCS 8, 147.18/Lawson, 13435). Jo. As a historical process Hellenization was influential on post-exilic Judaism and early Christianity. Almost every religion in this period occurred in both its homeland and in diasporic centresthe foreign cities in which its adherents lived as minority groups. 4.40 (SC 156, 290.25/Origen: Contra Celsum [trans. And so, much of what we see in the culture of these cities, like Caesarea Maritima, is a kind of Greek city structure with a Roman political organization, playing off between the different elements of Roman and Greek city life. In particular, Martyr used the Greek concept of internal and external thought to illustrate Jesus Christ's relationship with God, and thus Christ's messiah status. All forms of paganismthe Oriental mystery (salvational) religions of Isis, Attis, Adonis, and Mithra as well as the traditional Greco-Roman polytheisms and the cult of the emperorwere regarded as the worship of evil spirits. Justin Martyr was a key figure during this period who helped reconcile Hellenism with Christian teachings. 3(1214); Plant. 41 Harnack, History of Dogma, 1:9. The fundamental cause of persecution was the Christians conscientious rejection of the gods whose favour was believed to have brought success to the empire. `-Sr*Oz[%,qniD94iS=1MI}Oc&`c$1"N%! E n^N GEbzSA5"Z>C=rJabDaK%LfOLYp#bod?9C7. ), Religion and Competition in Antiquity, Bruxelles 2014,, 237-284. Jo. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. While it has been deployed in surprisingly fluid ways, most scholars associate the thesis with Adolf von Harnack, for whom it acquired a decidedly critical valence. Die Hellenisierung des Christentums in der Geschichte der Theologie von Luther bis auf die Gegenwart, HellenisierungJudaisierung des Christentums als Deuteprinzipien der Geschichte des kirchlichen Dogmas: Mit ihm und in ihm. Published online by Cambridge University Press: You can download the paper by clicking the button above. The Hellenistic world is that world that was created after the conquests of the near east by Alexander the Great at the end of the fourth century B.C. 3.) 14 Cels. The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. Note also Cels. For other places where Origen describes or defines souls, see esp. In each case the material was reinterpreted both in light of common Hellenistic ideals and in accord with the special traditions and needs of the diasporic community. Both the inner and outer circles fostered esotericism (secrets to be known only by initiates)the former by its use of native language and its oral recollection of traditions from the homeland; the latter by its use of allegory and other similar methods to radically reinterpret the sacred texts. Many of these certificates have survived. Embodiment, Heresy, and the Hellenization of Christianity: The Descent A key factor in the confluence of Hellenism and Christianity came in the first century, with the apostolic church's shift of focus "from the closed world of the Synagogue and the Law to the cosmopolitan society of the Roman-Hellenistic world," writes Christopher Dawson in "The Formation of Christendom.". It is usually by concentrating on the diaspora that the Hellenistic character of a cult has been described. Gen. 16.3; Princ. 23 De Anima 27 (see also 25 and 34 and the corresponding discussions in Waszink, De Anima). Taylor Echolls is an award-winning writer whose expertise includes health, environmental and LGBT journalism. Moreover, when you yourself reflect on these matters, consider whether it is necessary rashly to define as a heretic or a churchman the one who thinks in some way, whatever it may be, about these things, or whether it is not dangerous to pronounce about him that he is perverse and is sinning and is self-condemned (cf. Letterkunde, nieuwe reeks, d. 128; Amsterdam: North Holland, 1985)Google Scholar. ; 3rd German edition; London: Williams and Norgate, 1897) esp. 78 One of Plato's metaphors for this activity is nourishment (Phaedr. ), History, Culture, and Religion of the Hellenistic Age, The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies. See esp. from Mount Holyoke College. = Jerome, Ep. Religious Syncretism, Hellenism, and Christianity 2.9.6 (GK 412, 169.28170.5/Butterworth, 134). Other verses that suggest this doctrine include: Eccl 1:910 (Princ. And that Hellenization was most visible in a place like Sepphoris which was being reconstructed during the youth of Jesus. 