Kristietībai radniecīgas iezīmes antīkajā kultūrā
Traits of Ancient Culture Shared by Christianity

Summary/Abstract: The primary spreading of Christianity and its evolvement from littleknown faith of a marginal group into the dominant ideology of Western civilization remains incompletely explained. This article describes the features of Greek-Roman culture related to Christian views and values thus facilitating pagan conversion. The existence of gods was nearly undisputed in the ancient world. Cities had official deities, and piety was considered a cardinal virtue of citizens. Polytheism being the overall form of religion, a monotheistic trend developed from the cult of Zeus, the highest god. Important political decisions were made with recourse to putative messages of gods. The ancient society was prone to believe in miracles and immortality of the soul, what helped Christian apologetics. Parmenides and Plato denied true reality to unstable and transitory empirical things and relegated it only to permanent and eternal meta- physical entities. In spite of the mainly optimistic attitude to life, some philosophers disregarded secular well-being and practised ascetics. Christians were periodically persecuted by the Roman emperors; however, Severus Alexander and Philip the Arab sympathized with their belief. The doctrine about Logos is exposed in more details. The first concept of it was contained in the pantheistic philosophy of Heraclitus. Later the Stoics attributed great importance to this concept. Their understanding was expressed by poet Aratus whose poem was cited by Apostle Paul while addressing Athenian philosophers. The Jewish religious-philosophical school of Alexandria combined the Mosaic faith with Greek philosophy. Philo of Alexandria, the chief representative of this school, arouses special interest, as he describes the events related to New Testament in geographical vicinity in the same century. The whole New Testament is written after the lifetime of Philo. According to this philosopher, God is absolutely transcendent and no properties may be attributed to him except the mere existence. God has created and governs the world with the aid of mediators, among whom Logos occupies the main and nearest place. Logos is an adequate image of God, his shadow, his first-born son. He is immaterial and imperishable, not created like the world. However, he is neither uncreated like God, and his power is not autonomous but only accredited. Logos also functions as demiurge. Philo was probably the first philosopher who understood Plato’s ideas as God’s thoughts playing the role of seals in world creation. Philo’s representation of Logos is not without contradictions: Logos is said to be disseminated in creatures and to perform personal roles, too. The New Testament, especially the Gospel of St.John, presents a similar teaching about Logos. The Christian creed differs insofar it proclaims the equality of Logos to the Father and his supernatural incorporation in the person of Christ.

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