What does HELLENISTIC JUDAISM mean? Thus, the Christians could very well be unpopular, and they often were. [6] Ware, Orthodox Church, 14; Fairbairn, 31. When the Church later moved into new lands, it often maintained this lack of cultural diversity in a translated form. What is often missed is the Greek influences on Christianity, that Christianity is as Hellenistic as it is Jewish. 20). While it has at times emphasized too heavily the Greek over the Orthodox aspect of its identity, it still has not neglected the latter. Elaine Ruth Fletcher, “Orthodox Leaders Closer to Unity,”. [13], This more positive view of humanity extends into the Church’s view of the Incarnation. Hellenistic Christianity could also arguably include some of the Uniate Churches, which are churches with heritages in the old Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem that are today in communion with the Pope. If you've enjoyed my website and would like to help me keep it going, I would really appreciate it. [47], The Church has likewise attracted converts in the United States from a variety of backgrounds who found the Church on their own. Interestingly, the Orthodox Church holds that this “first among equals” position rightly belongs to the Pope. The Incarnation was “part of the eternal purpose of God, and not simply…an answer to the fall.”[14], It is unsurprising, therefore, that the Orthodox Church presents the crucifixion in a unique light as well. Catholicism is the more moderate of the two, having retained obedience to the Church and its traditions as well as requiring … Google Scholar With reference to Hahn he further writes: ‘To be sure, Hellenistic Jewish Christianity was a mediating element between the Aramaic-speaking Jewish Christianity of Palestine and Hellenistic Gentile Christianity. This makes them very fit to take the gospel crossculturally. [15] Ware, Orthodox Church, 229; see also Payton, 98-99, 121-22; Fairbairn, 79-81. Cook, "How Deep the Platonism," 269-286 in Farms Review of Books, vol. [7] Ware, Orthodox Church, 15; see also Garvey, 32. Upon the Jews' return from exile in Babylon, they endeavored to protect their national identity by following the law closely. The Church historian Eusebius suggested in his Praeparatio Evangelica that Greek philosophy, although in his view derivative, was concordant with Hebrew notions. Contacts between the Orthodox Church and their Arab neighbors in the centuries preceding the rise of Islam, for example, demonstrate a failure to translate the Christian faith into a form palatable to Arab culture. It was not until the fusion of Platonic and Aristotelian theology with Christianity that the concepts of strict omnipotence, omniscience, or benevolence became commonplace. Fasting also occupies an integral part of the Church’s communal liturgical cycle with a degree of rigor and asceticism generally lacking in the West. [22] Bartholomew, 6, 20-21, 25; Payton, 175, 78-79; Ware, Orthodox Church, 33; Fortescue, Orthodox Church, 105; Fairbairn, 39. Remaining currents of Hellenistic Judaism in all probability, as would be expected, merged into gnostic movements in the early centuries CE. 11, no. [44] In addition, Western theologians dissatisfied with the penal substitution theory of the atonement have begun to give the Orthodox view a fresh look.[45]. Different hierarchies from different national churches exist side by in contradiction to the Orthodox requirement of “one bishop in one city.”[40], A Russian-led effort to unify the various factions into one American Orthodox Church fell apart at the onset of the Russian Revolution, leaving the current situation—which a previous Ecumenical Patriarch labeled a “scandal”—intact. Icons are not merely decorative art. The Platonic Theory of Forms had an enormous influence on Hellenic Christian views of God. Orthodox worship centers around communal expressions of faith. What is more intelligent is more perfect as regards intelligence, what is more beautiful is more perfect as regards beauty, and so forth. Ware, Orthodox Church, 2, 13, 51, 291; John Garvey, “Eastern Orthodoxy,” The Atlantic, May 1989, 34; Bartholomew, 3, 57. Once a church achieves “autocephalous” status, it operates entirely independently of any other church’s interference. Christianity and Hellenistic philosophies experienced complex interactions during the first to the fourth centuries. [13] Payton, 111, 13; Ware, Orthodox Church, 223-24; Garvey, 34; Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Way: Revised Edition (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1995), 61. This was my final paper for the World Christianity class that I took my first semester at Yale. [45] See, for example, Gustaf Aulén, Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement, trans. A. G. Hebert (Eugen, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1931); Gregory A. Boyd, “Christus Victor View,” in The Nature of the Atonement, ed. Specifically, the doctrines of Trinity and the deity of … Indeed, the Eastern Orthodox Church is Hellenistic because of its schisms. