Philo of Alexandria's Views of the Physical World (2011 Anderson), book

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Philo of Alexandria's Views of the Physical World (2011) is a book by Charles A. Anderson.

Abstract

"Philo of Alexandria fuses biblical interpretation and Greco-Roman cosmology in seemingly contradictory fashion: the physical world is sometimes God's enemy, but elsewhere his son and greatest work. Charles A. Anderson examines six key cosmological terms for Philo, including kosmos, physis (and natural law), and argues that his ambivalence is best understood perspectivally. The ‘lower' perspective views the world positively, as a means of knowing and becoming like God, while the ‘higher' perspective sees it negatively, as an obstacle to true communion with God. Philo is ultimately a cosmological pessimist and thus diverges surprisingly from the main lines of both Scripture and Platonism. This book will be of interest to students of ancient Judaism, ancient philosophy, biblical cosmology, and all who reflect on how Jewish-Christian sacred texts can influence contemporary environmental discourse."--Publisher description.

"Philo of Alexandria significantly influenced the early Christian tradition, fusing ancient philosophy and biblical interpretation. His views on the physical world appear contradictory, depicting it as God's enemy but also his greatest work. The answer is to see his views perspectivally. Ultimately, the higher perspective is negative about the world, which sets him off from both the Old Testament and ancient philosophy."--Publisher description.

"Philo von Alexandrien verbindet die biblische Interpretation und die griechisch-römische Kosmologie in einer scheinbar gegensätzlichen Art und Weise: einerseits verkörpert die äußere Welt Gottes' Feind, andererseits auch seinen Sohn und sein größtes Werk. Charles A. Anderson untersucht sechs Schlüsselbegriffe für Philo, einschließlich Kosmos, Physis (und Naturgesetz), und erörtert, daß seine Gegensätzlichkeit am besten perspektivisch verstanden werden kann. Die Perspektive aus einem niedrigen Blickwinkel sieht die Welt positiv und als ein Mittel, Gott zu begreifen und wie er zu werden; während die Perspktive aus einem höheren Blickwinkel die Welt negativ und als ein Hindernis auf dem Weg zum wahren Bund mit Gott sieht. Philo ist im Grunde ein kosmologischer Pessimist und unterscheidet sich deshalb überraschend von den Hauptströmungen der Heiligen Schrift und des Platonismus."--Publisher description.

Editions and translations

Published in Tübingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck, 2011 (WUNT II 309).

Contents

  • The problem of Philo's ambivalence about the physical world
  • The context for Philo's ambivalence toward the physical world
  • Philo's negative terminology for the physical world: [ousia, hyle, genesis, genetos]
  • Philo's positive terminology for the physical world: [kosmos]
  • Philo's positive terminology for the physical world: [physis] part 1
  • Philo's positive terminology for the physical world : [physis] part 2
  • Higher and lower approaches to God
  • The ambiguity of the physical world: a multiperspectival approach
  • Conclusions

External links

  • [ Google Books]
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