hom. 29 Cels. Taylor Echolls - Updated September 29, 2017, Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, PBS Frontline: From Jesus to Christ - Hellenistic Culture, BBC Religions: The Basics of Christian History. 3.5.4; Comm. 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.". By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. And also at the same time the immanent rationality of the world, taking over a Stoic idea that reason constitutes the inner working of the world. endstream endobj 130 0 obj <>stream This latter union was the result of a descent, but it was not precipitated by a sinful fall (see Origen against Plato, 8997; the arguments are rehearsed at Origen's Platonism, 3435). 0 "useRatesEcommerce": false 64.72. Robin Waterfield; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002). Augustine and Cassiodorus provide indirect evidence for this benefit of the theory. For others, however, for other people in the Jewish tradition, it probably was more of a problem that Herod, supposedly a Jewish king, would have been so willing to turn himself over, as it were, to Roman religious interests and Roman imperial ideology. Approved thesis at Harding School of Theology on divine impassibility. Early Christianity engaged Hellenistic culture generally, and more specifically Greek philosophy, from the end of the first century on. Paul's success at Ephesus provoked a riot to defend the cult of the goddess Artemis. (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. 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. Cant. During the second century and beyond there's a continuing engagement over a variety of issues. Eph. Also see Hom. The German and Swedish Lutheran Mission was a major and pioneering Protestant mission society that started its mission work in Tamil Nadu. What Is the Most Widely Practiced Religion in the World. On the opening chapters of Genesis as an allegory of the drama of pre-existent souls and their fall, see Peter W. Martens, Origen's Doctrine of Pre-Existence and the Opening Chapters of Genesis, ZAC 16 (2012) 51649. 38 Crouzel, Henri, Origne (Paris: Lethielleux, 1985) 21623Google Scholar. See as well Edwards, Mark, Origen's Platonism. Hellenism refers to the spread of Greek culture through the Mediterranean region after the fourth century B.C. The present version was revised while I was a fellow at the Center for Philosophy of Religion (Notre Dame, 20122013). But by this point in Greek philosophy, according to Harold W. Attridge of Yale Divinity School, there was a "growing appreciationfor the notion that there may be a single simple divine principle underlying all things." Platonism and Christianity: A Mere Antagonism or a Profound Common Ground. 87 It is rarely noted that some Platonists who preceded Origen rejected pre-existence. 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. It has been argued, however, that . Significant statements on pre-existence in Plato's writings surface at Meno 80d81c; 85e86b; Phaed. 12 Tzamalikos, Panayiotis, Origen: Cosmology and Ontology of Time (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 77; Leiden: Brill, 2006) 8081Google Scholar. Lothar Lies; Innsbrucker theologische Studien 19; Innsbruck: Tyrolia Verlag, 1987] 260). St. Paul could quote such pagan poets as Aratus, Menander, and Epimenides. This was not a mystery to be guarded but rather a problem that pre-existence could solve. 7.6; Comm. 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. A Definition of the Title Son of God in the Synoptic Gospels, Why Should an Atheist Have Faith [And This] In Jesus-Christ, NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTOLOGY: A CRITIQUE OF BOUSSETS INFLUENCE, THE RECEPTION OF JOHANNINE LOGOS: AN APPROPRIATION OF JAUSS-GADAMER HERMENEUTICS OF RECEPTION THEORY. See as well, Athanasius, Decr. pref.2). On two souls: Tatian, Oratio ad Graecos 12 and 16; Tertullian, De Anima 10; Clement, Strom. Comm. hasContentIssue false, Copyright President and Fellows of Harvard College 2015. 0_e_@4!P After Diocletians retirement, Galerius continued the persecution until 311, when he was stricken by a painful disease, described in exquisite detail by the church historian Eusebius, who believed it was an act of revenge by the Christian God. Cant. Rather it is best understood as the study of archaic Mediterranean religions in their Hellenistic phase within both their native and diasporic settings. Total loading time: 0 2.8.2; 2.8.5; 2.11.1; 3.4.1; 3.4.4. discussion. 3.9 (432a) and Philo, Leg. Lastly (5) Edwards claims that when Origen says newly-created human souls or minds are immaterial or incorporeal, he does not mean to imply that they ever existed without a bodymind refers to the mind proper as well as some sort of body (Origen against Plato, 9497). 