Folia Theologica 17. (2006)
László Perendy: A Christian Platonist
A CHRISTIAN PLATONIST 175 In the 9th and 10th chapters of the Apologia Maior he emphasizes that God does not need material offerings, only the idols and the evil demons do. He created the world for the sake of human beings, and he gives us every material being: "But we have received [from tradition] that God does not need material offerings from people, seeing that He Himself is the provider of all things. And we have been taught, an are persuaded, and believe that He accepts only those who imitate the good things which are in Him, temperance and righteousness and well-doing and whatsoever else truly belongs to God who is called by no given name. And we have been taught that in the beginning He of His goodness, for people's sake, formed all things out of unformed matter; (Kai TTÓVTa Tr]V ápxf]v, àyaGôv ővTa, 8r|p.ioupyf]aai aÙTÔv dpópcjjou üXr|ç 8i’ dvOpüJTTOusr 8e8i8dyp.e0a-) (X. 1-2.) The same idea appears in Chapter 13: "What sober-minded person then will not admit that we are not atheists, since we worship the Maker of this Universe (’'A0eoi pèv oúk écrgev, tôv Srip.ioupyôi' ToûSe toû TTavToç <reß0|ievoi,) and declare, as we have been taught, that He has no need of blood and libations and incense, whom we praise to the utmost of our power through the word of prayer and thanksgiving for all things we receive. We have been taught that the only honor that is worthy of Him is not to consume by fire the things He has brought into being for our sustenance, but contribute them for ourselves and those in need, and with thanksgiving to Him celebrating our solemnities in hymns and speech, for our creation, and for al the means of health, and for the qualities of the different kinds of things, and for the changes of the seasons, and presenting before Him petitions that we may live again in incorruption through faith in Him." (XIII. 1-2.) In Chapter 20 he points at the similarities between views of the various philosophical schools and the teaching of the Christians: ... And the philosophers called Stoics teach that even God Himself will be resolved into fire, and they say that world is to come into being again by this change; but we know that God, the Creator of all, is superior to changeable things. (Oi Xeyopevoi Sè Ztcjlkoi cjnXóao<j>oi Kai aÙTÔv tôv 0eàv eiç TTÛp dvaXúeaOai SoypaTÍ^ouai Kai aú TTdXiu KaTà peTaßoXqv tou KÓagou yevécrOai
