Philosophy and the Christian faith: A historical sketch from the Middle Ages to the present day (A Tyndale paperback) [Paperback]

Colin Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1969 | Series: A Tyndale paperback

Colin Brown surveys the thought of over 400 philosophers from the Middle Ages to the present day, showing how various thinkers and ideas have affected Christian belief.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale Press; As stated, 1st edition dated Jan., 1969 edition (1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851113044
• ISBN-13: 978-0851113043
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,583,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Colin Brown (DD, University of Nottingham; PhD, University of Bristol) is professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. He is a priest of the Episcopal Church, and has served as associate rector of his parish church for nearly 20 years.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Historical Survey of Philosophy & Christian Effect, February 13, 2001

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philosophy & the Christian Faith (Paperback)

Brown provides a fine, brief survey of philosophy from the historical viewpoint. He begins with medieval thinkers, which set the pattern for so much of the thought that followed and still has its affect today. Covering Augustine to Aquinas, it is Augustine who sets the framework for the successors. Brown stresses a good point here, that the Middle Ages were focused not on the physical universe for its sake, but for the sake of the reality behind it. A strange mixture of Christinaity, pagan philosophy and a great portion of Greek philosophy. At the end, comes the major thinker Aquinas with his arguments that natural theology forms the intellectual basis for the philosophical arguments of the church.

Moving to the 16th-18th centuries, Brown shows that this was the cradle for modern thought. Recovery here of world and man for their own sakes, and the Reformation turns away from natural theology to revealed theology. Thus, the development of the rationalists, empiricists, deists and to Kant, this is time of major turning in philosophy. Major directive to modern man's power of reason to understand his world.

Creatively taking tagents off of this is the 19th century world of Schleiermacher, Hegel and Kierkegaard, spurning on the prominent 20th world of Barth, Tillich, Bultmann, etc.

This is a great, general intro to philosophy and its relationship to Christianity. Brown warns against alignment with any particular philosophy too closely, but does see the need and value of the stimulus philosophy provides for Christian thinkers to rethink their position.

Bibliography leans toward British publishing. Great reference is the five-volume "A History of Western Philosophy" by W.T. Jones.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helenization of Christianity to Baptism of Aristotle, October 23, 2004

By 

Didaskalex "Eusebius Alexandrinus" (Kellia on Calvary, Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philosophy & the Christian Faith (Paperback)

Work Scope:
Dr. Brown starts by introducing his own reflective observations, on the tenuous liaison of philosophy and faith. Both theologians and philosophers had their respective doubts and frustrations. He pursues his goal by surveying the intellectual movements and their western thinkers during the second millennia.
He categorizes his work thus; "Histories of philosophy are not normally designed to be read through in bed, and the present one is not necessarily intended to be read through consecutively."

Views & Conclusions:
Colin Brown exposes an insightful brief survey of alternative philosophical bases of Christian doctrine, that influenced the faith of Christian Churches in the course of history. This is a systematic work of an uncommonly talented, and deeply commited theologian to present an analytical history of philosophy, with an emphasis on the different interpretations of the sustained encounters of the fads and fashions of philosophy with Christian faith. Colin Brown concludes in the postscript with lessons from the past criticizing the incompleteness of philosophical systems. Although he warns against dependence on a particular philosophy, he recognizes the necessity of the philosophy's invigorating inquiry that drives Christian theologians to reconsider their positions.

Unique treatment:
In contrast to his intentional fast tour of medieval philosophy, he already started to interpret Anselm by Barth and Hartshorne. The author gave the Twentieth Century a relative elaborate and critical evaluation of new trends in logical positivism, and religious language before he reviews existentialism in the example of Bultmann and Tillich. He then introduces New Radicalism in Bonhoeffer, before his thorough exposition of J.A.T. Robinson's, Honest to God. He would not refrain from analyzing the 'Death of God' movement, but gives his debut on Cornilius Van Till and Francis Schaeffer.

Biographical note:
Colin Brown (D.D., U. of Nottingham; Ph.D., Bristol University) is professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. He is an Episcopal minister, and has served as Associate Rector of his parish church for decades.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise Christian view of Philosophy, October 23, 2009

By 

Mike Robinson "Mike A Robinson: Apologetic An... (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philosophy & the Christian Faith (Paperback)

I utilized this in seminary and found it very useful. Brown's review of the history of philosophy and critiques thereof are not overly authoritative. This book is an easy read for the non-philosopher or novice. It was broad in its reach but it could not plunge deep enough due to its format. If you are looking for a quick trustworthy reference from a Christian perspective, this is a must.

Dr. Brown covers many of the important philosophers in history. Brown even provides short coverage of Van Til and Schaeffer (quotes Van Til: "The existence of the God of Christian theism is presupposed by all rational thought and behavior"). This is a good book for a beginner or a seminary student.

Presuppositions are important and Brown reminds readers that "Calvin compared scripture with spectacles which put things into focus."

Chapters include:

- Metaphysics
- Greek philosophy
- Aquinas
- Reformation thought
- 19th century philosophy
- 20th century philosophy
- Christianity and philosophy
- and much more.

Brown offers fine definitions such as: "Rationalism has come to mean the attempt to judge everything in the light of reason."

This is a very simple, but profound volume; easy to read for the layman and a fine resource for the scholar.
see the apologetic book that uses Christian philosophy:
Truth, Knowledge and the Reason for God: The Defense of the Rational Assurance of Christianity