Platonism, Stoicism, and the Birth of Christian Theology

Описание: When we open the New Testament, we are not entering a religious vacuum.
We are stepping into a world already alive with Greek philosophy, Jewish wisdom, and Roman power.
In this episode of Chasing the Past, we place Christianity back into the intellectual world that created it.

The first Christians did not reject the philosophical environment around them — they entered it.
Stoics spoke of the Logos.
Platonists searched for the true light.
Jewish thinkers described divine Wisdom (Sophia) present at creation.

And early Christianity took these ideas and reframed them around a person: Jesus of Nazareth.

In this episode, we explore:
• How Stoicism shaped early Christian language and ethics
• How Platonism influenced ideas of heaven, soul, and transcendence
• Hellenistic Judaism and the Septuagint’s role in the New Testament
• Philo of Alexandria and the bridge between Greek and Jewish thought
• Logos and Sophia as pre-Christian concepts
• How Christ came to be presented as divine reason and divine wisdom
• The Roman Empire’s roads, language, and stability
• Why Christianity could spread so rapidly across the Mediterranean world

Rather than seeing Christianity as isolated, we return it to the Greco-Roman world that made it possible.
A world of philosophy.
A world of translation.
A world of infrastructure.
A world already asking the questions Christianity would answer.

This episode isn’t about weakening faith.
It’s about understanding the intellectual and historical foundations that gave it form.

If you’re interested in biblical history, ancient philosophy, early Christianity, or the origins of religious ideas — welcome to Chasing the Past.

When we open the new testament, we're not just reading a religious text; we're stepping into a world alive with philosophy. Early christianity engaged deeply with existing intellectual traditions like stoicism and platonism, integrating concepts such as the logos and divine wisdom. Understanding this philosophical context is crucial for a complete comprehension of the New Testament. 🌊

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – The New Testament’s forgotten world
02:05 – Greek philosophy before Christianity
05:30 – Why influence doesn’t mean “copied”
09:00 – Stoicism and the Logos
13:40 – Ethics, virtue, and early Christian teaching
17:50 – Platonism and the invisible world feat. Heaven, soul, and metaphysical dualism
22:30 – Hellenistic Judaism explained
27:00 – Philo of Alexandria and synthesis
30:40 – The Septuagint and The Roman World
33:10 – Logos and Sophia defined Pre-Christian origins of Logos
36:00 – Christ as Logos and Sophia
38:15 - Final Reflections
40:00 - Outro

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