Abstract
This chapter shows that the church fathers conceived of the Christian life as paideia, as an education in humanity based on incarnational Christology. It delineates the main features of Christian paideia, an educational programme in which the best of human learning and culture is harnessed for the transformation into Christlikeness and thus into full humanity. It reveals how patristic humanism is based on the correlation of reason and faith, and therefore was able to absorb and transform the best of ancient culture. Moreover, it shows that early Christian humanism held a realistic view of human existence as suffering without, however, losing the grand vision for which humanity is destined in Christ.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Re-Envisioning Christian Humanism |
| Subtitle of host publication | Education and the Restoration of Humannity |
| Editors | Jens Zimmerman |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| Pages | 19-32 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |