Theology and philosophy in the Middle Ages 1

The Middle Ages are "after antiquity. More precisely, the Middle Ages are "after late antiquity. Rather than after Aristotle or Plato, it might be more chronologically accurate to say after Plotinus. The philosophy laid out by Plotinus was the most typical Mediterranean philosophy during the transition from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages. There were other philosophies, of course. However, many people at the time thought about life and the world through the lens of Neoplatonism. The early medieval church fathers therefore sought to explain their doctrines in terms of Neoplatonic logic, which was quite natural for their time. Augustine's theology can also be understood in this context. In fact, the achievements of Hellenistic philosophy, which emerged and developed independently of Christianity, were encountered and utilized by Christianity. The first intellectuals of Christianity had to explain their doctrines to the people of the Mediterranean in their own language, Greek or Latin, in terms of the common framework of thought of the time, Hellenistic philosophy. They also had to explain them to their own followers. Philosophy was thus a means of persuasion and communication for medieval theology.

 

By YuDaeChil

 

[Das Mittelalter folgt der Spätantike, genauer gesagt der Philosophie von Plotin und dem Neuplatonismus, der während des Übergangs zur frühmittelalterlichen Zeit vorherrschte. Die Kirchenväter dieser Zeit versuchten, ihre Lehren in den Begriffen der neuplatonischen Logik zu erklären. Die Theologie des Augustinus kann ebenfalls in diesem Kontext verstanden werden. Die hellenistische Philosophie, die unabhängig vom Christentum entstanden war, wurde vom Christentum genutzt, um ihre Lehren in der Sprache und dem Denkrahmen der damaligen Zeit zu vermitteln. Philosophie diente im Mittelalter als Mittel zur Überzeugung und Kommunikation.]