Folia Theologica 17. (2006)

László Perendy: A Christian Platonist

A CHRISTIAN PLATONIST

187

chetype of Matter. Their interaction produces the Ideas, which in turn create the material universe. The heavens are composed of fire, so also in his opinion there are only four elements.40

For Philo41 the personal God of Judaism is the One, the supreme Principle. In our knowledge, he is the first to apply some terms of negative theology (unnameable, unutterable) to God. Pythagorian speculations are also present in his works. The Hebdomad is the symbol of the transcendent aspect of the Logos. The way he tries to describe the relation of his utterly transcendent God to the universe contains elements which cannot be derived from contemporary Platonism, they seem to be non-Hellenic42, and sometimes completely original. As to the description of creation, he adopts the stoicized version of the account of the Timaeus, and attacks Aristotle. In his mind, as Time came into being together with the cosmos, creation in time is not acceptable. Actually, the concept of creation for him means that the universe completely depends on an external cause.43 As to the idea of the creation of Matter itself by God, we could quote passages from his works which seem to support both solutions. But not even the doctrine of the De Providentia seems to prove that he had the concept of creatio ex nihilo.44

A. N. M. RICH, The Platonic Ideas as the Thoughts of God, in Mnemosyne 7 (1954) 123-133.

40 J. DILLON, o.c. 126-131.

41 For further research on Philo, see:

F. H. COLSON - G. H. WHITTAKER, Philo Judaeus. De opificio mundi, New York, 1971.

H. GUYOT, Les réminiscences de Philon le Juif chez Plotin. Etude critique, Paris, 1906.

R. RADICE - D. T. RUNIA, Philo of Alexandria. An annotated bibliography 1937-1986, Leiden-New York-Kobenhavn-Köln, 1988.

D. WINSTON, Philo of Alexandria, The Contemplative Life, the Giants, and Selections, New York-Toronto, 1981.

42 Cf. G. REALE, Filone di Alessandria e la “ftlosofia mosaica ", in Storia della filosofia antica, Vol. IV, Milano, 19875.

43 Cf. J. WHITTAKER, God and Time in Philo of Alexandria, in Id., God Time Being. Two studies in the transcendental tradition in Greek philosophy, Oslo, 1971, 91-104.

44 Ibid. 155-158. As to Philo’s doctrine of creation, see the following works:

F. V. COURNEEN, Philo Judaeus had the Concept of Creation, in New Scholasticism 15 (1941) 46-58.