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From Plato to Jesus: What Does Philosophy Have to Do with Theology?, by C. Marvin Pate
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From Plato to Jesus explores the philosophical currents that have and are shaping systematic theology. C. Marvin Pate challenges the notion that philosophy should not influence theological understandings. This book is written as a supplemental or primary textbook for a systematic or historical theology class, and thus, for ease of use, is arranged by the standard theological categories.
- Sales Rank: #320894 in Books
- Published on: 2011-01-24
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.90" h x .90" w x 6.00" l, 1.05 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 352 pages
About the Author
C. Marvin Pate (PhD, Marquette University) is professor of biblical studies at Ouachita Baptist University. He is the author and editor of numerous works, including Four Views on the Book of Revelation; The Writings of John: A Survey of the Gospel, Epistles, and Apocalypse; Romans (Teach the Text Commentary Series); and From Plato to Jesus.
Most helpful customer reviews
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Great book to stretch the brain
By Doug Hibbard
One of the great things about being a book reviewer for Kregel Academic is that they let me have an extra book, of my choice, as a birthday present. I don’t have to hide in a cave with it, I just have to review it. This year, I asked for C. Marvin Pate’s From Plato to Jesus. Dr. Pate is a professor at Ouachita Baptist University’s Pruet School of Christian Studies. (In the dark ages, it was just the Religion Department.) I am an alumnus of OBU, so I try to keep up with all religion publications from the faculty, because it makes me look smart. Dr. Pate’s hard to keep up with—I’m about a dozen behind on his books.
From Plato to Jesus addresses this question: “What does philosophy have to do with theology?” Obviously, Pate feels the answer is more than “Not a blessed thing.” Instead, he develops the extended answer to this question. He traces first the historical development of philosophy. This begins with the Pre-Socratics and carries forward into the contemporary era of philosophy.
He then traces how philosophy underscores our understanding of theology. In this, he highlights areas where poorly-executed philosophy gives us theological problems. I find this section particularly enlightening.
Is this a book for the broad audience? Despite the blessed presence of footnotes instead of endnotes, I must say that it is not, at least not for the casual reader. One is going to need to invest serious intellectual effort into this book.
First, Pate is writing for a more academic discussion. If you’re typically reading at the popular level, be ready to stretch. Second, he assumes some basic familiarity with the principles of philosophy. We should all have some, but many of us may have forgotten them.
Third, Pate assumes a basic understanding of general theology. Again, for his target audience, that’s fine.
To the great credit of the author, as he works through the second section of this book, he follows a fairly standardized format. (Standardized for this book, chapter to chapter.) For each theological issue at hand, Pate provides one potential way to understand it with both theological and philosophical points, then provides the historically contrasting view. Then he provides the view that reads like the better one, with its proponents. By using this format repeatedly, it is easy for the reader to dig into the actual content.
Who should read this book?
This should be on the reading list for most pastor-theologians-teachers and serious students of the Word of God. I am persuaded that we should read at least one heavy-duty book per quarter, one light-duty book per quarter, one biography, and as much else as possible. This fits that heavy-duty need.
Get it. Read it.
Free book for the review from Kregel Academic. Yes, I always like their books.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Balance
By Joel L. Watts
"Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, bor drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory." (Num 20:17 ESV)
C. Marvin Pate is a Baptist minister "fully committed to the evangelical tradition." This singular thought keeps running through my head as I read this work, especially when I read the kindness, nay, admiration, bestowed upon the likes of Aristotle, Aquinas and Kant, his admission in the open theism debate (233) and his denial of cessationism (265-266; 272). I don't mean this to be derogatory, but in a way, it makes what the author says that much more valid. He is coming from both a conservative theological stand point and an unbiased notion of what philosophy is and for that, Pate is to be lauded. Further, he is able to show that through his philosophical method, he is able to find a proper balance which many of us, frankly, lack in our theological positions due to our denominational pasts.
The book is neatly divided into two parts, with the first part serving as an overall introduction to a mostly Western history of philosophy and the second part showing how to put what our ancestors in the field have worked out into action in regards to (re)building Christian theology. After a brief introduction which shows, easily enough, that the Christian can wear the philosopher's pallium (as Justin is famous for, actually), Pate rehearses the history "From Socrates to Sarte." The author takes the four eras of philosophy and introduces the reader to the main players as well as their ideas. For the author, it comes down to essentially two world views. Either philosophers tend to go with the one over the many or they go with the many over the one. Pate sees the danger in this and calls for a balance, or, the one in the many, which is why he has such a favorable view of Aristotle, Aquinas, and Kant, those philosophers who have helped at one time or another to restore the metaphysical balance. This view is easily tied to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the one (God) in the many (humanity). Throughout this first section, it is difficult not to notice the great depth of knowledge which the philosophers have given the world and it should quickly become apparent to the reader why the study of this science is essential to our minds. It is difficult not to see the route of where Pate will go with part two.
I do have so issues with the first part. First, he chalks everything on one extreme up too easily to pantheism and never once introduces the thought of panentheism which I happen to believe would play well into his thesis of of the one in the many. This leads to my second issue which is that with the exception of several Islamic philosophers (which were Spanish and still Western), the intellectual decedents of Aristotle, the philosophers mentioned are Western. I would have liked to seen Eastern Christians brought into the mix, especially given the exclusion of panentheism. Finally, and this is nothing more than a historical pet peeve, but Pate, when discussing Locke, confuses the Declaration of Independence with the U.S. Constitution, specifically with the mention of life, liberty and happiness (Jefferson, who had nothing to do with the Constitution, was a follower of Locke, employing the previous generation's greatest mind to the writing of the Declaration of Independence). This would not be his last foray into bad history, however, as he accused the 1835 work, The Life of Jesus, of influencing Jefferson's so-called bible (1820). Even this minor quibbles, which are more subjective (exclusion of the East and panentheism) than objective (except for the latter), Part I is a tour de force as an introduction to philosophy proper and well worth the book.
Part II begins by discussing the Incarnation. Now remember, for Pate, the Incarnation is the supreme example of the one in the many, his philosophical viewpoint, so it is only natural for him to begin here. He takes the reader through the various extremes, from an almost denial of Jesus' humanity to the denial of his divinity. This is taken through the various eras of philosophy, while he shows how each era moved the balance a little off. Of course, he comes to use Aquinas, and thus Aristotle through Aquinas, significantly to address the imbalances of certain theological strands. From Christology, he moves to Theology Proper, through General and then Special Revelation, to the Trinity, Anthropology, Divine Sovereignty, Ethics, Ecclesiology, and right before his conclusion, Eschatology. Each section is somewhat the same, although Kant seems to be moved further and further out of existence so that Aquinas reigns supreme. Each section is masterfully done and speaks well to the very human capability of exploiting one side or the other. I do have my disagreements, but they are with some of his outcomes, and not his methods. And to be sure, his motivations. Indeed, for Special Revelation (II:8) I tend to go with Tyrone Inbody and consider Pate here to be somewhat errant. Not that he has too, but he makes this up with his consideration of Hauerwas, Open Theism, and the Sacraments. He uses Hauerwas and Calvin, Aquinas and others to either mystify the reader, or to show that balance can actually be achieved. His allowance, especially in the Atonement (II:12) for a variety of different views, including Catholic, shows a mind that is well measured in what he advocates. Throughout each topic, Pate travels through the eras, refutes the balances, and draws a tighter conclusion.
I started this review by noting my amazement that Pate could write in such a profoundly philosophical way, especially coming from a conservative evangelical background; but the truth is, is that after reading him, I feel somewhat out of balance myself. I look at these sometimes disparaging views which we have of one another - conservative, liberal, moderate; Methodist, Baptist, Catholic; traditional, emergent, mystic - and I have to wonder if Pate's work here couldn't offer us come guidance in our ecumenical fellowships. By this, I refer to his constant focus on the one in the many, achieving a balance between the two extremes, something he has repeatedly shown is not just possible, but profitable. Perhaps this work on philosophy is a philosophical work showing us how we can achieve a balance which has, in the past, been product in other ventures.
There is much to be learned here and employed. Pate has delivered a masterful work on the overview of philosophy, from Plato to Jesus, and beyond. More than that, however, Pate gives us examples of how Philosophy can be used in Christian theology not to the detriment of it, but to the betterment of it. He seeks balance, not in some holistic, Eastern way, but through the denial of the extremes and the dangers which they have produced. Both fundamentalists and liberals suffer in this process, and as well they should, due to their often unbalanced methods. He shows no hint of partiality, except to that of the one in the many.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Should Philosophy Guide and Inform our Theology?
By Jeremy Myers - Writing at RedeemingGod
Did you know that much of our modern theology is founded upon philosophical ideas from Aristotle and Plato? Lots of people assume that our beliefs come primarily from the Bible, but when you actually start to study the history of how Christian doctrine was developed, you discover clear statements from numerous members of the early church who developed these beliefs, that they were trying to synthesize Greek Philosophy and Biblical Teaching.
They took the Bible in one hand, and the ideas of Aristotle and Plato in the other, and put the two together to develop our Christian beliefs.
There were some Early Church Fathers who did not think this was wise and argued against such a combining of Biblical teaching and Greek Philosophy. Once such person was Tertullian, who made the famous statement:
"What is there in common between Athens and Jerusalem? What between the Academy and the Church? What between heretics and Christians? ...Away with all projects for a 'Stoic,' a 'Platonic,' or a 'dialectic' Christianity! After Christ Jesus we desire no subtle theories..."
Martin Luther shared the same feelings toward philosophy, calling it "the Devil's whore."
I have often agreed with these sentiments. I have often wanted to get back to the Bible, to just what the Scriptures teach, to strip theology from the pagan philosophical influences that have crept in over the years.
But recently, I have come to realize that this is simply not possible. Any attempt to strip theology of the pagan influences of the past, we will only replace it with cultural and philosophical influences of today -- which might possibly be worse.
And aside from being impossible, stripping philosophy out of theology might also be undesirable. I have recently been challenged in one of the books I read to think of philosophy as a form of divine revelation.
The book was From Plato to Jesus by C. Marvin Pate.
I sat under Dr. Marvin Pate when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute, and I remember thinking then what this book confirms to me now: C. Marvin Pate is an academic who thinks outside the box.
Though he is an Evangelical Pastor and Professor, C. Marvin Pate argues that philosophy is a form of divine revelation, through which the church developed its theology throughout the past 2000 years. Pate argues that the primary lens through which philosophy and theology developed was what he consistently refers to as "the one and the many." Frankly, I found this terminology highly confusing, and had to keep in mind throughout the book that by "the one" he means "God" or "The Divine" and by "the many" he means "humanity." If you read the book, keeping this in mind will greatly help you understand the argument and thought-flow of the book.
Based on this construct, Pate argues that some philosophical approaches focused primarily on God, or the Divine, as the ultimate reality, while others focused on mankind as the ultimate reality. The true balance, argues Pate, is in the proper combination of the two, which we find most purely represented in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
According to Pate, the best philosophy and therefore, the best theology, is that which carefully and consistently combines "the one and the many" or "God and humanity."
I completely agree. The incarnation is the key to proper theology. I think most theologians would agree.
The challenging part of From Plato to Jesus is the idea that it was good for the early church to mix philosophy and Scripture in their development of theology.
But when I sat back and thought about it, I realized that trying to learn about God through philosophy and reason is not much different than trying to learn about God through nature or conscience. If we accept nature and conscience as a way for God to reveal Himself, why not also through reason? Sure, reason is fallen, but so also is nature and conscience. So while we cannot fully trust what we learn from philosophy, this is no different than being cautious about what we learn from nature and conscience.
Pate puts it this way:
"Philosophy is preparation for the gospel; philosophy anticipates and culminates in theology. More specifically, philosophy and its construct of the one and the many points toward the Incarnation of Jesus Christ" (p. 11)
I think I agree. And not just about philosophy, but also with art, music, and theater. I believe that if we have eyes to see and ears to hear, the Gospel answers the questions and fulfills the longings that are spoken, sang, painted, and heard in all the various artistic and creative pursuits of all humanity. I am not sure Pate would agree with this, but it is what I have always believed, and now, thanks to Pate, I am including philosophy as well as a form of preparatory revelation by God through humanity for the Gospel.
The one difficulty I had with Pate's argument is that he seems to only hold up the Greek Philosophy of Aristotle and Plato as having any value from the perspective of divine revelation. Later in the book, he seems to condemn some modern forms of philosophy as being unhelpful for developing theology. He specifically singles out postmodernism (p. 196), because from his perspective, postmodern philosophy emphasizes humanity (the many), at the expense of the Divine (the one).
I don't consider myself "postmodern" or "emerging" but most of the postmodern/emerging philosophy and theology I have read is a reaction against a modern philosophy and theology which overemphasized "the many" (the human ability to figure things out on our own), and as a result, is not too humanistic, but is almost excessively spiritual. But if Pate thinks it is too humanistic (the many), and others think it might be too spiritual (the one), might postmodern thinking actually be incarnational, and therefore, a good candidate for helping us continue to read Scripture and develop theology?
And here we come to the ultimate problem in developing theology. Nobody can even agree on a starting point, much less where to go once a starting point is found. Nevertheless, we are all reading, studying, thinking, and writing together, which is what makes theology fun.
I thank C. Marvin Pate and his book From Plato to Jesus for helping me welcome philosophy back into the great conversation.
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