Greek Light

Plato's Big Ideas Reflected in Christian Truth

Certain old books stand out for both their intrinsic power and their longstanding influence upon Western civilization. Obviously the Bible is one of these, as are the epics of Homer, the Greek tragedies, and the plays of Shakespeare. On this short list the writings of Plato hold a high place. Plato's works are the literary fountain of our philosophical tradition; Alfred North Whitehead once characterized Western philosophy as a series of footnotes to Plato. But Plato's influence reaches beyond philosophy; his writings have become part of Western religious thought as well.

The integration of Platonic imagery and ideas into Christian thought has been significant. This influence has been both...