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List of contents
Introduction. Christianity and Platonism Alexander J. B. Hampton and John Peter Kenney; Part I. Concepts: 1.1 The perennial value of platonism Lloyd Gerson; 1.2 The ideas as thoughts of God John Dillon and Daniel J. Tolan; 1.3 The one and the trinity Andrew Radde-Gallwitz; 1.4. Creation, begetting, desire, and re-creation in Christian platonism Kevin Corrigan; 1.5 The concept of theology Olivier Boulnois; 1.6 Participation: Aquinas and his Neoplatonic sources Rudi A. te Velde; Part II. History: 2.1. The Bible and early Christian platonism Mark Edwards; 2.2 Platonism and Christianity in late antiquity John Peter Kenney; 2.3 The development of Christian platonism in the medieval west Lydia Schumacher; 2.4 Christian platonism in Byzantium Torstein Tollefsen; 2.5 Renaissance Christian platonism and ficino Stephen Gersh; 2.6 Northern renaissance platonism from Cusa to Böhme Cecilia Muratori and Mario Meliadò; 2.7 Christian platonism in early modernity Derek A. Michaud; 2.8 The counter-enlightenment and romantic platonism Douglas Hedley; 2.9 Christian platonism and modernity Joshua Levi Ian Gentzke; Part III. Engagements: 3.1 Christian platonism and natural science Andrew Davison and Jacob Holsinger Sherman; 3.2 Christian platonism, nature and environmental crisis Alexander J. B. Hampton; 3.3 Art and meaning Richard Viladesau; 3.4 Value, dualism and materialism Charles Taliaferro; 3.5 Christian love and platonic friendship Catherine Pickstock; 3.6 Multiplicity in Earth and heaven Stephen Clark; Index.
About the author
Alexander J. B. Hampton is Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Toronto, specialising in metaphysics, poetics and nature. He is the author of Romanticism and the Re-Invention of Modern Religion (Cambridge, 2019) and co-editor of the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to Religion and the Environment.John Peter Kenney is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Saint Michael's College. He is the author of Mystical Monotheism: A Study in Ancient Platonic Theology (1991), The Mysticism of Saint Augustine: Rereading the Confessions (2005), Contemplation and Classical Christianity: A Study in Augustine (2013), and On God, the Soul, Evil, and the Rise of Christianity (2018).
Summary
Anyone wishing to understand Christianity deeply must consider the central, formative role of Platonism. It has constituted an essential intellectual resource, and been considered a controversial influence. This volume includes chapters on key concepts, explicates the tradition's history, and engages key issues for contemporary society.