Theological Thought

Plato and Aristotle in Brian McLaren's KNOC Trilogy - Part II

Plato, in his Phaedo, has Socrates explain his doctrine of Ideas, or, Forms. We live in a world of particulars - particular dogs and cats, particular people with particular desires. There exists, according to Plato's Socrates, an essence to each of these - dogs, cats, man, etc - that is its Form, its natural essence. The particulars that we see around us are imperfect versions of the perfect Forms.

This doctrine is extremely important to understanding the history of theological thought. Philosophy began in a world that believed in multiple gods which govern the world. If there were multiple gods, gods who battled each other, there were multiple truths about the world. What marked the beginnings of philosophy was the attempt to know not truths, but Truth; or, the attempt to know the essence or nature of reality. Plato's doctrine of the Ideas is an attempt to know the essence of reality.

Plato and Aristotle in Brian McLaren's KNOC Trilogy - Part I

I've become convinced that Brian McLaren's New Kind of Christian (NKOC) trilogy has touched on an issue more fundamental to the history of theological thought than any book in decades. This issue can be summarized as the tension between Plato and Aristotle, or, to use philosophical categories, the tension between Being and Becoming.

Don't be intimidated by the philosophical terminology. One of McLaren's gifts is that of making technical terminology more accessible, and the NKOC trilogy is masterful at this. In fact, the NKOC trilogy, read carefully, is a good introduction to some of the key themes of philosophy. So it is important for us to understand the fundamental concepts that McLaren is really getting at here. So, bear with me...