What is the New Testament Church’s perspective on philosophy and knowledge?

The Church of the New Testament was born in the “Age of Philosophy.” The word “philosophy” in the first centuries was roughly the equivalent of the “industrial progress” of medieval Europe, the “scientific progress” of the twentieth century, and “technological progress” of our own time. Rulers prided themselves in being philosophers and highly cultured. The apostle Paul describes the cross as being foolishness to the Greeks (philosophers) (1 Cor. 2:14), whereas it is in reality a superior divine philosophy, “because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). These philosophers considered the cross to be foolishness because they were incapable of understanding the mystery of the wisdom of God.

And yet, the Church did not disdain philosophy or knowledge. The apostles frequently use the word “know” and its cognates in the New Testament. Knowledge does not stand in tension with faith; rather they are like two closely related sisters who need each other, so long as knowledge is true, and faith is authentic rather than spurious. The Catechetical School of Alexandria was the first Christian institute of learning in the world. The early Church took a broad view of the culture of the society of its day. For example:

First: The scholar Origen (185–254 A. D.) states that St. Pantaenus, the head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria (who passed away around the year 190) won many philosophers over to the Christian faith by using philosophy.⁸⁵²

Second: St. Clement of Alexandria (150–215) is considered the first Christian writer to combine faith with philosophy,⁸⁵³ although he was also aware that some writers had used philosophy to introduce errors into the faith. This saint wore the philosophers’ cloak when

851 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) 3.11 (ANF 2:285).

852 See Eusebius Pamphili, Ecclesiastical History 6.19.13 (NPNF II/1:267).

853 Translators’ Note: While there were certainly Christian authors before Clement who brought Christianity and philosophy into dialogue in their writings — such as Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, and even St. Paul the apostle (cf. Acts 17) — Fr Tadros argues in his book (see the following footnote) that Clement took this dialogue in new and important directions.

he taught in the School. He believed that there is no enmity between Christianity and philosophy. His view of philosophy can be summarized as follows:⁸⁵⁴

• a. Philosophy is not a work of darkness — the Logos shines upon all philosophical schools like a ray of light.⁸⁵⁵ At the beginning of the Stromata he criticizes those who say that philosophy is evil, asserting that it is instead an act of divine management.⁸⁵⁶ The goal of the philosophers of all the philosophical schools is the same as the goal of Christianity: the good life; but the difference is that while the philosophers enjoy only a little of the truth, Christianity manifests the full truth in Christ.⁸⁵⁷ Philosophy thus falls short of truth⁸⁵⁸ but it is still valuable.⁸⁵⁹ The philosophers are like children — it is the Lord Christ who brings them to maturity.

• b. He said, “And philosophy—I do not mean the Stoic, or the Platonic, or the Epicurean, or the Aristotelian, but whatever has been well said by each of those sects, which teach righteousness along with a science pervaded by piety,—this eclectic whole I call philosophy.”⁸⁶⁰

• c. He believes that in His care, God neglected no one. God gave the Hebrews the Law as a preparation to lead them to the Lord Christ; and He gave philosophy to the Greeks to lead them to the same goal. He says, “Accordingly, before the advent of the Lord, philosophy was necessary to the Greeks for righteousness. And now it becomes conducive to piety; being a kind of preparatory training to those who attain to faith through demonstration … as the law, the Hebrews, ‘to Christ’ (Gal. 3:24). Philosophy, therefore, was a preparation, paving the way for him who is perfected in Christ.”⁸⁶¹

• d. This saint provides many examples to argue that the Greeks borrowed much from the Old Testament.⁸⁶² He says that Plato adopted the opinions of Moses and the prophets, though he did not transmit them accurately. Nevertheless, in defending faith against the philosophers,⁸⁶³ St. Clement often affirmed that faith is the basis of all knowledge,⁸⁶⁴ that faith is greater than knowledge, and that faith is the benchmark against which knowledge is to be tested.⁸⁶⁵

854 See Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, The School of Alexandria Before Origen (Sydney: Pope Shenouda III Coptic Theological College, 1995): pp. 158–164.

855 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.13 (ANF 2:313).

856 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.4 (ANF 2:304–305).

857 W. Fairweather, Origen and Greek Patristic Theology (Scribner, 1901): p. 15.

858 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.8 (ANF 2:308–309).

859 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.15 (ANF 2:315–317).

860 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.7 (ANF 2:308).

861 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 1.5 (ANF 2:305).

862 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.5 (ANF 2:351–353).

863 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.2 (ANF 2:348–349).

864 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.4 (ANF 2:349–351).

865 St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.4 (ANF 2:349–351).

• e. This saint was well acquainted with both the pagan and Christian worlds and was therefore well acquainted with both classical Greek writings and Christian theology. Therefore, he believed that the Church should not discourage catechumens from continuing their philosophical studies, but should instead teach a Christian approach to philosophy through her culture and teaching.

Third: It is said that in the second century and the early third century, philosophers became Christians and Christians became philosophers. Philosophers were often represented among the deans and teachers at the Catechetical School of Alexandria.⁸⁶⁶

Fourth: It should not surprise us that the Catechetical School of Alexandria did not limit it curriculum to religious studies alone, but was quite encyclopedic in its teaching. This honor of leading Christian thought in the early Church indicates how the Church engaged with the society around it via its culture and learning, sanctifying its potential and capabilities, nurturing it, and developing everything that tended to its edification.

Fifth: In his efforts to delineate the true, authentic, and practical Christian “gnosticism,” St. Clement of Alexandria , uses the term gnostic to denote the spiritual believer.⁸⁶⁷ For him, there is no separation of knowledge ( gnosis ) from spirituality.

In St. Justin Martyr’s (100–165 A. D.) discourse on philosophy and philosophers, he says, “Our doctrines, then, appear to be greater than all human teaching; because Christ, who appeared for our sakes, became the whole rational being; both body, and reason and soul. For whatever either lawgivers or philosophers uttered well, they elaborated by finding and contemplating some part of the Word. But since they did not know the whole of the Word, which is Christ, they often contradicted themselves.”⁸⁶⁸