Mormonism, Platonism and the Hellenization of the Early Church

 The following series of articles deals with two related subjects.

In Part I, we we shall look at various Mormon doctrines and refute them using Scripture and the Early Fathers. This is useful because the LDS religion tries to show the the Early Church believed some distinct LDS doctrines, suc as pre-existence, 3 degrees of heaven, denial of creation ex nihilo and some others. In refuting these doctrines, we will at the same time show their relationship to Platonic teachings.

This is useful because Mormonism takes the stand that the Early Church went wrong through an “apostasy” and they point to various “Hellenizing” influences as evidence. By this I mean, they say the influx of Greek philosopical ideas meant the true doctrine of Christianity was lost.

The purpose of part I therefore is to show on the one hand, that Mormon doctrines are refuted readily by both Scripture and tradition, and on the other hand, that these non-Scriptural doctrines are themselves identical with Platonic thought. Hence we shall see the shallowness of the Mormon charge of “Hellenization” as a proof of “apostasy.”

Part I: Platonic Doctrines in Mormonism

 

Pre-existence in Platonism and Mormonism

Denial of Creation ex nihilo in Platonism and Mormonism

The Nature of Matter in Platonism and Mormonism

Degrees of Heaven Platonism and Mormonism

Cosmology in Platonism and Mormonism

 

 
From Part I, then we shall show that Mormonism, instead of being a “restoration” of the Early Church, in actual fact has no support in either Scripture or the Early Church for several of its doctrines, which are themselves identical with Platonic doctrines!

In Part II, it will be examined if the process of “Hellenization”, i.e. the use of Greek philosophy in the Early Church, is an indicator of doctrinal apostasy, as the Mormons claim. It will be seen that while Christian apologists of the early centuries did indeed use philosophical terms in their exposition of Christian doctrine, they at no point altered the teachings revealed by Christ. This is in marked contrast to what we shall have seen from Part I, namely, that Mormonism has several doctrines that match Platonic thought exactly and which have zero support from either Scripture or the Early Fathers. The reader is encouraged to read these articles in the light of this fact.
It will also be seen that many Greek ideas and Greek influences were operative in Judaism even before the time of Christ, even though Judaistic belief remained intact, a fact which refutes the fanciful claims of Mormonism and the supposed “apostasy” as indicated by a supposed Hellenization process that “suddenly” began in the second century.
Finally in part II, we shall look at the credentials of the liberal Protestant Adolf von Harnack, and see why he is so often cited by proponents of the “Hellenization” charge, such as the Mormons. We shall also see why his system fails.

 

Part II: The Early Church and Hellenization

Hellenism in the Early Church? – Refutation of the Mormon Charge

Refutation of some Mormon points on Platonic Influence

The Hellenistic tendencies of Adolf von Harnack

 

 From Part II we will have shown (from Scripture, the Early Fathers, and scholarly work on 1st century Judea) that the Early Church did not embrace new Platonic doctrines, in spite of having used Greek philosophical terms in exposition of doctrine.

 

In conclusion, we shall see therefore that it is the LDS religion, not the Catholic Church, which has actually accepted novel and unscriptural Platonic ideas, unknown in the Early Church or Scripture. How then can it claim to be a “restored church”?