Prompt 3

Megan O’Leary

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

3 August 2013

 Philosophy and the Teachings of Christ

     
     Medieval philosophy focused on whether or not the teachings of Christ were compatible with 

reason. St. Augustine saw a strong connection between Plato’s philosophies and the Christian 

doctrine as St. Thomas Aquinas did with Aristotle. This connection is why Plato and Aristotle were 

Christianized. When the teachings of Christ were applied to ancient philosophy, philosophers and the 

Christian doctrine were united, a new interest in natural sciences arose, and people could arrive at 

one truth.
 
     Aquinas believed truth could be reached through our natural reason as well as through Christian 

faith. He reasoned that we could reach God through either path. Alberto tells Sophie that Aquinas’s 

point was that there need not be any conflict between a philosopher like Aristotle and the Christian 

doctrine.  Many times, our natural reasoning matches up with what we read in the Bible. Faith is a 

sure way to find oneself if he or she ever gets lost in reasoning.
 
     A new interest in natural sciences was sparked as Aristotle’s teachings became more well-known. 

Alberto explains to Sophie how the Arabs had kept the Aristotelian tradition alive. Once translated 

into Latin, Aristotle’s writings became known. By spreading to Europe, Aristotle’s ideas shed light 

upon many people and helped open their minds up to Greek philosophy. This new interest boosted

the belief that Christ’s teachings could coexist with philosophy.
   
      Aquinas wanted to prove that there is only one truth. The Bible and reasoning have such similar 

aspects which strongly suggests they are based off of the same single truth. When explaining how 

philosophy works hand in hand with religion, Alberto tells Sophie that “We can arrive successfully at 

one aspect of the truth with the aid of reason and the evidence of our senses.” Incorporating the 

Greek thinkers’ philosophies into their beliefs, the people in the Middle Ages were able to use 

reasoning as well as follow the teachings of Christ.
 
    St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas were both significant figures in the Middle Ages and 

cleared up much controversy. Before they had brought reason and religion together, Christians were 

not open to view things as Plato and Aristotle did. Once philosophy was brought into Europe by the 

Arabs, people saw that Greek philosophers ideas had, in fact, the same ideas as the Bible and Christ’s 

teachings. When these teachings of Christ were applied to ancient philosophy, a general idea was 

produced of a single truth, natural sciences were introduced, and the Christian doctrine and 

philosophical teachings were united.