Christianizing Philosopher's

Sarah Chamblee

Mrs.Wilhelmus

AP Language

7 August 2013

Christianizing Philosopher's

           This chapter is one of my favorites out of the entire book. St. Augustine christianized Plato just by believing that his ideas were so similar to the Old Testament, almost like Plato had had knowledge of it. St.Augustine didn't start out being Christian, he actually tried different religions before choosing Christianity. He got a good taste of things that were out there. He thought philosophy and Christianity didn't have to be separated. He believed Plato's ideas aligned with what he thought Christianity is.  

            Aquina's is why this is my favorite chapter. He believed that going to church was not the only way to be saved. The fact that he thought there were two ways to salvation is my favorite. He believed that going to church was one way to salvation and having reason and knowledge was another way. He christianized Aristotle with saying that the two's ideas are similar and their ideas solidify each other. Aristotle's ideas support the idea of a God and other ideas in Christianity. Which is why he believed that philosophy did not need to be separated from religion. Philosophy's natural reason went right with Christianity's beliefs, so he was not outcast from any church. 

           In the Middle Ages they shut down Plato's philosophy school, which is why this chapter is surprising to me. Surprising because these two were not exiled from their churches for supporting philosophy. They went through the ideas of separating church and state, which finally ended up happening, It seemed like they would do the same with separating religion and philosophy  These two kept the idea of philosophy alive in these times and that is something I did not know. They are the people who kept the ancient Greek philosopher's ideas alive, instead of letting them get lost in time.