The Roman World had a form of unity as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great. Alexander’s conquests (334-323 B.C.) were at once the cause and result of great changes in Greek Thought. Hellenism was the outcome – the process of conquering a people by stripping them of their natural heritage and replacing it with the heritage of their conquerors. And among the writers of the day, Plato had the greatest affect and influence on Christian thought through the early church due to Hellenism and the connection between that and Greek thought. Although this was the greatest influence, other ideologies of the day (Stoicism, Epicureanism, Neo-Platonism, and the like) also had affects on the beginnings of Christian thought (as is made evident through a brief perusal of the early church fathers who were profoundly affected by it in many ways). Mystery religions were also functioning during this time and they frequently included a ceremonial meal in which the faithful ingested the god and became participants in divinity. With so many philosophies present at the time, it was impossible that they did not meld or fold into one another, and religious syncretism was part of the normal expression of religion during this time. However, though many different philosophies existed during the time of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, Christianity was one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, philosophical and theological force of the day when it emerged, converting thousands at a time to its intellectual, but personal religion. Christianity was not born into a vacuum, but in a religious upheaval. The incarnation, then, has a historical context in which it was to parley, and overcome.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:10:23 +0000
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