CLASSICAL TRADITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22612, 2 July 1935, Page 11

CLASSICAL TRADITION

ITS INFLUENCE ON CHRISTIANITY ADDRESS BY THE REV. DR MORKANE. The far-reaching and, in fact, immeasurable influence of the classical tradition on the growth and development ot the Christian religion was admirably and clearly outlined to an appreciative audience at the meeting of the Classical Association last evening by the Rev. Dr Morkane, who spoke on the subject. The Classical Tradition and Christianity. There was a large attendance, in spite ot the boisterous conditions out of doors, and the chair was occupied by Mr W. d. Morrell (president pf the association). In his opening remarks Dr Morkane pointed out how deeply the world was indebted to the classical tradition, which had become so interwoven with modern culture and thought that they were scarcely conscious of its nifiuence, Surviving the downfall of Rome, this tradition endured through the Middle Ages aa an integral part of the intellectual heritage of the Christian Church, and with the Renaissance it became the inspiration of the culture and thought of Europe. Rome, indeed, was not the creator of this tradition, but rather the instrument by which this culture was given to the Western world. The great classical writers of the first century 8.C., therefore, owed much of their importance in the history of Europe to the fact that they were, through their works, the founders of European culture. With the coming of Christianity, so completely opposed in. spirit and ideals to the paganism of Greece and Rome, there came a serious threat to the supremacy of this tradition. Indeed, Christianity and the classical tradition were as fundamentally opposed as were the Scriptures and pagan literature. Though the artificial, material civilisation of the Roman Empire stood in sore need of some religious inspiration of a profound and truly spiritual nature, yet none could have foreseen how the new religion would transform the life and thought of civilisation and the classical tradition. Fully to understand the chasm that separated early Christianity from the Roman Empire. they must recall that Christianity, of Oriental origin, had no roots in the European past or in the traditions of classical civilisation. This fact helped them to understand the aloofness, even the antagonism, of the early Christians, on the one hand, and the distrust and hostility of the State on the other. Yet, even before the inroads of the barbarians, the inner spirit of classical civilisation was dying, and -consequently Christianity made a forcible appeal to the religious experience of the common man, and especially to the poor and uncultured. The cultured classical scholar, however, had no sympathy with what he often regarded as a revival of Oriental barbarism, or as a new superstition. On the other hand, the early Christians were equally repelled by the legalism and formalism of pagan worship, in which there was no room for prayer and piety as these were understood by the Christians.

That the materialism of the Empire was irreconcilable with the new religion was fully recognised by the majority of Christian writers from St. Paul to the fifth century. Possibly the opposition between the_ classical tradition, as typical of the Empire, and Christianity was exaggerated at times, but there was substantial truth in the criticisms of Augustine and other writers.

By the fourth century, however, said the speaker, the Church no longer held entirely aloof from secular society, but it had not yet succeeded in Christianising it. The Church could not refuse, and did not refuse, to recognise the immense value of the classical tradition in its intellectual aspects. The early fathers of the Church, indeed, were, almost all. men whose minds were steeped in classical literature. Reference was then made to the classical attainments of such saints as Basil, Gregory. Naziawsen, Augustine, and Jerome. Indeed, the patristic culture was a blending of Christian and classical elements, and it was impossible to over-estimate the importance for the future of Europe of this fusion of the classical tradition with the new religion. The lecturer then showed how gradual was the process of assimilation by which the Church prepared for the reception of the classical tradition and for the formation of a new Christian culture. From the second century educated converts to Christianity used the language of rhetoricians, and the tendency to assimilate classical thought and culture reached its climax in the school of Alexandria in the third century. This was evident from the writings of Clement and Origen. By the beginning of the fourth century, classical culture had gained a sure place' in the Church, the Christian writers of this century shoring the culture and tradi-

tions of their pagan rivals, especially in the Greek-speaking world. The attitude of such men as, St. Ambrose and St. Jerome was them explained, St. Jerome being, of all the fathers, perhaps the moat steeped in pagan literature and hia influence being second to none, .After referring to the hostility of Tertullian to the tradition of pagan civilisation, Dr Morkane showed how slowly, but surely, Christian thought moved to the conclusion that in pagan literature and the classical tradition there were elements of goodness and of greatness. At first, it was the belief of many Christains that such poets as Virgil and Horace spoke of things’ which it were better that Christians should .not know; but it did not follow that these Christ tians were ignorant of such books, or that they did not admire the language and poetical images of the pagan poets. Even some teachers, such as St. Jerome, fell into inconsistencies of conduct, while others, like Tertullian, condemned pagan culture In language at least as accomplished aa the pagan. The lecturer then dealt at length with the great St Augustine, often referred to as the heir of the old classical culture and one of the last representatives of antiquity. Augustine had no scruples in maintaining that the scholastic training he had received in his youth was an ad* vantage to good Christians, and with his pupils he made the pagan arts an introduction to Christian doctrine. Ho might be said to have solved the problem of the attituderof Christians to the classical tradition. ... * In conclusion, Dr Morkane pointed out the very great influence on the formation of the European mind of this reconciliation between Christianity and the classical tradition, and the co-existence of the two traditions —spiritual and literary - had left a deep impression on our modern culture and literature. A vote of thanks to the speaker was moved by the chairman, and was carried in a manner which left no doubt concerning the impression made by the carefullyreasoned and authoritative discussion of the subject.