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, "Christianity and Hellenistic philosophy", Learn how and when to remove this template message, A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, Christianity spread throughout the Hellenic world, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Hebrew, Early Judaic, and Early Christian Thought, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christianity_and_Hellenistic_philosophy&oldid=989280406, Articles needing additional references from December 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles that may contain original research from October 2017, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Some elements of these philosophies … to the death of Cleopatra and the incorporation of Egypt in the Roman Empire in 30 B.C.E. Orthodox theologians have argued, for example, that God, in His love for humanity, would have become man even if humanity had not fallen. Indeed, the Church “was too absorbed in bouts of theological hair-splitting to spare a thought for its neighbors.”[36], A Greek-centric worldview and insistence on “complete agreement in belief as a rule for Christian unity” poisoned any potential deep permeation into a pragmatic nomadic Arab population more concerned with the practical implementation of faith than distinctly Greek philosophizing. For all its faults, it has persevered in the faith of its ancestors, both as an established church—as in Greece today—and as a persecuted church—as in the Soviet Union. [18]  However, the “Orthodox Church is not as much given to making formal dogmatic definitions as the Roman Catholic Church.”[19], Consequently, expressions of its beliefs on such diverse matters as the Eucharist, the Sacraments, the afterlife, Mary, and a variety of other topics are found not primarily in confessions of faith but “in the prayers and hymns used at service.”[20] Indeed, “[t]hose who wish to know about Orthodoxy should not so much read books as…attend the Liturgy.”[21]. The book of Acts does not mention anything about a similar Christian presence in Alexandria, Egypt even though the city had a large population of Hellenistic Jews. Tim Dowley (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002), 366-68; see also Lamin Sanneh, Disciples of All Nations: Pillars of World Christianity (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 65. Through stumblings, shortcomings, and adversities, the Orthodox Church has persisted, safeguarding the traditions handed down to it and persevering as an ever-shining light from the too often forgotten Christian East. Ethnic divisions have made the establishment of a uniquely American Orthodox Church difficult. [37], One Catholic scholar criticized the Orthodox Church’s missionary apathy toward the Arabs, arguing that Orthodox leaders “allowed [the Arabs] to remain pagan, while they quarreled over abstruse points of theology, and intrigued for the Emperor’s favor at the court.”[38] A successful mission among the Arab peoples would have required an “adaptive response to the message,” which the elites of the Imperial Church could not abide. Platonic philosophers were able to theorize about the forms by looking at objects in the material world, and imagining what the "Perfect" tree, or "Perfect" man would be. Icons and fasting periods are unique aspects of such communal worship. Almost 200 years later, Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologiae, article 3, wrote succinctly: "By 'God', however, we mean some infinite good". (Current notable autocephalous churches include those of Constantinople, Russia, Antioch, and Greece, among others. As in Roman Catholicism, a celibate episcopate leads the Eastern Orthodox Church. I have also included a pdf copy of my paper below for those who prefer that format. Despite its heritage, however, Hellenistic Christianity is not limited to the territories of the former Greek Byzantine Empire. Acts 6:1 And in these ... /h/hellenistic.htm - 7k By Tradition, the Church means “the faith and practice which Jesus Christ imparted to the Apostles, and which since the Apostles’ time has been handed down from generation to generation in the Church.”[9], Tradition includes particularly the Bible, the Nicene Creed, and the seven ecumenical councils. Icons hold a prominent place in the life and worship of the Orthodox Church. See Bartholomew, 13; Payton, 38; Fortescue, Satan and the Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy, Progressive Revelation of the Divine Character, Joseph Ratzinger and the Purpose of Theology, Pluralism v. Inclusivism: Salvation and Diversity. Shaped the world-view in which the NT writers articulated the Christian revelation. They then concluded that God was omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and omnibenevolent. Despite its heritage, however, Hellenistic Christianity is not limited to the territories of the former Greek Byzantine Empire. Stoicism and, particularly, Platonism were readily incorporated into Christian ethics and Christian theology. Christianity - Christianity - Relations between Christianity and the Roman government and the Hellenistic culture: The Christians were not respectful toward ancestral pagan customs, and their preaching of a new king sounded like revolution. 