When Athens Met Jerusalem: An Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought

This is a great resource for the philosophical thinker. Definitely worth a once-through or would make an excellent addition to a personal library.

When I bought the book I thought it would contain the basic Christian doctrines, and would show how some of the ideas came from Greek thought and would examine where the Greeks went wrong, and how they were right. However in reality the book does something similar, in critiquing the various ideas of Greek philosophers, but differs from my initial idea in that the book gave me a full blown recap of major Greek thought. Of course there was Christian analysis, examining the ideas, seeing the context and the environment in ideas came about, how close the thought was to Christian truth. Even showing some instances of how Christianity borrowed some of the ideas developed by Plato and Aristotle. But by no means does this book simply state the Christian doctrine and the Greek influences. NO! I learned about the pre-Socratic philosophers and their various attempts to formulate a theory of everything. Socrates and his Socratic method, how he went against the grain of the established society, the book goes through Plato's Republic, Symposium, and Timaeus. Then the book goes and talks about Aristotle how he helped to develop Logic, his attempts at systemization and the scientific methods, his helpful examination of the various types of friendships and ethical system of the virtue ethics. And Even then this is not the end! He covers the thoughts of Stoics and Epicureans in order to introduce the famous scene in the Bible in which Paul converses with the same individuals and points out that the unknown God is non-other than Jesus Christ, who God rose from the dead.So the book is good, so good in fact, that I find it very difficult to conceive how the book could be improved. Although I still long for a book that that examines current Christian doctrines and its roots in Greek philosophy. The book is in itself a worthy and successful effort.Should you buy the book? Believer or Non-believer, this book will not fail to teach you much. After you have read it you will feel very knowledge and will be able to make numerous connections to Christianity and secular philosophies. However he cautions in the last chapter that,"A wise traveler does not think he has 'done London' after a three day stop,but he does have a richer view of the world having seek things that previously were just shadows in the mind. Where does our brief tour of Athens leave us? Even such a brief tour of Greece shows how much we moderns have lost by ignoring the past. Such ignorance is sometimes planned is the worst part of it. We need alternatives to the threats of scientific materialism and post-modern irrationalits. The ancient world can provide such alternatives. The modern world faces a two-fold crisis, both individual and cultural, occurring in the sciences and the humanities in our major universities. This book tries to renew interest in the classical approach to texts and human problems. I cannot do more than point in a direction for the solution to the problems...."In other words this book is merely, an introduction [to greek and christian thought] and a signpost [towards solutions]. But this book is the prefect place / read to start the journey to better understanding the influential philosophies of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and many others that influenced not only Christian thought but materialist philosophies. Highly Recommended!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TABLE OF CONTENTSPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Athens and Jerusalem1 Building Athens: Philosophy Before Socrates2 The Death of a Good Man3 The Ideal Philosopher: Plato and His Teachings4 Follow the Logos Wherever It Leads: What Is a Dialogue?5 In Love with the Good6 The City in Words: On Justice7 The Likely Story: The Timaeus8 Breaking with the Master: Aristotle and the "Other" Path9 The Middle Way: Aristotle's Ethics10 Preparing the Way for Christ: Hellenistic Philosophy11 A Postscript: Where Do We Go from Here?Reading ListIndex------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECOMMENDATIONS"In the providence of God, Greek philosophy was available precisely at a time when the early church thought carefully about the Trinity, incarnation and other important topics. For centuries, Jerusalem and Athens have been friends. But today there is suspicion and outright rejection of Greek thought in the church. In my view, this attitude rests on confusion about Greek philosophy and its relationship to Christian teaching. With the publication of When Athens Met Jerusalem, we finally have an authoritative guide to these themes. Reynolds's work is an interesting read, accessible to a nonspecialist, and teeming with content. This book should be required reading for all undergraduates in Christian colleges, laypeople and pastors who need to be reacquainted with the important relationship between Jerusalem and Athens."--J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University, and coauthor of Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview"To create the great civilization of Christendom, of which we are all the heirs, it was necessary to fuse the divine revelation given to the Hebrews (Jerusalem) with the philosophical brilliance of the Greeks (Athens). Now, in order to save the best elements of that civilization, those two great traditions must be united again. In this charming book, one of today's leading Christian educators explains how Christian thought has again become an exciting intellectual adventure."--Phillip E. Johnson, Professor of Law Emeritus, University of California--Berkeley, and author of Darwin on Trial and Reason in the Balance"'Close to the truth,' ah, so close, writes John Mark Reynolds about one of the best ancient Athenian philosophers. That's what Athens has to do with Jerusalem. That's what Plato has to do with Christendom and eventually with Christianity today. The story of the origins of Christian thinking that Reynolds tells is not the one we often hear from the pulpit. There is no bashing of intellectuals, no rejection of the machinations of the mind in favor of the intuitions of the heart, no substitution of faith for the role of thinking. Reynolds himself was brought back to Christ through the reading of Plato's Republic. Astonishing? Yes, but read Plato as Reynolds does and it all makes sense. Written with the passion of a lover of truth and the Word of Truth found finally in Christ, this book will challenge any student of either the ancient Greek philosophers or the beliefs of the early church."--James W. Sire, author of The Universe Next Door and, with scientist Carl Peraino, Deepest Differences: A Christian-Atheist Dialogue"This is a bold, original, salutary book, written with great passion, wonderful wit and deep love. Reynolds argues, convincingly I think, that Athens and Jerusalem, the classical and the Christian cultures, cannot live apart and are both in danger of perishing unless they are brought together in creative harmony. What is so unusual and so compelling about this appeal is that equal weight and equal appreciation are given to both classical learning and Christian faith. Reynolds has indeed accomplished the truly remarkable feat of replacing the ages-old deadlock between reason and revelation, or faith and reason, with a loving and respectful marriage between the two, and thus foretells of and foresees a new beginning for classical civilization and a revitalization of Christian teaching."--Alfred Geier, University of Rochester"It must be a treat to sit in John Mark Reynolds's classroom. In its verve and intelligence, When Athens Met Jerusalem is the next best thing. I wish I had read a book like this when I was a student. The need is even greater today, when even the teachers turn against reason, and every day makes clearer that Jerusalem is Athens's best friend."--J. Budziszewski, University of Texas at Austin, and author of The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction"John Mark Reynolds is the most stimulating lecturer on the interplay of classical and Christian thought I have ever heard. I have been longing for him to write a book capturing his brilliant ideas on the topic. It is a great blessing that this book has finally arrived--and When Athens Met Jerusalem does not disappoint. It is one of the finest and yet most readable treatments ever in print."--Craig J. Hazen, Ph.D., founder and director of the Christian Apologetics Program, Biola University, and editor of Philosophia Christi"John Mark Reynolds writes with the artistry of a true poet and the insight of a true scholar. His passion for teaching shines through the pages of this book."--Nancy Pearcey, author of Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural CaptivityReynolds has taught hundreds and hundreds (more than a thousand!) of three-hour discussion sessions on the great books since founding Torrey about thirteen years ago, and it must have been a monumental task for him to boil all that discourse down into a concise, focused volume like this one. But now the book for Normal People is here, and it is a zippy, compelling, witty, and accessible book written in common English instead of technical language.--Fred Sanders, Scriptorium Daily [...], May 25, 2009

