Plundering the Egyptians means discerning what is true, good, or beautiful in non-Christian culture and bringing it into Christian life.
Like the Israelites taking treasures from Egypt, believers can reclaim wisdom, art, and virtue from the non-Christian world - including much of modern culture.
Indeed, pagans aka heathens have several millennia worth of knowledge to share. Either the good things to follow and the bad things to learn from them. Thank you, as always, for expanding my knowledge.
The Western Christian mind is fundamentally a product of Athens wedded to Jerusalem. One need look no further than Aquinas’ deference to, and use of, Aristotle to see how entwined the two became.
Additionally, the concept of Logos Spermatikos, that there are seeds of the logos in non-Christian systems of belief, is doubly appropriate here, as it is both applicable in principle and the term itself originated from stoic philosophy and was eventually adapted for use by Christians.
Any Bible reader knows that OT Israel were punished severely (to the point of a 70-year captivity) for their inclusion of paganism, and now you want to do the same thing all over again?
Paganism is not monolithic. In the article, paganism stands for the virtuous pagans who exhibited natural virtues - virtues that the Israelites are bound too as well. That is distinct from pagan, cultish religious practices, like the Canaanites. Keep in mind Moses was educated by the Egyptians - excellence natural knowledge and virtue is never competitive with religion. Finally, toward the end of the OT, even the Israelites make distinctions between the pagans with their false gods and the "new pagans" who seek wisdom and believe in one God, the latter being the Greek philosophers.
There's a term for this in the Bible.
Plundering the Egyptians means discerning what is true, good, or beautiful in non-Christian culture and bringing it into Christian life.
Like the Israelites taking treasures from Egypt, believers can reclaim wisdom, art, and virtue from the non-Christian world - including much of modern culture.
Yes! This article pulls from St. Basil's letter, but both Origen and St. Jerome have similar teachings - and give different analogies.
Indeed, pagans aka heathens have several millennia worth of knowledge to share. Either the good things to follow and the bad things to learn from them. Thank you, as always, for expanding my knowledge.
Thank you for sharing these important insights concerning the thinking of the minds of the ancients.
The Western Christian mind is fundamentally a product of Athens wedded to Jerusalem. One need look no further than Aquinas’ deference to, and use of, Aristotle to see how entwined the two became.
Additionally, the concept of Logos Spermatikos, that there are seeds of the logos in non-Christian systems of belief, is doubly appropriate here, as it is both applicable in principle and the term itself originated from stoic philosophy and was eventually adapted for use by Christians.
Are you retarded?
Any Bible reader knows that OT Israel were punished severely (to the point of a 70-year captivity) for their inclusion of paganism, and now you want to do the same thing all over again?
Paganism is not monolithic. In the article, paganism stands for the virtuous pagans who exhibited natural virtues - virtues that the Israelites are bound too as well. That is distinct from pagan, cultish religious practices, like the Canaanites. Keep in mind Moses was educated by the Egyptians - excellence natural knowledge and virtue is never competitive with religion. Finally, toward the end of the OT, even the Israelites make distinctions between the pagans with their false gods and the "new pagans" who seek wisdom and believe in one God, the latter being the Greek philosophers.
Wow, you really are retarded.
Colossians 2:8 mate