8). Answer: Hellenism is the term used to describe the influence of Greek culture on the peoples the Greek and Roman Empires conquered or interacted with. Some of these churches remained in communion with Rome at the time of the Great Schism, while others entered back into communion at a later date. Prof. Jerry Dell Ehrlich in his book Plato's Gift to Christianity also lays out the importance of the Septuagint upon the Hellenistic world and upon Christianity. Martyr was an early apologist, explaining Christianity to this new Greek flock within their own system of philosophy. Bartholomew, 6, 20-21, 25; Payton, 175, 78-79; Ware. Both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism belong to what can be termed Hellenistic Christianity, that is, a form of Christianity heavily influenced by Greek philosophies, particularly Gnosticism. Hellenistic Christianity is notable for its combination of Greek philosophy, ethics and morality with Christian belief. Christianity emerged 300 years after the conquests of … Because church lines have generally been synonymous with state lines, church membership was often as much a cultural marker as an expression of religious belief. While other churches with a strong global presence—notably the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches—can make up for losses in Europe with gains elsewhere, the Orthodox Church lacks such a firewall. Orthodox territory then became officially isolated—after centuries of deteriorating relations—from the Latin West in 1054 with the Great Schism that separated the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.[30]. Hellenist definition is - a person living in Hellenistic times who was Greek in language, outlook, and way of life but was not Greek in ancestry; especially : a hellenized Jew. [33] Identification with the Church within the new Muslim empire allowed citizens of the former Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire to maintain a sense of cultural unity.[34]. Consequently, Hellenistic Christianity places great emphasis on the authority of councils of bishops, which the Church believes to be “the chief organ whereby God has chosen to guide his people…”[7] While all councils possess some level of authority, only ecumenical councils are considered infallible. [15], Instead, “Christ is the victor over death.”[16] Therefore, in Orthodox theology, there is no salvation apart from the resurrection. It was my final paper for the World Christianity class that I took during my first semester at Yale Divinity School. 2 (1999). Independence and autonomy are key features of the Orthodox churches. As a result, the Orthodox Church is particularly susceptible to losses caused by demographic changes in Europe where both population and religious participation are declining. [35], Such nationalistic missteps are rooted deep in its early history as an established church of empire. Hellenistic Christianity sees in the crucifixion a great triumph for Christ, rejecting the emphasis on the cross “as an act of satisfaction or substitution to propitiate the wrath of an angry Father” that became predominant in the West after Anselm of Canterbury in the eleventh century. Your email address will not be published. James Atkinson, “Reform,” in Introduction to the History of Christianity, ed. In essence, if God could be imagined, God existed. Ibid., 15. [23] Fairbairn, 43; Ware, Orthodox Church, 300; Fortescue, Orthodox Church, 426; see Bartholomew, 81-84. Orthodoxy reflects an early Christianity with all its beauty and with all its faults. Christian assimilation of Hellenistic philosophy was anticipated by Philo and other Greek-speaking Alexandrian Jews. In the Septuagint, Greek words led to the Hellenization of the Jews at home and in the Diaspora. [31] Ware, Orthodox Church, 77; Fairbairn, 145. The ontological argument reflected the classical concept of "perfections". The opposition of the Jews to them led to breaches of the peace. This is seen today in the labeling of the various Orthodox Churches by their national designations—the Russian Orthodox Church, for example. While Lent is the West’s great time of fasting and prayer, there are four significant fasting periods in Orthodoxy (in addition to most Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year): (1) Lent; (2) the Fast of the Apostles from eight days after Pentecost until 28 June; (3) the Dormition Fast from 1 to 14 August; and (4) the Christmas Fast from 15 November to 24 December. Hellenistic Paganism Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! The ontological argument is a defining example of the fusion of Hebrew and Greek thought. [11] As Saint Athanasius wrote, “For, [Christ] was made man, that we might be made gods.”[12], As a result, the anthropology of Hellenistic Christianity differs from prevailing Western views. In contrast, the West was able to maintain relative unity for fifteen hundred years before Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. This content uses referral links. [26], Eastern Orthodoxy claims to possess a history free of “Reformations or Counter-Reformations.”