What happens when the world of Plato meets the world of Christ? In the final installment of this three-part series on Platonism, Dr. Anthony Alberino sits down with Dr. Michael Wiitala to explore the fascinating relationship between Christianity and the Platonic tradition. From the Gospel of John’s doctrine of the Logos to the profound influence of Platonism on the Church Fathers, creeds, and classical Christian theology, this episode examines how Christian thinkers appropriated, transformed, and sometimes rejected elements of Greek philosophy in their effort to understand and articulate the faith. The discussion covers Philo of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Augustine, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, and other major figures in the Christian Platonic tradition. Dr. Wiitala also explains why Platonism proved uniquely attractive to early Christians, how it shaped doctrines concerning God, creation, immaterial reality, providence, and the soul, and where important disagreements emerged regarding creation, reincarnation, emanation, and pagan religion. Finally, Anthony and Michael address contemporary criticisms of Christian Platonism and ask whether the synthesis of faith and philosophy remains a fruitful project for Christian thinkers today. Topics Covered:

• The Logos in John's Gospel and Philo of Alexandria
• Platonism and the Early Church Fathers
• Augustine's conversion and the Neoplatonists
• Christian Platonism and the Ecumenical Creeds
• Providence, creation, and the transcendence of God
• The Trinity and Platonic metaphysics
• Theosis and the Christian life
• Critiques of Christian Platonism
• Is Christian Platonism still relevant today?

This episode concludes our series:

• Part 1: On Plato and Platonism
• Part 2: On Neoplatonism

Part 3: On Christian Platonism

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations on philosophy, theology, and the intellectual foundations of Christianity, be sure to like, subscribe, and share. #ChristianPlatonism #Plato #Christianity #Theology #Philosophy #Augustine #Neoplatonism #ChurchFathers #Logos #ThinkForChrist

In this episode of Think for Christ, Anthony Alberino is joined again by philosopher Dr. Michael Wiitala to explore the origins, development, and enduring significance of Neoplatonism. Together they trace the history of Platonism from Plato’s Academy through the Hellenistic and Roman periods before examining the thought of Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism. The discussion covers the famous hierarchy of the One, Intellect, and Soul, the meaning of the claim that the One is “beyond being,” and the profound influence of Neoplatonic metaphysics on Christian, Jewish, and Islamic thought. The conversation concludes with a reflection on how Plotinus deepened the metaphysical question by asking not only what reality is, but why there is being at all. Topics Covered:

• The fate of Plato’s Academy after Plato's death
• Middle Platonism and the rise of Neoplatonism
• Plotinus and the systematization of Plato's philosophy
• The One, Intellect (Nous), and World Soul
• Why Plotinus places the One beyond being
• The relationship between Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism
• The enduring theological and metaphysical legacy of Neoplatonism

#Plato #Neoplatonism #Plotinus #ChristianPlatonism #Philosophy #Metaphysics #ThomasAquinas #Augustine #ThinkForChrist #AnthonyAlberino #MichaelWiitala #ClassicalTheism #AncientPhilosophy #Theology #HistoryOfPhilosophy

How should we understand Plato—what exactly is Platonism? In this episode of Think for Christ, Anthony Alberino sits down with philosopher Dr. Michael Wiitala for a deep exploration of Plato, Socrates, the theory of Forms, dialectic, metaphysics, and the true nature of philosophy itself. Drawing from the Platonic dialogues, the conversation examines how Plato sought not merely to construct a philosophical system, but to awaken the soul to truth, goodness, and wisdom through the lived practice of philosophy. Anthony and Dr. Wiitala discuss Plato’s relationship to Socrates, why Plato wrote dialogues instead of systematic treatises, the meaning of dialectic, and the role of philosophy as a transformative way of life rather than merely an academic exercise. The discussion also tackles common misconceptions about Platonism—including the idea that Plato believed in a literal “world of Forms”—and situates Plato within the broader context of Greek philosophy, including the influence of Parmenides, Heraclitus, and the Sophists.