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2.3 - Christian Platonism in the Medieval West

from II - History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2021

By
Lydia Schumacher
Edited by
Alexander J. B. Hampton  and
John Peter Kenney
Alexander J. B. Hampton
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
John Peter Kenney
Affiliation:
Saint Michael's College, Vermont
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Summary

This chapter calls into question the longstanding notion that early Franciscans simply systematized or rehearsed ideas from Augustine and highlights instead how they employed Avicenna and Arabic philosophy to forge a completely new understanding of the bishop’s thought. Although this version of Augustinianism was initially passed off as a reading of the Aristotelian tradition as well, it became disassociated with Aristotle as the next generation came to a more authentic understanding of the Greek philosopher’s thought. By contrast, the Augustinianism invented by early Franciscans continued to be widely promulgated and defended for generations and thus impacted conceptions of Christian Platonism that remain influential to this day.

Keywords

FranciscansTheology of AristotleLiber de causisAlexander of HalesJohn of La Rochelledivine illumination
Type
Chapter
Information
Christian Platonism
A History
 , pp. 183 - 206
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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