[27] However, this history obscures reality. The Hellenization of Christianity was a complex interaction between Hellenistic philosophy and early Christianity during the first four centuries of the Common Era. 620).[2]. The cultural tradition of the Greeks is called Hellenism. Hellenic Christians and their medieval successors then applied this Form-based philosophy to the Christian God. This page was last edited on 18 November 2020, at 02:10. Hellenistic Christianity represents one of the most ancient expressions of the Christian faith still in practice today. The Hellenistic period begins formally with the arrival of Alex­ander the Great in the Near East in 334BCE, but this date is not the beginning of Greek influence in the region. Plenty of texts from early Jewish and Christian history are currently entering translation or are being discovered, providing significant new historical context to the history of Christianity and its ideas. Is Christianity a predominantly Near Eastern or Hellenistic religion? Sadly, the strife between the two groups was not automatically eliminated by their conversion to Christianity, as the complaints concerning food distribution to widows of the two groups show. I have always been fascinated by Hellenistic Christianity, and I hope that this paper is of value to you. Philosophical realism was the dominant philosophical school of Anselm's day, and stemmed from Platonism. Egypt was the last important survivor of the political system which had developed as a consequence both of the victories of Alexander and of his premature death. [41] Ware, Orthodox Church, 174-75; Garvey, 34. From the chapter on “Liturgy and Theology and Byzantine Culture” in The Formation of Christendom by Christopher Dawson (Sheed & Ward, 1967): The essential achievement of the patristic age was the synthesis of Eastern religion and Western culture, or, to be more precise, the uniting of the spiritual traditions of Hellenism and the … (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.) The Septuagint was created three hundred years before Christ. The Aristotelian view of God grew from these Platonic roots, arguing that God was the Infinite, or the Unmoved mover. They generally, however, maintain similar practices and emphases in doctrine as the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Hellenistic Jewish Christian Witness. [40] Garvey, 34; see also Ware, Orthodox Church, 174-75. Nonetheless, the nationalism persisted beyond its usefulness, and Orthodoxy has struggled to expand beyond its early strongholds in Eastern Europe. James Beilby and Paul R. Eddy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006); Gregory A. Boyd, Satan and the Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011), 36. George D. Smith, The Eastern Churches Trilogy (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2001), 1, 3-4, 7-8. [12] Athanasius, A Discourse of Saint Athanasius on the Incarnation of the Word of God, trans. [29] The early separation from the Church of the East (in the old Assyrian lands) and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (in Egypt and much of Syria) restricted Orthodox territory on the east to mostly the Greek-speaking world. [1] While maintaining its Hellenistic foundations, Eastern Orthodoxy is an ethnically diverse group of independently governed churches. Nonetheless, the definition of “ancient” is relative. Justin Martyr was a key figure during this period who helped reconcile Hellenism with Christian teachings. The phrase "Hellenic polytheism" is actually, much like the word "Pagan," an umbrella term. As Christianity spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders were educated in Greek philosophy. “We did not set out to discover Orthodoxy. On the other hand, the Hellenistic Jews from other parts of the world were jealous of the first group and made to feel like outsiders. Just look at Christianity. These churches together make up the modern Eastern Orthodox Church. But when I read those books of the Platonists I was taught by them to seek incorporeal truth, so I saw your 'invisible things, understood by the things that are made' (Confessions 7. [43], As a result, the Orthodox Church, particularly its “approaches to prayer and worship,” has begun to attract the attention of other Christian denominations. Christianity and Hellenistic philosophies experienced complex interactions during the first to the fourth centuries. Of these, Stoicism and particularly Platonism were readily incorporated into Christian ethics and theology. Therefore, the ecumenical nature of a council can only be determined after the fact. Early Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism Peder Borgen These studies break new ground in the exploration of early Christianity and Judaism towards the end of the Second Temple period.Professor Borgen introduces fresh perspectives on many central issues in the complexity of Judaism both within Palestine and in the Diaspora. Adrian Fortescue, The Uniate Eastern Churches, ed. [8] Ware, Orthodox Church, 250-52; Fairbairn, 12, 39; Bartholomew, 37. 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