James Leo Garrett Jr. and the Southwestern Theological Tradition
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 65, No. 1 - Fall 2022
Editor: David S. Dockery
Edited by Alexander J. B. Hampton and John Peter Kenney. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021, xv+497pp., $130.00
The discussion of Christianity’s relationship to Platonism has taken place in various pockets of academia, ranging among the disciplines of history, philosophy, and dogmatics, as well as hermeneutics and biblical studies. German scholars such Adolf von Harnack of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century steered the conversation for subsequent generations, asserting the Hellenized nature of the post-New Testament Christian faith. The search for the “kernel” of truth sought to ascertain the essence of the biblical message, while also inaugurating fields of study to distinguish the “Jesus of history” from the “Christ of the Bible.” The assumption within these inquiries is that Platonism and Greek thought in general had unduly influenced biblical interpretation and doctrinal development in the early centuries of church history. Not until recent generations of scholars has the question been reversed: what is the influence that Christianity had upon Platonism? Christian Platonism: A History brings together a score of academic voices to shed further light on the interplay between Christian faith and practice and the wide-reaching philosophical system of Platonic thought. Editors Alexander Hampton and John Peter Kenney attempt to show how “Platonism has been, and remains, the most powerful tradition of realism and anti-materialism in Western thought” (p. 4). They ably accomplish their goal with this volume, demonstrating the multivalent way Christianity and Platonism have interacted over the course of 2000 years.
Part one of the text deals with conceptual considerations, with chapters highlighting specific notions found in Platonic philosophy and how Christian thought has found coherence. Themes of the “the One” in Platonic thought (chapter 3) and Platonic theories of creation (chapter 4) are discussed with an understanding of how they cohere with Christian theological notions of the Trinity and God’s divine activity. In these chapters, the authors provide helpful coordinates for readers to understand how the thought of non-Christian Platonists fused with Christian theology. As an example of the insights available to readers from part one, Andrew Radde-Gallwitz notes how Platonism impacted trinitarian theology by providing support for “participation metaphysics” and “the more general theological dictum of divine immateriality and intelligibility” (p. 76). Part one concludes with a view of Thomas Aquinas and his theological interaction of Neoplatonism a la Dionysius, impacting his view of divine participation.
Part two provides readers with a historical survey of Platonism’s impact on Christian thought, starting from the Bible and biblical world and ending with modern theological discussions. Platonism’s impact on early Christian doctrinal development in western and eastern Christianity is clear, yet authors in this section provide helpful nuance to demonstrate the limits of Platonism when encountering biblical reflection (in the thought of Augustine of Hippo, for instance). Many scholars here note the influence of Platonic voices such as Philo, Plotinus, and Porphyry upon early Christian thinkers. Additionally, the influence of Dionysius is discussed at length. Helpful to note is how Christian thinkers prioritized biblical texts while cohering with Platonic concepts insofar as they comported with Christian doctrinal priorities. Renaissance and early modern thinkers such as Marsilo Ficino (1433–1499) and Jacob Böhme (1575–1624) began recovering and understanding Platonism for its own sake.
In Part 3 entitled “Engagements,” the authors place Platonic thought in conversation with various fields of inquiry. Whether natural science, art, or love and friendship, this section demonstrates how Platonism continues to bear weight upon our modern thought and practice. This section serves as an application of sorts, showing readers how Platonic thought and Christianity merge towards current day considerations. This section contains helpful insight; however, some of the conclusions as it pertains to Christianity were lacking as explained below.
This volume is a helpful companion in the renewed discussion on the relationship between Christianity and Platonism. It does not, however, answer every question with satisfaction. First, some chapters are rather abrupt in their conclusions. For example, chapter seven on the concept of theology appears to end in mid-thought and does not provide a satisfying conclusion to an important topic. Second, missing in this discussion is how Christianity was shaped by the Jewish thought world, including the theological foundation of the Old Testament. Platonic thought later buttressed discussions of Christian theology, but certainly the Old Testament and its theological categories had a major, if not controlling, role to play. Third, some chapters barely scratch the surface with their conclusions as they pertain to Christian thought. A specific example of this is the chapter on love and friendship. While helpful in understanding Plato and Aristotle’s conception of friendship, as well as modern philosophers’ interaction with them, how these observations impact Christian thought and practice is noticeably absent. The Christian tradition has much to say about love and friendship, yet this chapter did little to explore that in conversation with Platonic philosophy. Last, a concluding chapter or epilogue would have served to draw the multiplicity of observations together and provide readers further reflection for how to move forward in this discussion. In multi-authored volumes wherein writing styles and argumentation methods are mixed, a healthy and robust concluding chapter helps to bring all these voices back into conversation with one another for the sake of communicating one consistent message.
Despite these critiques, this volume provides ample evidence demonstrating the intimate connection between Platonic philosophical concepts and Christian appropriation for the sake of buttressing theological reflection. Each chapter stands as a microcosm of this important discussion, narrowing in on a particular facet towards building a larger whole. While some chapters might leave readers less than satisfied, and the lack of a concluding chapter may harm the effectiveness of the argument, this text needs to be read by those interested in the Platonic influence upon Christianity. Theologians will gain further clarity towards understanding how Christians read and integrated Platonic thought into Trinitarian theology, meta- physical renderings, and theological anthropology. Philosophers will increase their awareness of how Christian thinkers (at least in the early and medieval church) sought a synthesis of Platonic philosophy and Christian theology for the sake of reinforcing divine realities. Later chapters in the “History” section of this text are instructive for their negative examples, providing reflection on what can happen when philosophy takes precedence over theology (as in the case of the Cambridge Platonist movement). For Christian scholars in general, this book will shed further light on Christianity’s ability to unite with certain systems of thought insofar as Christian theology is not compromised.
