Philosophy and Religion

Hannah Riess

Mrs. Wagener

English 11 AP

1, August 2013

Philosophy and Religion Come Together

            Although the Middle Ages have often been referred to as the Dark Ages, there was a great deal of advancements made in philosophy, religion, and education. In the course of the Middle Ages, the first convent schools, cathedral schools, and universities were established. In addition, numerous nation states, along with cities, citizens, and folk tales and music, began to evolve. At the same time, two philosophers, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, fought to blend the teachings of Christianity with the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle.  Through their hard work and devotion, Augustine and Aquinas salvaged ancient philosophy and verified that philosophy and religion do not contradict each other.

            St. Augustine lived from 354 to 430 and brought philosophy into Christianity. During his lifetime, St. Augustine studied numerous philosophies and religions. One of the sects he studied was based partly on philosophy and partly on religion. St. Augustine was absorbed in the question of where evil originates. As he tried to find an explanation, St. Augustine used Christianity and Platonic ideas to help him understand the difference between good and evil. This is when he began to grasp that philosophy and religion go hand in hand. By using both philosophical and religious theories, St. Augustine gained that where philosophy could not help, Christianity and religion would suffice. His observations drew history into philosophy and gave the world a new outlook on how reason and faith can go together to help you live a fulfilled life.

            After St. Augustine Christianized Plato, St. Aquinas Christianized the philosophy of Aristotle. Aquinas believed there should not be contradiction between what we learn from philosophy and what we learn through faith because they frequently convey the same thing. Aquinas pulled in Aristotle’s beliefs into Christianity and proved that they do not contradict each other by showing their many similarities. For example, Aristotle believed that everything in the world had a formal cause. In the same way, Aquinas recognized everything had a formal cause and that this cause was God. Aquinas pulled theories from himself, Aristotle, and Christianity to demonstrate how they all go together. Mainly, the result of Aquinas applying Christian teachings into philosophy was that it validated that reason and faith do not come into conflict. However, it also showed that philosophy was not a threat to religion.

            As a result of the Christianizing of Aristotle and Plato, Christianity and philosophy are able to correspond peacefully today. Without the work of both St. Augustine and St. Aquinas, a vital part of the world’s antiquity would have been lost. Their work gave a new meaning to philosophy and Christianity by showing the two can and do correspond together. The teachings of philosophy and Christianity greatly resemble each other, which reveals the importance they have on everyday life. Thanks to two of the greatest philosophers of all, philosophy and the Christian teachings can exist peacefully together.