10 facts about religion and government in the United States Can you give just a general definition of what's meant by the term the Hellenistic world? translator's preface to book 3). The ambivalence of official policy is perhaps best revealed in the exchange between Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, and the emperor Trajan in 111. Christologische Forschungen und Perspektiven, Tendenzen und Brennpunkte der neueren Problematik um die Hellenisierung des Christentums, Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Die Hellenisierung des Christentums im Urteil Adolf von Harnacks, The Influence of Greek Ideas on Christianity, The Suffering of the Impassible God: the Dialectics of Patristic Thought, Cambridge History of Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy, Origen and Scripture: The Contours of the Exegetical Life, La notion d'hrsie dans la littrature grecque, IIeIIIe sicles, Iamblichus and the Theory of the Vehicle of the Soul, Become Like the Angels: Origen's Doctrine of the Soul, L'apport d'Origne pour la connaissance de la philosophie grecque, Origen, Patristic Philosophy, and Christian Platonism: Re-Thinking the Christianisation of Hellenism, When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought, Perception, Sensibility, and Moral Motivation in Augustine: A Stoic-Platonic Synthesis, Der ursprngliche Sinn der Dogmatik des Origenes, Philosophy and Theology in the Middle Ages, The Preexistence of the Soul in Medieval Thought, El problema del mal en Orgenes: importancia y significado teolgico del tiempo en la argumentacin sobre el mal del, L'origine du mal selon Origne et dans ses sources, Journey Back to God: Origen on the Problem of Evil, Rethinking Gnosticism: An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category, Des Origenes Lehre vom Urstand des Menschen, Thologie de l'image de dieu chez Origne, Alcune osservazioni sull interpretazione Origeniana di Genesi 2,7 e 3,21, Origen, Greek Philosophy, and the Birth of the Trinitarian Meaning of, On the Confusion of Tongues and Origen's Allegory of the Dispersion of Nations, Origen's Platonism. 80 For additional dissonances between Plato and Origen, see Scott, Journey back to God, 5369; Blosser, Become Like the Angels, 16372, 21619. 3.1.3/GK 466, 197.9468, 198.2). Hostname: page-component-75b8448494-m747x I examine three representative Pauline texts1 Cor 8:4-6, Rom 11:36, and Col 1:15-17to see how Paul speaks about the Christian God. eccl. Since these are personal objects of contemplation, there is nothing strained when Origen envisions souls not only contemplating, but also loving God and the Son (Princ. Patriots 2023 NFL Draft takeaways: A stud early, but some odd picks on h This is FRONTLINE's old website. Armstrong, A. H.; London: Cambridge University Press, 1967) 18292Google Scholar. Whenever this adversarial Hellenic spirit triumphed, as it inevitably did, it corroded an authentic living Christianity into an institutionalized, dogmatic religion. (3) Edwards does not appear to provide any texts from which we can positively reconstruct the view of the soul's origin and embodiment that he attributes to Origen. 44 Harnack, History of Dogma, 1:1 and 18 (where dogma is sinisterly described as a real world power). Hellenistic Christianity is notable for its combination of Greek philosophy, ethics and morality with Christian belief. Edwards, however, suggests that we read the phrase as from the beginning of his creation, i.e., Christ's soul was only created with his body and that from this beginning it clung to the Word. 20.54; 20.135; 28.179. Harvey, Susan Ashbrook and Hunter, David G.; Oxford Handbooks; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008) 67290Google Scholar; Markschies, Christoph, Does it Make Sense to Speak of a Hellenization of Christianity in Antiquity? Church History and Religious Culture 92 (2012) 3334CrossRefGoogle Scholar. hom. 5.61; Comm. Glawe, Walter, Die Hellenisierung des Christentums in der Geschichte der Theologie von Luther bis auf die Gegenwart (Neue Studien zur Geschichte der Theologie und der Kirche 15; Berlin: Trowitzsch und Sohn, 1912)Google Scholar; Grillmeier, Aloys, HellenisierungJudaisierung des Christentums als Deuteprinzipien der Geschichte des kirchlichen Dogmas: Mit ihm und in ihm. hbbd``b`Z$A,O H\ A Hellenism and Its Influences on Judaism in Alexandria Jo. Danilou refers the reader to Albinus/Alkinoos, Didaskalikos 16.2, however it is not this treatise, but Plato's Phaedrus, that Origen mentions several times in Cels. 79 For Origen, this comes close to the imitation of Christ's soul contemplating its Maker (see esp. For instance, in saying that the word of God that we encounter in scripture is the logos or the divine reason, by which he meant a combination of the ideas, Plato's ideas, which by that time were conceived by philosophers as being in the mind of God.
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