The Path To God, Part IV

Conclusion: Finding God in Philosophy

We can thus see the steady development of man’s philosophical understanding of God and whether He does in fact exist. There is an instinctive characteristic of man that wants to know something that is beyond, not only himself, but all that his senses perceive. Like Aristotle, we all desire an account of reality that is consistent with logic and order. Like Augustine, we all must find the belief in this Being to truly begin to understand that reality. Like Aquinas, we can reason out our faith and have confidence in the revelation that is known by it.

The Path To God, Part III

Thomas Aquinas: Finding God in Reason

The Augustinian legacy continued on in the Church – impacting the educational curricula of Europe in addition to the way theologians approached the Scriptures.  Yet, by the middle of the 13^th Century, with the re-introduction of Aristotelian philosophy via Arabic scholars, Europe was in need for a change and one ox of a man appeared to have the depth of thought and resources to do it: Thomas Aquinas.  Commonly called “the dumb ox,” this brilliant scholar and philosopher had a profound impact on the course of Western philosophy. 

The Path To God, Part II

Augustine: Finding God in Belief

Centuries later, a North African from the city of Hippo arrived in Milan. He was a teacher of rhetoric and, upon hearing the preaching of Ambrose, the city’s bishop, was convicted of his sinfulness and became a Christian shortly after. Thus began the spiritual walk of one of the Church’s greatest philosophers and theologians. Such is his depth of insight and understanding of the world that the Roman Catholic Church calls him a “Doctor of the Church.” His works – The City of God and The Confessions – have profoundly impacted the Western mind. In many ways, it is his history that defines his philosophy.

The Path To God, Part I

This is a series on the philosophical development of the idea of God in Western Philosophy - particularly pertaining to Aristotle, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas. The first part deals with Aristotle.

In the history of Western Philosophy, there are few who stand in such a prominent place as men like Aristotle, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas. It can be allowed that Plato, Plotinus, and Philo Judaeus played an equal, if not greater role in its development. In terms of discovering the nature and Being of the One True God, however, these three philosophers stand above the rest. They come from different backgrounds – geographically, theologically, and culturally – and, yet, there is a commonality in their search for the Ultimate Reality that carries a common thread through the history of Western Civilization. It is this search for the One True God and how that impacted their philosophies that set these great minds together.