3 Harnack describes the original gospel as a religion of life and feeling of the heart (ibid., 1:46) which suffered a decomposition as Hellenism increasingly overcame it (1:47, 49; on the fate of the gospel in the Greek world, see 1:56). See esp. Jesus the Messiah in Messianic Jewish Theology: The Shaping of Messianic Jewish Christology Paper given at LCJE International Conference, Finland, August 9th, 2003 and published in LCJE Conference Papers. 72). The language and culture of the Hellenistic world was Greek. Gen. 12.4; Fr. 84 Princ. 89 This terminology is in concert with a growing number of scholars who have argued that the prevailing approach of early Christian intellectuals to philosophy was neither wholesale acceptance nor straightforward rejection, but a transformation of the vocabulary, themes, arguments and assumptions of philosophers for Christian ends. The influence of Greek language, philosophy and culture on Jews and early Christians. SV&>zi{in^KFrtM1UkY r5vec1n>(Ex)&-V"h 0R%0H 1.pref.2 (GK 84, 8.1927/Origen: On First Principles [trans. 2.9(22) (where he seems to endorse pre-existence) and Ep. 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). On this series of fifteen anathemas, and their relationship to the council, see Price, Acts of Constantinople, 2:270286. Galerius died shortly after ending the persecution. 31 Comm. Thanks to Gretchen Reydams-Schils, as well as the graduate students, fellows, and faculty affiliated with the Center, who provided valuable critique. Pamphilus continued this observation, noting that Origen spoke hesitantly about the issue of the pre-existent soul (Apol. symposium. Non-standard abbreviation: GK = Origenes: Vier Bcher von den Prinzipien (ed. It was a shift from birthright to convinced religion. However, it is important to mention that among Platonists in antiquity, and indeed, even within Plato's writings, there was substantial debate, and differing views, about how souls became embodied. . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). As for the human soul in particular, Origen notes that besides having imaginative and impulsive capabilities, it also possesses reason (), which allows it to adjudicate on the myriad of images that bombard it every day. I know of no one who reads these passages as pointing to a pre-existent fallthey read far more obviously (with Edwards) as falls that transpire either in this life or in the eschatological life. 85 Note esp. Some of them having to do with issues of ethics and morality. The impact of Christianity following its legitimisation as the official state religion of Rome under Constantine in the 4th century contributed key impacts for the empire and its Hellenistic character. Jo. Omissions? For many Jews, it seemed not to be a problem at all. 27.12, on the research-quality of Origen's theology. 3:1011 (= Pamphilus, Apol. So too Bostock: It must be recognized however that the Platonic or Pythagorean doctrine of pre-existence was not antagonistic to Jewish belief and that the difference between them was one of emphasis and viewpoint rather than of fundamental philosophy (The Sources, 260). A place like Beth-shean, for instance, which still has a magnificent theater dating from the Hellenistic period. Both of those strands of Hellenistic tradition as appropriated by Jewish philosophers like Philo, did, however, have an impact on Christians of a later generation who tried to make sense of Jesus and his teaching within the broader framework of Greek and Roman culture. von Ivnka, Endre, Plato Christianus: bernahme und Umgestaltung des Platonismus durch die Vter (Einsiedeln: Johannes Verlag, 1964)Google Scholar; Meijering, E. P., Wie platonisierten Christen?, VC 28 (1974) 1528Google Scholar; de Vogel, Cornelia, Platonism and Christianity: A Mere Antagonism or a Profound Common Ground?, VC 39 (1985) 162Google Scholar; Christian Gnilka in Der Begriff des rechten Gebrauchs (: Die Methode der Kirchenvter im Umgang mit der Antiken Kultur [9 vols; Basel: Schwabe, 1984]) 1: 5463; Werner Beierwaltes, Platonismus im Christentum (Philosophische Abhandlungen 73; Frankfurt A. M.: Vittorio Klostermann, 1998); most recently, I. Ramelli, Origen, Patristic Philosophy, and Christian Platonism, 256263. 3:1011 (=Pamphilus, Apol. Neros persecution, which was local and short, was condemned by Tacitus as an expression of the emperors cruelty rather than as a service to the public good. The Christians should be left alone as long as they did not stir up trouble. 