Review of Panagiotis G. Pavlos, Lars Fredrik Janby, Eyjólfur Kjalar Emilsson, and Torstein Theodor Tollefsen (eds.). Platonism and Christian Thought in Late Antiquity.

Abstract

Platonism and Christian Thought in Late Antiquity (henceforward PCTLA) is an edited volume, produced by the joint efforts of P. G. Pavlos, L. F. Janby, E. K. Emillson and T. T. Tollefsen. The book is divided into four parts that bear the titles “Methodologies”, “Cosmology”, “Metaphysics” and “Ethics” respectively. Parts I, II and IV are comprised of three chapters each, while Part III contains twice as many, i.e., six. Part I has its opening with Sébastien Morlet’s contribution (chap. 1), which aims to demonstrate how some early Christian authors – starting with Justin Martyr (cca. 100-165) and ending with Eusebius of Caesarea (cca. 260-340) – perceived the status and value of Platonism from the confines of their own theological convictions. Beside these two luminaries, Morlet also explores the opinions of Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria and Origen. Unlike other early Christian authors (mentioned are Tatian, Theophilus, Tertullian, Hippolytus) the former had somewhat positive attitude towards Platonism and took Plato to be “the philosopher who best approached the truth” (p. 17).

The authors