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Home , Ammonius Saccas, Anastasius Sinaita, Arnobius, Athenagoras of Athens, Berthold of Moosburg, Cambridge Platonists

Christian and Christian

Christian Platonists and Platonizing Christians in History

The following is a list of Christian , theologians, and writers with Platonist/Neoplatonist interests or influences. Their main works, and especially those relevant to the topic of Christian Platonism, are also shown.

"Platonic influence" is broadly defined here; a writer may be both influenced by and at the same time very critical of specific Platonic or Neoplatonic tenets.

Note the literal explosion of interest in Christian Platonism during the Renaissance, followed by a striking absence from 1700 until the 20th century. The latter reflects several factors: the Reformation, the Age of Reason, the Industrial Revolution, and the modern empiricist- materialistic worldview. In a post-modern world we may expect to see Renaissance humanism and re-emerge, and along with them Platonism and Christian Platonism.

See also: Islamic Platonists and Neoplatonists.

Contents

Part 1: 60 AD - 700 AD Apostolic age Patristic era Alexandrian tradition Late Greek Timeline figure (100 - 700 AD) Part 2: 701 AD - present Islamic Middle East Middle Ages (East) Middle Ages (West) Renaissance Christian esotericism Cambridge Platonists Transcendentalists and Unitarians Modern Acknowledgments Bibliography

Part 1: 60 AD - 700 AD

Apostolic Age

Possible Platonic influence on St. Paul, of John (e.g., John 1), James, Hebrews (influenced by Judaeus?), Epistle of Barnabas

Patristic Era

St. (100 - 165) - Dialogue with Trypho - On the - Discourse to the Greeks

St. Theophilus of Antioch (? - c. 185) - Apologia ad Autolycum

St. Irenaeus of Lyons (d. c. 200) - Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies)

St. Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235) - Refutation of all Heresies

Marcus Minucius Felix? (3rd century)

St. (d. c. 311)

St. of Caesarea (c. 263 - c. 339)

Arnobius of Sicca (fl. c. 300; North African) (c. 250 -c. 325; North African; student of ; Platonist, Epicurean, Stoic influences) [more]

Alexander of Lycopolis (fl. c. 300; Egyptian) - Against the Manicheans (PG 18 409-448)

Alexandrian

Athenagoras of Athens (c. 133 - 190) - Apology or Embassy for the Christians - Treatise on the Resurrection

St. Clement of (c. 150 - c. 215) - Stromata (Miscellanies) - Protrepticus (Exhortation to the Greeks)

Ammonius Saccas? (d. c. 240; possible Christian; see St. , On Illustrious Men 55)

Origen (c. 185 - 254; heard ?; knew ?) [IEP] - On First Principles (de Principiis) - Against Celsus (Contra Celsum) - Commentary on the Song of Songs

Heraclas (associate of ; auditor of Ammonius Saccas?)

St. Athanasius (c. 293 - 373; ) - Contra Gentes (Against the Heathen) - De Incarnatione Verbe (On the Incarnation) - Orationes contra Arianos (Against the Arians)

Didymus the Blind (Didymus Caecus; c. 313 - c.398)

Cappadocian Fathers (next three)

ST. (c. 335 - c. 394) - Life of - Commentary on the Song of Songs

St. (c. 329 - 379) - On the Hexaemeron (the Six Days of Creation)

St. (the Theologian; c. 330 - c. 389)

Evagrius Ponticus (345 - 399) [Dysinger] [Prodromos] - On the Thoughts - Praktikos - Gnostikos - Kephalaia Gnostica

Synesius of Cyrene (c. 373 - c. 414; bishop; pupil of ) - The Egyptian Tale (Aegyptus sive de providentia) - On Dreams

Nemesius of Emesa (4th century) - De Natura Hominis (On Human Nature)

St. Theodoret of Cyrus (c. 393 - c. 457; bishop)

Latin Christian Neoplatonists

Calcidius/Chalcidius? (4th century) - Translated the

Firmicus Maternus (fl. c. 346) - De errore profanarum religionum

Marius Victorinus (c.300 - c.370; translated Porphry; Trinitarian theories) [ Migne ]

St. Simplician (Simplicianus; ? - 400; friend/mentor of St. Augustine and St. Ambrose)

St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 338 - 397) - De Spiritu Sancto (On the Holy Spirit) - De mysteriis (On the Mysteries) - On Virginity

ST. AUGUSTINE OF (354 - 430) [Stanford] - Confessions - De Trinitate (On the ) - De civitate Dei (The City of ) - De doctrina Christiana (On Christian Doctrine)

