
“Ancient Philosophy and the Formation of Christian Thought”
Dr David Bradshaw
One of the best ways to view Christianity is from the outside, as it was seen by the ancient pagans. By the time that Christianity emerged, educated pagans had long believed in a single supreme God. But the idea that this God might seek to save humanity by becoming incarnate seemed to them like blasphemy. It suggested that God was ignorant of what was for them the basic fact that what we call evil is essential to the balance of the cosmos, so to seek to change it is pointless.
We will examine the debate between pagans and Christians and how it led to the creation of a new Christian philosophy. This philosophy overturned longstanding assumptions, not only about God, evil, and creation, but about ethics, the possibility of radical change, and the goal of human life. Ultimately we will see that the ancient world produced not one but two Christian philosophies—that of the East as represented by authors such as St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nyssa, and that of the West as represented by St. Augustine. Understanding their differences will reveal much about the perils and possibilities facing Christian thought today.

Dr David Bradshaw is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky. He is the author of Aristotle East and West: Metaphysics and the Division of Christendom (2004) and of numerous other works on ancient, patristic, and medieval philosophy. He and his wife Mary attend St Athanasius Orthodox Church (OCA) in Nicholasville, KY.
Location
Ambrose University, Calgary, AB
Daily Schedule (M-F, June 9-13)
8:45 AM: Third Hour Prayers
9:00 AM- 12:15 PM: Sessions & coffee
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 PM – 4:45 PM: Sessions & coffee
Registration
Option 1: Seminar only $340
- Includes daily lunch & coffee breaks
Option 2: Seminar & Accommodations $590-$705
- Includes daily lunch, coffee breaks, & residence-style accommodation from June 9-13 on the Ambrose campus
Option 3: For-credit course at Ambrose University & Seminary
- Email for details
After May 1, add $50.
Click here to register.
For more information about the seminar, email Dn Jonathan Goossen at seminar@saintpeter.ca.