For the past several weeks, we have been engaged in the delicate work of “plundering the Egyptians.” We have walked through the Stoic camp, identifying valuable tools—virtue, duty, the dichotomy of control, and the concept of things indifferent—and we have shown how, when rinsed in the waters of baptism, they can serve the Christian life.… Continue reading The Impersonal Logos vs. The Personal Trinity
Category: Philosophy & Worldview
Things Indifferent? Paul, Adiaphora, and the Christian Conscience
In our study so far, we have established the theological warrant for engaging with Stoicism: the doctrine of Common Grace. We have argued that we should “plunder the Egyptians,” taking the gold of pagan insight and refining it in the fire of Scripture. We saw the Apostle Paul model this generally on Mars Hill in… Continue reading Things Indifferent? Paul, Adiaphora, and the Christian Conscience
Living According to Nature, Created and Redeemed
We have spent the last few articles in the “gymnasium” of Christian Stoicism, learning to wield specific tools: the Dichotomy of Control to steady our hands and the Ordered Affections to steady our hearts. We have seen that the Christian life is not a retreat from reality, but a disciplined engagement with it, fueled by the Spirit and grounded… Continue reading Living According to Nature, Created and Redeemed
Apatheia or Ordered Affections? A Christian View of Emotion
In our last article, we walked through the forest of virtue. We saw that the Stoic “stumps” of Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Temperance are noble but dead until they are grafted into the living root of the Holy Spirit and watered by Faith, Hope, and Love. Now we must descend from the high ground of… Continue reading Apatheia or Ordered Affections? A Christian View of Emotion
The Four Stumps and the Three Trees: Cardinal vs. Theological Virtues
In our last article, we examined the Dichotomy of Control, refining it from a cold tool of resignation into a warm discipline of trust in Divine Providence. We established that the Christian life is not about detachment, but about entrusting the “sphere of results” to a Sovereign Father while fiercely attacking the “sphere of responsibility.” But… Continue reading The Four Stumps and the Three Trees: Cardinal vs. Theological Virtues
Providence and the Dichotomy of Control
We have now crossed the threshold. In our first module, Foundations, we established the “Why” and the “How” of Christian Stoicism. We excavated the history, justified the project theologically, and stress-tested the pagan worldview until it cracked. We concluded by watching the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill, giving us our marching orders to critical engagement. Now,… Continue reading Providence and the Dichotomy of Control
The Apostle on Mars Hill: Paul’s Critical Engagement with Stoic Thought
For the past several weeks, we have been engaged in a rigorous philosophical exercise. We have excavated the foundations of Stoicism, admired its ethical architecture, and stress-tested its worldview against the Christian doctrines of God, man, and the universe. We have argued that we should “plunder the Egyptians”—taking the gold of Stoic insight while leaving… Continue reading The Apostle on Mars Hill: Paul’s Critical Engagement with Stoic Thought
Duty Without a Lawgiver
In the lexicon of modern Western culture, few words have fallen as far or as fast as the word Duty. We live in the age of “rights,” “passions,” and “self-actualization.” To speak of duty—of an obligation that binds us regardless of our feelings or desires—is to speak a foreign tongue. We are told to “follow our… Continue reading Duty Without a Lawgiver
A Universe of Chance or a Created Order?
We have now reached the final stage of our demolition work. In this series, we have engaged in a presuppositional critique of the Stoic worldview, testing the structural integrity of its ethics and its epistemology. We have seen that the Stoics wanted a moral law without a Lawgiver (ethics) and a trustworthy reason without a… Continue reading A Universe of Chance or a Created Order?
Whose Reason? Which Logos?
In our previous article, we exposed the fatal crack in the foundation of Stoic ethics. We demonstrated that their noble pursuit of virtue was ultimately unintelligible because it demanded a moral law without a moral Lawgiver. They wanted the fruit of righteousness without the root of a personal God. But the Stoic might object. He… Continue reading Whose Reason? Which Logos?