Flavius Mallius Theodorus (fl. 399; friend of St. Augustine; Roman consul)

Favonius Eulogius (fl. 380-400?; taught rhetoric in Carthage) - Disputatio de somnio Scipionis

Boethius (St. Severinus ; c. 470 - 524) - Consolation of - Commentary on the

Late Greek/Eastern Era Christian Neoplatonists

[Note: compare with (412 - 485; not Christian)]

School of Gaza

Aeneas of Gaza (d. c. 518; student of Neoplatonist Hierocles; founder of Gaza school) - Theophrastus (On the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body; PG 85) Procopius of Gaza (c. 465 - c. 538; ) - Commentary on Genesis - lost work against Proclus Zacharias Scholasticus ('of Rhetor'; c. 465 - c. 536; bishop; brother of Procopius; student of Neoplatonist Ammonius) - Ammonius (On the Creation of the World) Choricius of Gaza (fl. c. 510)

Leontius of Byzantium ('the Hermit'; 475 - 543)

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (450? - 530?; Syrian?) [Stanford] - On the Divine Names - Mystical - On the Celestial Hierarchy

John of Scythopolis (fl. 540; bishop; early commentator on Pseudo-Dionysius)

Theodore Askidas (or Ascidas; fl. c. 550; archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodocia; Origenst)

Domitian of Ancyra (6th century; Origenist)

Stephen bar Sudaili (fl. 500; Syrian; Origenest; is often associated with Ps.-Dionysius)

John Philoponus (490 - c. 570; Alexandrian/Byzantine; pupil of Neoplatonist Ammonius) [Stanford] [UVA] - De opificio mundi - De Aeternitate Mundi

Elias (fl. 575?; Alexandrian; pupil of Neoplatonist Olympiodorus)

David (fl. 575?; Alexandrian) Stephanus of Alexandria (fl. 630?)

St. (c. 580 - 662; influenced by Pseudo-Dionysius)

Theodorus of Raithu (7th century; friend of St. Maximus)

Anastasius Sinaita (7th century)

Note: y-axis does not correspond strictly to pagan/Christian distinction; e.g., Origen (Christian) is placed amongst other Alexandrians; (non-Christian?) with other , etc.

Part 2: 701 AD - present

Islamic Middle East

St. John of Damascus (John Damascene; c. 676 - 749) - The Fountain of Wisdom

Theodore Ab Qurrah (750 - 820; disciple of St. John of Damascus)

Catholicos Timothy I (Timothy of Bagdhad; 728 - 823; Nestorian)

Al-Bitriq (8th century; Melkite; translated the Timaeus)

Hunayn ibn Ishaq (808 - 837; Nestorian) -- translated the Timaeus -- That which ought to be read before Plato's works

School of Baghdad Peripatetics (c. 870 - c. 1023). Muslim and Christian members.

Abu Bishr Matta (d. 940; Nestorian; founded School of Baghdad)

Yahya Ibn 'Adi (893 - 974; Jacobite; studied with al-Farabi) - Tahdhib al-akhlaq (Refinement of Character) - Maqala fi at-tawhid (Essay on Unity)

Ibn al-Tayyib (1000 - 1050; Nestorian; numerous commentaries on the )

Severus ibn al-Muqaffa (d. 987; Coptic bishop) - Lamp of the Intellect - Affliction's Physic and the Cure of Sorrows

Middle Ages (East)

Leo the Mathematician (c. 790 - after 869)

Photius (Photios; c. 810 - c. 893; Patriarch of ) - Bibliotecha (Myriobiblon); c. 837/838 - Lexeon synagoge - Amphilochia - Diegesis peri tes manichaion anablasteseos (Dissertation Concerning the Reappearance of the Manichæans)

Arethas of Caesarea (c. 860 - c. 944; Arethas of Patras; archbishop of Caesarea; disciple of Photius) - commentaries/scholia on Plato's works

John Mauropus (11th century; Constantinople; teacher of Psellus; later metropolitan of Euchaita; wrote poems beseeching God's mercy on Plato and , "because both of them in word and character adhere closely to your laws." [Wilson, Scholars of Byzantium, p. 151])

Michael Psellus (11th century; Byzantine; re-introduced Plato; admired Proclus; commented on ) - Explanation of the Platonic Chariot-driving of in the Phaedrus - De Operatione Daemonum - writings on the

John Italus (Byzantine; student of Psellus)

Eustratius of Nicaea (c. 1060 - 1120; Byzantine; Metropolitan of Nicaea; pupil of Italus; Neoplatonic influenced; commentator on Aristotle) [Stanford] Michael of Ephesus (12th century; Byzantine; Neoplatonic influenced; commentator on Aristotle) [Stanford]

Theodore Metochites (1270 - 1332; Byzantine)

Nicephoros Gregoras (c. 1295 - 1360; Byzantine; student of Metochites)

St. Gregory Palamas (1296 - 1359; parts of Platonic/Neoplatonic , via Origen, the Desert and Cappadocian Fathers, Pseudo-Dionysius, etc. becomes absorbed into Hesychasm?)

