"Ethos" and "Logos": A Second-Century Debate Between “Pagan” and Christian Philosophers

This essay analyses the most significant sources—some overlooked so far—on the debate on ethos and logos that was lively between “pagan” and Christian philosophers in the second century ce. Epictetus’s attribution of a behaviour based on ethos to the Christians should not be regarded as utterly nega...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ramelli, Ilaria 1973- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2015
In: Vigiliae Christianae
Year: 2015, Volume: 69, Issue: 2, Pages: 123-156
IxTheo Classification:KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
NBF Christology
NCA Ethics
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Ethos logos Epictetus Musonius Lucian Galen Celsus Marcus Aurelius Montanism Syriac apology to Marcus Aurelius Justin Bardaisan Clement of Alexandria Origen Gregory Nazianzen Logos theology
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Summary:This essay analyses the most significant sources—some overlooked so far—on the debate on ethos and logos that was lively between “pagan” and Christian philosophers in the second century ce. Epictetus’s attribution of a behaviour based on ethos to the Christians should not be regarded as utterly negative, but should rather be connected with his teacher Musonius’s high appreciation of ethos, even over logos. Marcus Aurelius’s and Celsus’s negative attitude toward Christianity as an obstinate, irrational habit can be explained by the possible influence of Montanism, while the Syriac apology to Marcus ascribed to Melito reacts to anti-Christian accusations of irrationality by attaching logos to the Christians and a behaviour based on a bad ethos to “paganism”—the same as was done by Clement of Alexandria, one of the Christian intellectuals most committed to demonstrating the rationality of Christian belief. Literary problems related to the apology are tackled, and parallels are pointed out with both Justin and Bardaisan, two other Christian Platonists who attempted to construe Christianity as philosophy.
ISSN:1570-0720
Contains:In: Vigiliae Christianae
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700720-12341205