Reply to Poll: Who was the most important figure in Christianity (besides Jesus, of course)?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Among non-Christians, a runner-up would be Plotinus and Neoplatonism. When Nietzsche said "Christianity is Platonism for the masses," he kind of has a point (no offense meant!!).[/quote]

Nietzsche is dead.  [/quote]

I do see Plotinus's concept of hierarchical progression of spheres of awareness as a way to conceptualize the relationships we catholics have to saints and the idea of intercession, but I was following a different intellectual thread from pre-socratics when I read [about] Plotinus.* Do you have any good book recommendations on Plotinus and neo-platonic influence on Christianity?

*apparently Plotinus' writing is famously impenetrable. I tried a couple of translations of the Enneads and found them impossible to make progress with.[/quote]

PP good on you for attempting something like the Enneads.  I haven't tried, but was taken by your efforts and found this book on Plotinus, which is just under 150 pages.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226311945/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687562&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0977735214&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=10MTT4ABJHTKZVTYSTPB

There is also a book on Amazon called "Return to the One," much longer and perhaps a bit New Agey, that gets plaudits from reviewers for explaining Plotinus in clear language.

I also found an article in the American Journal of Theology from 1900 by a British theologian and Anglican priest, William Inge.  It is entitled "The Permanent Influence of NeoPlatonism on Christianity," which seems very responsive to what you are looking for.  Given the topic, I don't think the age of the article matters much and from my quick skimming it looks pretty readable.

NeoPlatonism seems to have been of particular interest to Inge--if you go to the Wikipedia entry you will find links to other works.  It seems he was a eugenecist (yikes!) but I wouldn't let that hold me back from reading his works on NeoPlatonism.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3153114?seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents[/quote]

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