Rejeição à humanidade: Os efeitos do neoplatonismo no cristianismo

by Rousas John Rushdoony, Felipe Sabino de Araújo Neto (Editor), Jean-Marc Berthoud (Preface)

As maiores ameaças ao cristianismo são as que mais passam despercebidas ao cristão comum: são aquelas que, por terem se mesclado à nossa cosmovisão, tornam-se extremamente difíceis de serem discernidas, pois julgamo-las como verdadeiras. As Escrituras nos advertem: “Se, porém, os teus olhos forem maus, todo o teu corpo estará em trevas” (Mateus 6.29), isto é, o pior tipo de trevas é aquele que pensamos ser luz.

Assim, uma das ameaças mais desconsideradas, não obstante sua difusão na visão cristã da vida e do mundo, é a do neoplatonismo. Esse resquício da filosofia grega antiga fundamenta-se num aspecto dualista da realidade: concebe a forma ou espírito (no caso, a mente) como bons e o físico (a carne) como mau. O neoplatonismo é uma filosofia “dialética” que tenta reconciliar dois conceitos essencialmente hostis e mantê-los dentro de seu sistema.

Ora, o neoplatonismo apresenta o dilema do homem como sendo de natureza metafísica, ao passo que as Escrituras apregoam que se trata de um problema moral. Pautar o cristianismo nessa falsa ideia neoplatônica inevitavelmente despojará a fé da perspectiva realmente bíblica. As ideias modernas de espiritualidade acabaram transformando-se em uma forma de oposição ao modelo bíblico, no qual o Espírito de Deus atua no mundo e no indivíduo a fim de realizar a vontade de Deus. Muitos cristãos creem que podem escapar do pecado por meio de uma evasão ao mundo material. As Escrituras, porém, dizem que o homem, em sua totalidade, caiu em pecado, e não apenas sua carne.

À vista disso, «Rejeição à humanidade» é um olhar perscrutador sobre a natureza e efeitos do neoplatonismo no pensamento cristão contemporâneo, e apresenta soluções biblicamente fundadas para o crente que deseja servir plenamente a Deus.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, History, Christianity, Christian

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Rousas John Rushdoony was a Calvinist philosopher, historian, and theologian and is widely credited as the father of both Christian Reconstructionism and the modern homeschool movement. His prolific writings have exerted considerable influence on the Christian right.

Reviews

[Felipe Sabino]

Releitura com muito proveito, desta vez em português. Rushdoony nos alerta sobre os efeitos do neoplatonismo no pensamento cristão, algo ainda muito persente entre nós. Quer se expresse numa visão depreciativa do corpo, numa visão negativa ou meramente "prociadora" do sexo, todas essas deturpações têm origem na rejeição básica da nossa criaturalidade. Altamente recomendado!

[Fabrício Tavares De Moraes]

Neste livreto, o grande alvo de Rushdoony é a influência neoplatônica -- e não raro gnóstica -- na cristandade, assim como nas ideologias modernas. Fundamentando sempre seus raciocínios com dezenas de citações oriundas de livros (desde clássicos da filosofia política à obras literárias), Rushdoony demonstra como até mesmo o puritanismo, em especial Michael Wigglesworth, foi "infectado" pelos ideais ascéticos que desprezam a vida terrena, o corpo e as funções e responsabilidades sociais designadas ao homem. Obviamente alguns trechos desta obra incomodarão os leitores ocasionais de suas obras: críticas não só aos puritanos, mas a outros grandes nomes do pensamento cristão não são raras. Pode-se alegar que há certos saltos conclusivos menos embasados, mas a crítica cultural, como de hábito, é sempre incisiva e por vezes clarividente. Muitos dos problemas da arte, cultura e religião contemporâneas de fato procedem das raízes que ele, décadas atrás, já expusera com a perspicácia e simplicidade que lhe são características.

[Douglas Wilson]

Great.

[Knowlton Murphy]

Uncomfortable at times, but a great and scathing critique of neoplatonism's influence on Christianity.

[Nate Hansen]

Fantastic. Establishes a powerful argument that many and many a Modern (and a cup-in-hand, slave-boy-in-bed Greek, declaring himself to be beyond passion) is rather more akin to Brad Pitt's character in The Tree of Life than the rock-abbed, detached philosopher-king of popular imagination. Interesting observations on feminism, too, prefiguring Prudence Allen's work.

[Amy Hansen]

Interesting read. I’d come across most of the content in this book before in various places, but it was really helpful in understanding the categories in which many of my friends think.

[Josiah Richardson]

On the better half of good. Neoplatonism has infected Christianity for sometime now. Rushdoony points this out and critiques men like Wigglesworth along the way. Too long to be considered a pamphlet, this would have done well to go further in depth here. As it stands, it is only a cursory summarization of the issues.

[William Schrecengost]

He writes against the semi-Gnosticism of the church, specifically attributes it to the neoplatonists, which he is probably right about. The neoplatonists wrote against Christianity and so their philosophy was an adaptation of Plato and Aristotle to combat the church’s plundering of their Greek philosophers.
Specifically, Rushdoony is writing against the overemphasis on the soul and rejection of the flesh and the world in the church. While I think he’s generally correct, I think he overlooks the passages in Paul on the superiority of the Spirit and the sinfulness of the flesh. Rather than merely writing a negative tract against the church, it would’ve been nice to have a discussion of the proper understanding of these things and engage in the Bible’s portrayal of the Spirit and the Flesh. I would argue that the flesh is wicked because it is tainted by sin and the fall and that the resurrection is the answer to that dilemma. The old world will die and be resurrected anew, perfect and righteous. It’s not materiality that’s the problem, but sin.
I think Rushdoony was right by placing the emphasis on the neoplatonists. He’s probably more accurate than Jordan’s and others who point towards Gnosticism as the problem of the church. We should seek to understand more about what Gnosticism actually was before just accusing anyone who suggests that the spiritual is superior to the earthly as being gnostic.

