The Sculptor and His Stone: Selected Readings on Hellenistic and Christian Learning and Thought in the Early Greek Fathers

This book argues from a distinctly Eastern Orthodox perspective for the inseparability of classical Hellenism from the Greek patristic tradition postulating a common striving for truth in both domains and laying emphasis on the contributions of the ancients and Greek paideia to Christian learning and culture. The essays contained in the volume provide a fruitful strategy in the spirit of the late Werner Jaeger for looking anew at the Greek classical world and Christianity through the eyes of the Greek fathers the direct inheritors of the ancient Greek worldview. Collectively the author and contributors forcefully demonstrate that conflated with the visionary insights of the Jewish prophets and of Jewish messianism the wisdom of the ancients served to pave the way for the unfolding of the fullness of Christian teaching and its spiritually enlightening revelation. Archbishop Chrysostomos has not produced merely a simple collection of texts. If one follows them step by step he will certainly decipher a golden thread that goes deeper into the history of the birth of the Orthodox Christianity which was in time to come to age as the Universal Orthodox Church. . . . The subject matter is complex and difficult. Nevertheless [the book] commends itself as an easy fruitful erudite and spiritual reading. --Remus Rus Romania This fine book illustrates how early Christian thought synthesized Jewish revelation with Greek philosophy and literature integrating intellectual knowledge with spiritual understanding. The articles illustrate this synthesis with a number of topics such as the relationship between soul body and spirit. Metropolitan Chrysostomos clear Introduction encourages readers in the current anti-Christian culture to understand the powerful truths and insights of the early Christian writers. --Jeffrey Burton Russell Professor of History emeritus University of California Santa Barbara This engaging collection of essays which explores the dynamic relationship between Hellenistic thought and the writings of the Greek Fathers opens a double window on Christianity and the classical world. What readers will find here are vistas certain to inform their understanding of the link between the wisdom of Homer and Sophocles Plato and Aristotle and the divine revelations of patristic tradition. --Christopher Merrill author of Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain The publication of this new volume . . . is very welcome. The possibility to study in greater depth the attitudes of the early church fathers who wrote in the Greek language towards classical learning is very important. . . . May this book be a source of information inspiration and encouragement for many people of good will. --Hieromonk Gorazd (Vopatrny) Director of the Institute of Eastern Christianity Hussite Faculty of Theology Charles University in Prague The Most Reverend Chrysostomos is Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies.