Aristotle East and West: Metaphysics and the Division of Christendom

314 Pages·2004·1.39 MB·English

by  David Bradshaw

ARISTOTLE EAST AND WEST
HistoriansofphilosophyhavetendedtolimitthestudyofChristian
philosophyduringtheMiddleAgestothemedievalWest.Thisbook
presentsthethoughtoftheGreekFathersasasignificantandsubstan-
tialalternative.FocusingonthecentralissueofthenatureofGodand
the relationship between God’s being and activity, David Bradshaw
tracesthehistoryofenergeiaandrelatedconceptsfromtheirstarting-
pointinAristotle,throughthepaganNeoplatonists,tothinkerssuch
as Augustine, Boethius, and Aquinas (in the West) and Dionysius
theAreopagite,MaximustheConfessor,andGregoryPalamas(inthe
East). The result is a powerful comparative history of philosophical
thoughtinthetwohalvesofChristendom,providingaphilosophical
backdrop to the schism between the eastern and western churches.
It will be of wide interest to readers in philosophy, theology, and
medievalhistory.
david bradshaw isanAssociateProfessorintheDepartmentof
Philosophy,UniversityofKentucky.Hehaspublishedinanumberof
journalsincludingAncientPhilosophy,JournaloftheHistoryofPhilos-
ophy,ReviewofMetaphysics,andtheAmericanCatholicPhilosophical
Quarterly.

ARISTOTLE EAST
AND WEST
Metaphysics and the Division of Christendom
DAVID BRADSHAW
UniversityofKentucky
CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITYPRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
TheEdinburghBuilding,CambridgeCB28RU,UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521828659
©DavidBradshaw2004
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexceptionandtotheprovisionof
relevantcollectivelicensingagreements,noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplace
withoutthewrittenpermissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublishedinprintformat 2004
ISBN-13 978-0-511-26452-8 eBook(EBL)
ISBN-10 0-511-26452-6 eBook(EBL)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-82865-9 hardback
ISBN-10 0-521-82865-1 hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyofurls
forexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,anddoesnot
guaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,accurateorappropriate.
(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:2)(cid:6)(cid:4)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:6)(cid:10)(cid:11)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:14)(cid:15)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:6)(cid:16)(cid:12)(cid:8)(cid:17)(cid:18)(cid:7)
St.DionysiustheAreopagite

Contents
Preface page ix
1 TheAristotelianbeginnings 1
2 ThePrimeMover 24
3 BetweenAristotleandPlotinus 45
4 Plotinusandthetheoryoftwoacts 73
5 ThePlotinianheritageintheWest 97
6 Gods,demons,andtheurgy 119
7 Theformationoftheeasterntradition 153
8 Thefloweringoftheeasterntradition 187
9 PalamasandAquinas 221
10 Epilogue 263
Bibliography 278
Index 292
vii

Preface
What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? That is a question that no stu-
dent of western culture can avoid. Tertullian, who first posed it, did so
in the course of accusing philosophy of engendering heresy. The implica-
tion behind his question was that Athens and Jerusalem are two different
worlds,andthereforecategoriesderivingfromGreekthoughtshouldhave
noplacewithintheChristianfaith.YetevenTertullianfounditimpossible
inpracticetomaintainsuchastrictdivision.TheChurchasawholetended
instead to follow the lead of the Greek apologists, who had drawn freely
onGreekphilosophyininterpretingtheChristianmessage.Ultimatelythe
many forms of Christian thought that vied for pre-eminence throughout
the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and into the early modern era, almost
invariablyowedmuchtobothofTertullian’sopposingworlds.Theresultis
that Athens and Jerusalem have been deeply and inextricably intertwined
intheformationofwesternculture.
ThisfusiongivestoTertullian’squestionadifferentandmorealarming
meaning. Viewed in light of the intervening history, the question is not
simplywhetherChristiantheologyshouldmakeuseofGreekphilosophy;
itiswhetherthetwogreatsourcesofourcivilizationarecompatible.Tohold
that they are not is necessarily to put into question, not only at least one
ofthem(andperhapsboth),butalsothecivilizationthatgrewoutoftheir
union.Whateverone’sownviewsonthisquestion,itisalltooclearthatour
cultureasawholehasgivenitanegativeanswer.Noconflictismorefamiliar,
or recurs in more varied forms, than that between the apostles of reason
andenlightenmentandthoseofmoralauthorityandrevealedtruth.Inthe
ongoingculturewars,andtheallegedconflictofscienceandreligion,itis
asifAthensandJerusalemwereatwarbeforeoureyes.Theveryexistence
oftheseconflictsreflectsapervasivesensethatreasonandrevelationareat
odds.Someofusrespondtothissituationgladly,welcomingthechanceto
choosedecisivelyoneortheother.Othersfaceitwithmoreambivalence,
ix