[Michael]

4.5 stars, only because the book really talks about “nascent” Platonism or Greek thought in general rather than the specific tradition within Christianity properly called “Neo-Platonism” (Plotinus and Pseudo Dionysius are only brought up once in passing).

Besides that, Rushdoony is dead-on correct about Greek presuppositions that not only modern man has inherited, but so so many of the coveted “church fathers” openly championed. Rushdoony shows how humanist presuppositions in Greek philosophy lead to self-destructive asceticism (so celebrated in the Romanist and EO churches), placing contemplation above obedience, Biblically foreign ideas of “Being” and the like, and manifestations in many specific Christian individuals and movements.

What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem? The Christian should answer with Tertullian: NOTHING!

[Dave Wagner]

The impact Neoplatonism has had on Christianity - and in fact, upon every religion - is staggering. This book is an incredible resource for those who are diving into a study of church history.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Don't get me wrong, the writing is clear and accessible, but the impact of having the lights turned on to your faith, and the unavoidable questions it will cause you to ask yourself, could leave you reeling. Plato's fingerprints are all over everything.... that is not an overstatement. Did God really use Plato - a pagan Greek philosopher - to advance His truth? Really? Or is there a gigantic, centuries-long swindle afoot?

I will be reading this book again. And again.

[Forbes]

Fantastic book. Being my first introduction to neoplatonism, it was so helpful for correctly interpreting many world events and harmful human attitudes. I read each page asking myself where this book had been all my life! The way I view the world and myself will never be the same. The only weakness was the work could have devoted more space to the biblical perspective, but it could be argued this was done in the chapters on Michael Wigglesworth and Puritanism. Will definitely be re reading this one.

[Loren Darling]

Interesting, brief look at how neoplatonism has influenced Christianity from the ascetics of the early church onward. Rush mentions "common grace" as way evangelical and even Reformed believers avoid the clear teachings of Scripture but the case would have been stronger with more unpacking and examples of how this "flight from humanity" manifests itself in modern Christianity.

[Aaron Viland]

Rushdoony provides some successful examples of when Neoplatonism has gone wrong, specifically when beliefs or practices have snuck in without being questioned by scripture. Yet his treatment of Plato’s influence on Christianity is far from comprehensive enough to justify his conclusion that Neoplatonism is necessarily a great evil.

[Álvaro Cabral-Melo]

Simplesmente excelente.
Sem dúvida esta é uma das melhores obras do Rushdoony. Trata-se de uma leitura obrigatória para quem deseja entender como o neopaganismo e o monismo sempre afetaram e ainda afetam a cosmovisão do homem; e inclusive do homem cristão, infelizmente.

[OVES]

Skillfully cuts some fatty parts of Christianity away, those parts being the ascetic Neoplatonism which exalts the soul and disparages the body. By contrast, Christianity is not a matter of nature vs. grace, but of sin vs. God, and how the perfect Son of God came bodily to save us.

[Rory Fry]

A consistent Rush title.

[Grace Anne Vrazo]

Not an easy read, and I probably need to go through it again to really grasp it, but really essential to understanding the world and philosophies around us.

[Peter Kiss]

Great book illustrating the false and unfruitful piety that's a result of confusing sin as metaphysical instead of ethical. Penetrating analysis at times, enjoyed it.

[Daniel]

This is a great introduction to Rushdoony's thought, and the stimulus to read everything else. More important and basic to understanding Rushdoony than Law and Liberty.

[Mark]

In this short book, Rushdoony critiques modern philosophy and secular thought for removing humans from moral and divine accountability. He shows how dialectic focuses on abstract conflicts, treating people as impersonal forces, while monistic thinking erases real distinctions and diminishes human responsibility. Although some examples and cultural references feel rooted in the 1960s, the book still clearly explains how these trends represent a “flight from humanity” and why a biblical perspective is essential to preserve moral order, human dignity, and meaning. I appreciated it for making complex philosophical ideas accessible and for connecting them to practical concerns about human life, ethics, and faith.

[Jimmy]

A short book about dualism (body versus mind/soul) that has crept in throughout the history of thought and Christian theology/philosophy, and it's devastating consequences. Could have benefited from being longer in length in the defense of his thesis--but I did appreciate what he was saying and the examples of dualism at least should make the readers be conscious of looking for the wrong antithesis of body vs mind as the root of necessary problem, and the need for the Christian to see the main problem man has is ethical in nature (sin) rather than metaphysical.

[Phillip Rodgers]

Interesting treatment of an important subject

The book is divided into short essays. The first half by Rushdoony and the second half by Saladin. Perhaps because they were less "inside baseball" I got more out of Rushdoony's essays. Worth a read because, as Rushdoony has said, "infallibility is an inescapable concept." Everyone has some bedrock "infallible" authority.

[Adam Ross]

Both good and odd. Rushdoony says some brilliant things, and then some really weird things, just like in all his books. The mission is to eat the meat and spit out the bones.

[Ryan]

Quite good.

[Zach de Walsingham]

Good. I'm seeing dualisms in my life everywhere now.

[Felipe Sabino]

Excelente!