Christianity and Philosophy

In the Middle Ages, philosophers were trying to make philosophy fit with Christianity. To do this, they combined the teachings of Greek philosophers with Christian beliefs. Christianity was a strong influence in the Middle Ages, and philosophy might have contradicted this religion if two philosophers had not used ancient philosophical teachings and Christian beliefs to create new ideas. They brought reason and faith together. However, Christianity had to fit with Christian beliefs and ideals, so the extent of philosophy was very limited. It is possible that philosophical beliefs could have been more radical if they had not been applied to Christianity, but this new Christian philosophy appealed more to the general public as Christianity became more popular. St. Augustine did twist Plato’s beliefs to match Biblical teachings, but in doing this, he added a specific spiritual aspect to philosophy. St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas ensured that ancient Greek philosophy would not be forgotten; they were helping to keep it alive by combining it with Christianity. Greek scientific views were also remembered with philosophy. These ancient philosophical beliefs, some of which contradicted Christianity, may have been dismissed as against the church if it had not been for St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Augustine was also the first philosopher to include history in his philosophical beliefs. He used historical events to build his philosophy, drawing knowledge from different time periods. This allowed him to create a unique philosophical project based on the views of different people. St. Thomas Aquinas increased already rapidly increasing popularity of Christianity by asserting that by using reason, anyone can come to the conclusion that Christian beliefs are correct. Faith is necessary to become a Christian, but the belief that there is only one God is logical as well as spiritual. “How to live” can also be determined through human reason as well as through Biblical teachings. St. Thomas Aquinas, instead of twisting Aristotle’s beliefs to match Christianity, used the Bible’s philosophy of life to supplement what Aristotle had figured out based on reason. He found little contradiction, although he may have used Aristotle’s beliefs in ways that he did not mean them.