REVIEW OF WHEN ATHENS MET JERUSALEM authored by John Mark ReynoldsI appreciated reading this book.I found it very readable and clear. His writing is insightful in this exploration of Greek philosophical thinking (Athens) and Judeo-Christian convictions (Jerusalem.)His introduction points to the debt our Western civilization owes to Greek thinking being informed by Judeo-Christian convictions (Athens meeting Jerusalem.) Insightfully in the introduction, he points to our present cultural temptation to jettison knowledge or even an interest in either Athens or Jerusalem.In the main work, Dr. Reynolds explores delightfully the history of Greek thinking from Homer to Plato. He really shines in his discussion of Socrates and Plato. Though I was a science major in college, I did have to read some Plato. I never read the Phaedo, Republic or Timaeus, because I had the impression they were dense, difficult and time-consuming. But Dr. Reynolds opens these works up wonderfully in an engaging, bright way. I think it is the clearest, most insightful treatment of Plato that I have read. I wish I had had something like this when I was going through college.The book then looks some at Aristotle and later Greek philosophers around the time of Christ, including a short section on the apostle Paul. In his Postscript, Dr. Reynolds reviews the historical progression of Greek thinking with its limitations and stagnation. He points to the deep solutions that connect with the coming of Christ.Dr. Reynolds is smart, brilliant and knowledgeable. It was a worthwhile pleasure reading this work. I would think this book would be of value to teachers, ministers, students, philosophy buffs, as well as any wishing to expand their horizons by "going forward to the past" to make more sense of the present.I hope he writes a second book that will explore even further how Christianity has deeply influenced Western Civilization and indeed, our present world.I appreciate the author's pensive, perceptive and at times almost poetic work. For me this is one of those books that will stay in my study where I will refer to it further to savor and digest its insights.

This book is very relevant to a study of Greek thought and philosophy. At it's introduction, the book establishes its purpose and framework. From there the book moves into a simple, easily-understood history of Greek thought and attitudes towards philosophy. Throughout this section of the book, the author adds small bits of personal and Christian perspective to bring forward fundamental likenesses between Christian and Classic thought. Toward the end of the book, the author wraps up the essential points of the book and impresses on the reader the negative consequences of divorcing reason and faith, all the while encouraging reconciliation.The book is written in a very simple style which is also quite easy to understand. While ideal for a newcomer to studies of classical thought, I expect that most of this book would be a review for those who have had modest encounters with similar material. The Christian perspective of this book is apparent but small. I had anticipated more references to Church history and synthesis of reason and faith, but overall, the book was thought-provoking and pertinent in a postmodern civilization increasingly attempting to understand her roots.

Beyond fantastic summary of philosophical history with the added benefit of a Christian perspective on key figures and their written works. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reading interesting and fun to read.

What can I say? It's a required textbook that arrived to my son's college mailbox in good order and in time for his classes. I'm satisfied, he's satisfied. I hope it'll help him in his pursuit of good grades.