Christianity and Western Thought: From the Ancient World to the Age of Enlightenment

by Colin Brown

From Socrates and the Sophists to Kant, from Augustine to Aquinas and the Reformers, Colin Brown traces the turbulent, often tension-filled, always fascinating story of the thinkers, ideas and movements that have shaped our intellectual landscape. Is philosophy the "handmaiden of faith" or "the doctrine of demons"? Does it clarify the faith or undermine the very heart of Christian belief? Brown writes, "This book is about the changes in preconceptions, world views and paradigms that have affected the ways in which people have thought about religion in general and Christianity in particular in the Western world. . . . It is a historical sketch, written to help students--and anyone else who might be interested--to get a better grasp of the love-hate relationship between philosophy and faith that has gone on for close to two thousand years." Students, pastors and thoughtful Christians will benefit from this rich resource. The first in a three-volume work, Brown's easy-to-read, hard-to-put-down introduction to Christianity and Western thought focuses on developments from the ancient world to the Age of Enlightenment.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Theology, Church History

447 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1990

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bracing rush through a couple thousand years of philosophy from the perspective of a Christian scholar.

Not sure who the target audience is, because it rushes so quickly through so many thinkers that if you didn't have some familiarity with them already, I can't imagine you'd retain much of anything.

Still, I found a great deal of value in being able to read an intellectual history that focused on the interplay between sacred and secular thinkers. I've studied a lot of philosophy and a lot of theology, but have a lot of gaps in how the two fit together historically.

Now after reading this book, I have fewer gaps. Nice to know who was responding to whom and who was reading what works. Looking forward to vol's 2 and 3.

[Noah Raddatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful introduction on the interplay between faith and reason, belief and doubt, theology and philosophy.

Unlikely that one would retain everything covered in this book as some philosophers are covered in a few pages. But it will serve as a great starting point for further study and I will likely reference it in the future.

Fairly easy to read and Brown simplifies difficult concepts.

I’d definitely recommend it to someone wanting to study the history of Western thought.

[Garrett Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

An introductory, easy-to-read guide through the centuries of western thought between Socrates and Kant. It quotes primary sources often and at length.

I read alongside John Frame’s The History of Western Philosophy and Theology. With virtually every figure and movement, I found myself making a note that I thought Frame’s analysis was more helpful and his explanations clearer than Brown’s.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colin Brown does a fantastic job taking all the famous philosophers for several millennia, and explaining them in a simple and concise way that everyone can understand.

[Brian Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every educated person should be aware, to some extent, of the history of thought. This book serves as one resource that will help people become aware of the history of thought from ancient Greece through the time of the enlightenment. Of course, given that this book covers over two thousand years of thought, it can be no more than introductory. Major thinkers are rarely given more than ten pages. (Plato and Aristotle are given about ten pages each. Strangely, David Hume is given over twenty.) Given that this is an introductory book, I find it strange that Brown devotes so much space in the end notes to extended bibliographies. I wonder what type of audience he envision for this book. Given that the book is now over twenty-five years old, the bibliographies are a bit dated. New editions and translations of the primary sources have been printed, and a great deal of secondary literature has been published since this book was written.

I wouldn't turn to Brown for theology, but if you're looking for an introduction to the history of thought, particularly as it intersects with Christianity, this isn't a bad place to start.

[Finished reading April 13, 2o17.]

[Binoy Chacko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant 👏 👏 👏

[Edwardf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very educational but very deep