Middle Ages (West)

John Scotus Eriugena (c. 815 - 877; translated Pseudo-Dionysius) [Stanford]

St. (Augustinian; 1033 - 1109) [Stanford] [Hopkins]

William of Champeaux (c. 1070 - 1122; studied with St. Anselm) [Stanford]

Peter Abelard (1079 - 1142) [Stanford] [IEP]

Suger of Denis (1081 - 1151; studied Ps.-Dionysius; influenced Gothic cathedral architecture)

Hugh of Balma (12th century) [Hopkins] - Mystical Theology

School of

Bernard of Chartres (d. before 1124?; Neoplatonist) - studied the Timaeus - De Mundi Universitate (d. c. 1150; brother of Bernard?) - In Hexaemeron (a Genesis commentary with reference to the Timaeus) Gilbert of Poitiers (Gilbert de la Porrée; 1070 – 1154; student of Bernard) William of Conches (c. 1090 - after 1154) (c. 1115 - 1176; bishop; student of Gilbert of Poitiers) [Stanford]

Bernard Silvesters (1085 to 1178?; associated with School of Chartres, but is not ) - Cosmographia

Bl. Isaac of Stella (Isaac D'étoile; c. 1100 - c. 1169; France; Cistercian monk; argued for synthesis of Neoplatonic and Aristotelian ) [De Wulf] - De anima

Alcher of Clairvaux (12th century) [De Wulf] - De spiritu et anima, PL 40 cols. 779-832 (attr. incorrectly) - De diligendo Deo (attr.)

Henry Aristippus (fl. 1150; Italian) - translated Phaedo and Meno into Latin

Richard of St. Victor (? - 1173) - On the Trinity - Benjamin Minor - Benjamin Major - Treatise on the Tabernacle - Treatise on Ezekiel

Alain de Lille (c. 1128 - 1202; French)

David of Dinant (c. 1160 - c. 1217; influenced by Eriugena)

Amalric of Bene (Amalric of Chartres; Amaury; d. c. 1205; influenced by Eriugena; pantheist theories)

William of Auvergne (c. 1180 - 1249; Bishop of Paris) [Stanford]

The Franciscan School of Paris [more]

Alexander of Hales (1185/86 - 1245) John of la Rochelle (1200 - 1245) St. (1221 - 1274) [Stanford] - Journey of the Mind to God (Itinerarium mentis in Deum) Walter of Bruges (c. 1227 - 1307) William De La Mare (d. c. 1285) Matthew of Aquasparta (c. 1235 - 1302) Pierre Jean Olieu (1248/49 - 1298)

Henry of Ghent (c. 1217 - 1293; active in Paris, studied at Cologne school) [Stanford]

William of Moerbeke (c. 1215 - 1286; Flemish; translated Proclus)

Oxford Franciscan School

Robert Grosseteste (c. 1175 - 1253) Thomas of York (c. 1220 - c. 1270?) (1214 - 1294) John Peckham (c. 1220 - 1292; Archbishop of Canterbury) Richard of Middletown (c. 1249 - 1302) Bl. John Duns Scotus (c. 1266 - 1308; Franciscan) [Stanford] William of Ockham (c. 1285 - c. 1348) [Stanford] [IEP]

Dominican School of Cologne

St. Albert the Great (; 1193 - 1280; bishop) [Stanford] Theoderic of Freiberg (Thierry of Freiburg, Dietrich of Freiberg; c. 1250 - c. 1310) [Stanford] [De Wulf] - De Intellectu et Intelligibili - De visione beatifica (Johannes Eckhart; c. 1260 - c. 1327) [Stanford] - Sermons (? - c. 1361) - Expositio super Elementationem theologicam Procli Ulrich of Strasburg (c. 1225 - 1277)

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274) [Stanford] - Summa Theologica - Commentary on

Witelo (c. 1230 - c. 1300; Polish) [De Wulf] - De Intelligentiis

Ramon Llull (1232 - 1315; Spanish; Neoplatonist ideas; syncretic)

Renaissance