20.182) (so also Brke, Georg, Des Origenes Lehre vom Urstand des Menschen, ZKT 72 [1950] 3033Google Scholar; Crouzel, Henri, Thologie de l'image de dieu chez Origne [Thologie (Aubier) 34; Paris: Aubier, 1956], 14853Google Scholar; Giulia Sfameni Gasparro, Doppia creazione e peccato di Adamo nel Peri Archon: Fondamenti biblici e presupposti Platonici dell esegesi Origeniana, in Origeniana Secunda: Second Colloque international des tudes origniennes, Bari 2023 septembre 1977 [ed. 29 September 2015. the following claim about Jesus's pre-existent soul: To prove that it was the perfection of his love and the sincerity of his true affection which gained for him this inseparable unity with God, so that the taking up of his soul was neither accidental nor the result of personal preference, but was a privilege conferred upon it as a reward for its virtues (Princ. He expresses reserve about the value of philosophy, particular philosophical doctrines, or philosophers at Hom. A. S. Worrall; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1989) 217 (the comment on Plato at 207). He was a philosopher and scriptural interpreter who lived in Alexandria from around 30 B.C. Much of this activity would have centered in Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, but there was similar activity going on in Palestine, and some of these literary products that survive in some cases only in fragments, were probably written in Palestine, by Jews who were adopting these Hellenistic literary modes. We have some ideas in common with them, he plainly announces (Cels. While many Hellenistic Christians accepted Christ, it was difficult for some to accept the idea of Jesus as intermediary between God and the people. . See also Dial. Love your neighbor as yourself. 2018. ; 3rd German edition; London: Williams and Norgate, 1897) esp. @TJ. Ic}Z-i"L\/E%u3%K.\a3wny2 34 Princ. 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. Carl. Hellenism (, Hellnisms) is a religious movements which revive or reconstruct of ancient Greek religious practices from antiquity. Was Early Christianity Corrupted by 'Hellenism'? - Wilmington For Christ See as well, Pamphilus, Apol. View all Google Scholar citations G. W. Butterworth; Gloucester, Mass. Hellenistic Influence in First-Century Palestine and Transjordan jesus' many faces. 5 See Harnack's distinction between Jewish and Hellenistic views of pre-existence and Origen's illustration of the latter variety (History of Dogma, 1:31831). 6; Nemesius, Nat. The great Church Father compared Classical literature to the gold of the Egyptians, which God permitted the Hebrews to use on their journey to the Promised Land even though it had once been used in pagan religious practice. 43 Note as well that by adopting pre-existence, Origen was going against the view of Clement, who had probably been his teacher in Alexandria (Eusebius, Hist. Traditionally, "Hellenistic Judaism" was a designation for Judaism in the Greek-speaking world, including those Jews who spoke Greek and adopted (to some extent) a Greek way of life. eccl. Letterkunde, nieuwe reeks, d. 128; Amsterdam: North Holland, 1985)Google Scholar. . 2; Cels. The Christians were not respectful toward ancestral pagan customs, and their preaching of a new king sounded like revolution. 5.1.35; 5.4.3; Cels. Jo. How Hellenized was the Jewish religious culture of the time? Whenever this adversarial Hellenic spirit triumphed, as it inevitably did, it corroded an authentic living Christianity into an institutionalized, dogmatic religion. 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. On the Hellenic spirit, 1:49. It was a time of spiritual revolution in the Greek and Roman empires, when old cults died or were fundamentally transformed and when new religious movements came into being. 19.149150; Comm. And his conquest, which extended from India. As Christianity spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders were educated in Greek philosophy. Although the blood of the martyrs, as contemporaries declared, had helped the church to grow, schism eventually arose with those who had yielded to imperial pressure. of Byzantine Hellenism that takes into account its geographical, linguistic, and cultural origins, as well as its influence on education, literature, art, religion, and society in the Empire, it is possible to gain a fuller, more complete understanding of the way in which it shaped not only the Io. To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. Embodiment, Heresy, and the Hellenization of Christianity: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0017816015000401, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. Today the consensus is that this did not occur. Also see Hom. 2.9.2 where Origen claims that the goodness of these prelapsarian souls was the result of their Creator's beneficence (GK 404, 165.21). Christian Gonzalez. Gen. 1 (=Eusebius, Marc. { _ &g&>|{K]T 7)Z*"7pScB`UK A 53 Princ. Bacchylides raises the problem why rationalist culture in its first Hellenic embodiment met with an arrest. A common criticism of historic orthodox Christianity is the claim that early Christianity was corrupted by the intellectual forces of 'Hellenism.' (Hellenism, of course, refers to the influence of ancient Greek philosophy and culture, which spread throughout the Mediterranean world after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC.) Christologische