This document provides an overview of the origins and development of Christian philosophy from early Christian thinkers like St. Paul and St. Irenaeus to modern figures like Karl Barth and Alvin Plantinga. It discusses how early Christian philosophy was influenced by Hellenism and integrated ideas from Plato and Aristotle. Key medieval philosophers like Anselm of Canterbury and Thomas Aquinas reintroduced Aristotle and utilized reason. Modern philosophers addressed issues like the relationship between faith and reason, the nature of God, and defending Christianity against critics. Most Christian philosophers agree on core theological concepts around God, Jesus, sin, redemption, and the afterlife.

1. Prepared by Il Yung V. Han II – 8 BSSE

2. • Life and teachings
• Gospels
• No records of any
writing
• No systematic
theology or
philosophy
• New Testament
Jesus
Origins of Christian
Philosophy
St.
Paul
• Saul of Tarsus
• Persecuted
Early Christians
• Epistles/Letters
- doctrine
- theology
• Book of Acts

3. Hellenism
Hellenistic Christian
Philosophy

4. St. Irenaeus
• Unity of God
• Against
Gnosticism
• Original sin is
latent to
humanity
• Christ is a
teacher
Hellenistic Christian
Philosophy
Tertullian
• Philosopher
• Father of the
western church
• Traducianism
• Against
Marcionism
• Montanism
Origen
• Integrated
Platonism
• Logos
• Two churches
- One ideal
- One real
• God
- perfect
- ideal
Augustine of
Hippo
• Classical
Chrisitian
Philosophy
• Greek
- Plato
- Neoplatonism
- Stoicism
• Altered for
Christian
teaching

5. Medieval Christian
Philosophy
John Duns
Scotus
• Subtle doctor
• Professor at University
of Paris
Anselm of
Canterbury
• Ontological Argument
of God’s existence
• Reintroduced Aristotle
in the West
• Arabic translations
St. Thomas of
Aquinas
• Professor at
University of Paris
• Introduced
Aristotelian
Philosophy
• Contemporary of St.
Bonaventure

6. Modern and Contemporary
Christian Philosophy
Karl Barth
• German
survivor
• Wrote massive
Church
Dogmatics
• Division
between
human though
and divine
reality
• Dogmatician of
the church and
Preacher
John D. Caputo
• American
Catholic
Deconstructionis
t and theologian
G.K. Cheterton
• British author
• Christian
thought in
fiction, non-
fiction, poems,
• Seeking truth
• Resistance to
Eugenics and
Distributivism
Etienne Gilson
• The Spirit of
the Medieval
Philosophy
• The Spirit of
Thomism
• Existential
Thomism

7. Modern and Contemporary
Christian Philosophy
Herman
Dooyerweerd
• A New Critique
of Theoretical
Thought
C.S Lewis
• Literary critic
• Mythographer
• Apologist for the
Christian faith
St. John Paul II
• Fides at Ratio
Josef Pieper
• German Roman
Catholic
Philosopher
• Plato
• St. Thomas
Aquinas

8. Modern and Contemporary
Christian Philosophy
Alvin Plantinga
• Notre Dame
University
• Reformed
Epistemology
• Synthesizes
Analytical
Philosophy and
Christian
philosophical
concerns
Egbert Schuurman
• Leading
philosopher of
technology
• Espouses
Christian
philosophical
approach
Paul Tillich
• Phenomenology
of the holy
• Religion is the
Ultimate Concern

9. Modern and Contemporary
Christian Philosophy
D.H. Th. Vollenhover
• Calvinism and the Reformation of Philosophy
• Philosophy of the Law-Idea
• Association of Calvinist Philosophy / Association for
Reformation Philosophy
• Best describes as “modern” or “post-modern”
Despite division and different sects., most agrees on:
• God as creator of all things
• Jesus is the Messiah, Son of God
• Holy Trinity
• Human as a sinner
• Jesus came to redeem mankind
• Our soul is immortal
• Old and New Testament as guides to ideal Christian life
• Baptism is necessary
• Afterlife

10. • http://www.iep.utm.edu/scotus/
• http://www.123rf.com/photo_17197013_abstract-word-cloud-for-christian-
philosophy-with-related-tags-and-terms.html
• kbarth.org
• http://lasvegasorthodox.com/lives-saints-paul.php
• https://philosophytheology.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/the-problem-of-religion
-without-religion/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton
• maverickphilosopher.typepad.com
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._S._Lewis
• http://www.ncregister.com/blog/melinda-selmys/canada-celebrates-john-paul-ii-day
• http://www.azquotes.com/author/18986-Josef_Pieper
• http://www.reasonablefaith.org/an-interview-with-alvin-plantinga
• https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egbert_Schuurman
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._H._Th._Vollenhoven
• http://www.greatthoughtstreasury.com/author/paul-tillich-fully-paul-johannes-tillich
• http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=26450&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
• https://davidfriddle.com/gm/Hist.4/
• http://feed15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/guidobertoli/feed.rss
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irenaeus
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertullian
• http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk
Sources
Prepared by Il Yung V. Han II – 8 BSSE