Christianity and Greek Philosophy

Reason and religious belief meet in B. F. Cocker's account of ancient Greek thought. Writing from a Christian perspective, he argues that earlier religious hopes and philosophical inquiry helped prepare the world for the teaching of Christ and his apostles. The chapters consider religion in Athens, the possibility of knowing God through reason, and the work of thinkers including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Epicurus. Cocker treats these inquiries as parts of a connected history guided by divine providence.

The discussion also examines Greek poetry as a source of religious authority. Homer and Hesiod appear in an account of how poets shaped belief and how philosophers drew upon their standing. Readers studying the relationship between philosophy and theology can follow Cocker's argument that reason and faith belong together. His preface explains an effort to make the subject accessible through references to English translations of classical authors.