Neoplatonism played a vital role in St.
Augustine's conversion to Christianity. As Augustine himself states quite explicitly in the
Confessions, it was only when he came under the influence of the
Neoplatonist Bishop Ambrose that he began to take Christianity seriously.
Since the time of St. Paul, Christian doctrine had become deeply imbued with certain
elements of pagan philosophy. As Christianity spread throughout the Greek-speaking world, it
needed to be able to speak to the educated using concepts they could readily understand. As time
went on, Christian theology became almost a synthesis of Judaism and Greek philosophy, with a
growing emphasis on the latter. St. Augustine was one of the many inheritors of this
intellectual tradition.
As with many Christian Neoplatonists, however,
Augustine came to see Greek philosophy as a means to an end, as a way of clarifying certain
elements of Christian dogma and doctrine. For instance, Augustine draws freelyperhaps a little
too freelyupon Plotinus's elaborate metaphysical system to provide what he considers to be
compelling proof of the veracity of the Trinitythe Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Whether
Augustine's somewhat liberal interpretation of Neoplatonism is entirely accurateand one would
argue that it is notthere's no doubting his sincerity in believing that the Bible and the
Neoplatonists said exactly the same thing in relation to key elements of Christian doctrine such
as the Trinity.
As an educated man with a generous stock of pagan learning,
Augustine naturally gravitated towards the Neoplatonist school of philosophy for intellectual
sustenance. But in this elaborate system of thought, he found much more; he found that
Neoplatonist metaphysics could provide an entr©e into learned, academic circles for a religion
hitherto regarded as a vulgar collection of superstitions fit only for women and slaves.
Neoplatonism allowed Christianity to be taken seriously, not just by Augustine himself, but
countless others who came after him.
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