Plato, the Greek philosopher, also had a hand in the influence of the Roman Church. Plato advocated a strong dualism wherein material realities were considered to be innately inferior to, and insulated from, spiritual realities. In short, the spirit was good, but the body was bad. Therefore, physical things took on a much lesser significance to invisible, spiritual things. The body was as a prison entrapping the soul. The grand desire of the soul was to escape the body and this material realm.

These ideas led to the allegorical interpretation of Scripture. A literal read of Scripture was considered fleshly and historical. It was increasingly preferred to see Scripture as allegorical, which was considered spiritual and mystical. This would impact the Church’s view and valuing of Scripture.

Platonic influence also tended to quiet any conviction of hypocrisy, since the deeds of the flesh and the condition of the soul were distinct and somewhat insulated. So long as a person agreed to certain propositions and performed certain religious rites, they need not be overly concerned about soul. On the other hand, Plato’s philosophies also grounded the drive for monasticism. Those who were most serious about piety were those who separated themselves from the world, withdrawing into monasteries.

In each of these scenarios, Platonic influence contributed to the drift of the Church away from the light of the gospel and into darkness.

Back   Next