"Christianitized" philosophy?

[Nickkname]

I was checking out an Orthodox site, wanting to learn more about our Orthodox brethern, and came upon this:

Philosophy and Divine Knowledge

The important Orthodox doctrine of the incarnation, that is, the divine Logos who became flesh, rendered philosophy and metaphysics irrelevant to our deeper knowledge of the divine truth. Christianity offers access to divine grace for the salvation of mankind through the resurrection of Christ. We cannot speculate about the Logos after the coming of Christ, who is the divine Logos in the flesh, and who sent the Holy Spirit to the world and “teaches us all things.” The mystical experience spoken of by the classical Greeks is abstract and conceptual. That is, in ancient Greek philosophic contemplation, the soul or spirit goes outside the body to be liberated. Philosophy plays only a linguistic role in Orthodoxy, lending the use of its terminology after the terms have been transformed and purified of their secular meanings, “Christianized” philosophy and culture, as Father Georges Florovsky used to say. A master of spirituality, a monk of Mount Athos, describes this point in the following manner: “Many of the Greeks tried to philosophize, but only the monks found and learned the true philosophy.” The Logos became flesh and revealed to humanity the divine revelation. He is the Truth and through him we can attain knowledge of the divine will. The metaphysical patterns of the philosophic speculation of the Christian revelation distort the divine mission of the incarnate Logos.

Source: goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article9284.asp

Is this something the Catholic Church teaches as well?

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

Something like that, but it’s in terms we can actually understand.

The ending is certainly something that Catholicism teaches, but I couldn’t tell you if the rest is exactly the same; the vocabulary is a little difficult for me to really interpret.

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood

 

[Padilla7921]

I think we can look no further than to two of the greatest philosophers to ever live: St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine. There philosophies ended in Christ. The answers to all their questions were found in Christianity, in the Divine, in God and the Church.

The passage you presented falls along the same lines as Aquinas and Augustine. It pretty much says that the realities of life, existence, and etc can ultimately be found and realized in Christ, in His teachings, and things of that nature, thusly rendering “true” philosophy obsolete.

However, I disagree with this statement:

rendered philosophy and metaphysics irrelevant to our deeper knowledge of the divine truth

There are philosophical and metaphysical questions that are not necessarily answered by/in Christ or by/in the Divine. For instance, the metaphysical question “How are the body and soul connected?” is one that is not answered simply in Christ or the Divine. There is more to it, especially considering the fact that Christ Himself was both Divine and Human. While that is a mystery, it still remains a viable philosophical question that is not rendered irrelevant because of that Incarnation.

That said, I think that the terms “philosophy” and “metaphysical” are intended to be considered in relation to the Divine. Still, they aren’t necessarily irrelevant or obsolete. Like I said before, just look no further than Aquinas and Augustine as primary examples of the relevancy of philosophy and metaphysics in Christianity, spirituality, and understanding of the Divine.

 

[Jack_245814]

It’s kinda hard to understand what he’s saying. Is he saying philosophy is generally irrelevant and Christian philosophy is just a way of trying to communicate the mystical? Or is he saying that Christian philosophy rests on divine revelation and is therefore different in nature and more reliable than Pagan philosophy? Or something else entirely?

I always thought the East was known for its philosophy; at least, during the patristic era I’ve read that the Eastern Fathers were far more influenced by Ancient Greek philosophy than the Western ones were. Then again, these days I often read Eastern Orthodox apologists who talk about the “mysticism” of the East as contrasted with the “legalistic” West.

I know that the West definitely has no problem with philosophy and metaphysics, at least. Look at St. Thomas Aquinas .

 

[Verbum]

Hi Nik,

What you quote does not sound very much like Catholic practice. St. Thomas Aquinas, though he called philosophy “the handmaid of theology” , recognized it as valid and pertinent in its own right as a valid instrument in search of truth.

However, there has always been, in the Church, a certain movement in the direction of this Orthodox position. St. Bonaventure and the Franciscans, relying on St. Augustine, emphasized search for the “whole truth”, which includes God’s revelation, and inclined to think that the study of philosophy, as a discipline outside theology, was sort of a vain pursuit.

Verbum

 

[philipofJMJ]

One reason that Leo was excommunicated ipso facto, was his promotion of so called Christian Scholasticism. He was just one of many apostate antipopes since the chair became vacant in 1130. See RJMI book on “No popes or cardinals since 1130”, at, www.johnthebaptist.us