Taking St Paul’s sermon to the Athenians (Acts 17) as starting point, I shall explore the differences and similarities in Ancient Greek philosophy and Christianity as promulgated by Paul. My talk will encompass Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Russell, Hume, and the pre-Socratics, in order to seek out any universal truths.
In contrast to Ray’s methodology, I shall approach the nature of God from an apophatic position. I shall, thus, show that the God of the philosopher is not necessarily the God of the believer, who may look to the passions (emotions) as well as pure reason. Nonetheless, I doubt whether mere words can express the true and exhaustive ontology of the Godhead. We are all after all to some extent “looking through a glass darkly” whatever we believe.