Forschungen und Perspektiven (Freiburg: Herder, 1975)Google Scholar; Scheffczyk, Leo, Tendenzen und Brennpunkte der neueren Problematik um die Hellenisierung des Christentums (Sitzungsberichte der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften; Munich: Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1982)Google Scholar; Meijering, E. P., Die Hellenisierung des Christentums im Urteil Adolf von Harnacks (Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afd. 6.21 Origen refers explicitly to Philo's interpretation of Jacob's ladder in this latter work where Philo's view of pre-existence is developedsee also Jerome, Jo. While the Latin phrase is ambiguous, the larger context clarifies how it should be understood: in the lines that immediately follow, Origen says that Jesus's soul had already (iam) completely entered the Word before it was united to the body (GK 362, 143.12). Does it Make Sense to Speak of a Hellenization of Christianity in Antiquity? Note also Cels. ; 2 vols. Rom. For more on the distinction between the church's teaching and the scholar's research, see esp., Kettler, Franz Heinrich, Der ursprngliche Sinn der Dogmatik des Origenes (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fr die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der lteren Kirche 31; Berlin: Alfred Tpelmann, 1966)Google Scholar. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. why did christianity succeed? Gen. 16.3; Princ. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. There used to be a debate in the literature over whether this council also published, in addition to its condemnation of Origen in the eleventh canon, a series of fifteen anathemas against his controversial teachings, pre-existence included (see esp. A Portrait Of Jesus' World - Hellenistic Culture - PBS Hostname: page-component-75b8448494-m747x See esp. 1.3.81.4.1 which he claims is often said to adumbrate a fall from the incorporeal to the bodily condition (ibid., 92). Ti. 8 Jean Danilou, Gospel Message and Hellenistic Culture (trans. 15 Below I focus on Phaedrus since Origen specifically alludes to this work when discussing pre-existence. Edwards's reading of Origen's relation to Plato resembles the earlier view of Heinrich Drrie, who argued that Platonism only superficially influenced Christianity through its terminology, not its underlying ideas, and that we should speak instead of christlicher Gegenplatonismus, i.e., Christian anti-Platonism (see esp. 1.32 (SC 132 164.3132) he refers by name to Pythagoras, Plato and Empedocles whom he is following when he proposes the pre-existence of Jesus's soul. 20.54; 20.135; 28.179. This fusion produced Christianity and its sister heresies collectively known as Gnosticism. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The New Testament and other parts of the Bible are considered Hellenistic in form, and much of Christian art throughout the centuries has been based on a Greek artistic and sculptural sensibility. Hellenistic Christianity is notable for its combination of Greek philosophy, ethics and morality with Christian belief. Each of these native religions also had diasporic centres that exhibited marked change during the Hellenistic period. 3.4.2. Reflecting this position, Tertullian once asked, What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? Despite this hostility, many Christians recognized the value of ancient letters. anathemas 19 and 1315). Organized empire-wide persecutions occurred, however, at moments of extreme crisis and as a response to the growth of the faith. This empire was so vast as truly to stagger the imagination. 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. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003)Google Scholar. Religions | Free Full-Text | Christianity and Its Impact on the Lives 1.4; 6.3; 6.1314; 7.6; 7.4547; 7.71; Princ. 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. 2.1.13; Comm. Butterworth renders this phrase from the beginning of the creation, implying that Christ's soul was created from the very beginning, and was there united to its Creator, long before it became embodied. We see bits and pieces of this in passages such as the prologue of the 4th Gospel where this concept of the logos comes to play. He customarily mentioned Marcion, Valentinus and Basilides by name, or grouped them together as heretics (Princ. 1.6.2 (GK 220, 81.1112/Butterworth, 154). 40 Givens, When Souls Had Wings, 46. 61 There is a substantial debate in the literature about whether rational souls were originally discarnate or were always associated with some sort of body. And then, subsequent to that, the Roman imperial expansion, which would take that over politically. The Christians were not respectful toward ancestral pagan customs, and their preaching of a new king sounded like revolution. ; Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1995) 1:4145Google Scholar; Gruen, Erich S., Jews and Greeks, in A Companion to the Hellenistic World (ed. 1.7.4 (see also Princ. Matt. h 3:1011 (= Pamphilus, Apol. Most notable was the shift from elements characteristic of native religion in its definition of religion (e.g., local tradition and custom, informal knowledge orally transmitted, and birth) to formulated dogma, creeds, law codes, and rules for conversion and admission that were characteristic of diasporic religion. 3.47; 4.6768; 4.54; 5.613; 6.14; 7.42; 7.44; esp. 1.3.1; Ep. See Walther Vlker, Das Vollkommenheitsideal des Origenes: eine Untersuchung zur Geschichte der Frmmigkeit und zu den Anfngen christlicher Mystik (Beitrge zur historischen Theologie 7; Tbingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1931), where he argues for a merely formal influence of philosophy on Origen. But what did the early Christians believe about their Lord and Master? endstream endobj startxref For example, Isis (Egypt), Baal (Syria), the Great Mother (Phrygia), Yahweh (Palestine), and Mithra (Kurdistan) were worshiped in their native lands as well as in Rome and other cosmopolitan centres. 1.8.4 (end); 2.8.4; 2.9.2; 2.9.6; 3.4.5; Comm. To regain divine protection, the emperors introduced the systematic persecution of Christians throughout the empire. That became the lingua franca of all of these subject peoples. 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. 59 Princ. The study of Hellenistic religions is a study of the dynamics of religious persistence and change in this vast and culturally varied area. bible history quiz. 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. 1.5.3; 1.6.2; 3.3.5. Henri Crouzel and Antonio Quacquarelli; Quaderni di Vetera Christianorum 15; Rome: Edizioni dell'Ateneo, 1980] 6364). Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Gen. 1.13; Comm. 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. Henry Chadwick; Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1953] 21617)allusion to Phaedr. For similar lists of questions about the soul, see Princ. 75cd). The "Triumph" of Hellenization in Early Christianity: Sanneh/Wiley There was a continuation of the program of Herod the Great, the father of Herod Antipas. 55 As Origen presents the Gnostic view of human nature, it entailed a denial that humans had the capacity to make decisions for which God held them accountable. Theosis, vol. (2) Edwards notes that the sun, moon, and stars have been subjected to embodiment but that this did not happen as a result of previous sins (see Princ. Christians were blamed for the desperate situation because they denied the gods who were thought to protect Rome, thereby bringing down their wrath. 4.30; Comm. On the divine justice behind the diversity in this world, see Princ. 2.20.112114; 6.12.135, Exc. 126 0 obj <> endobj That seems to me a confusion. 25 All these verses (as well as Lev 17:14, Rom 7:23 and Gal 5:19) are listed and discussed at Princ. The Hellenic spirita concept Harnack usually left undefinedconstituted a threat to the undogmatic gospel of Jesus. On the difficulties of finding a creationist view prior to Origen, see esp. Matthew J. O'Connell; 3 vols. On Stoic definitions, see esp. One must think of the development of the eastern Mediterranean, really, in two major phases. Gen. 13.3; Cels. Hier. Thus, while not formally included in the acts of the council, the bishops certainly had Justinian's letter and these anathemas fresh in mind when they formally condemned Origen at the council. Ti. That's certainly an example of the way in which Greek literary forms and Greek language impacted Jewish civilization and literary traditions. He has written for the "Valley Citizen" newspaper, where his work won first- and second-place awards in sports and outdoor features from the Idaho Press Club. 1:4); John 9:2 (Hom. . 22 Galen, de semine 2.2 (on Athenaeus, founder of the pneumatic school of physicians, who followed Aristotle); Alexander of Aphrodisias, de anima, 36.2223. *A2$ [a5i8Q#a~ba>o&1Mq3~R728{w1.n;p!JMQcF/ )E Origen defines the soul as an existence possessing imagination and desire [ ] (Princ. Things like Platonic philosophy and Stoic philosophy at the level it was appropriated by a person like Philo, probably would not have had a direct impact on Jesus. The Stoics (for whom the soul of the embryo derived from the souls of both parents) also accepted the theory of simultaneous origins, and apparently so too did some Platonists. Le Boulluec, Alain, La notion d'hrsie dans la littrature grecque, IIeIIIe sicles (2 vols. 13 Origen was as aware as Justinian (or Harnack) of the potential danger of philosophy to corrode the church's central convictions. The teachings and way of life that marked an authentic Christianity often stood in a disjunctive relationship with Greco-Roman culture, especially its philosophies.