Do stoic people believe in God?

The Stoics often identified the universe and God with Zeus, as the ruler and upholder, and at the same time the law, of the universe. The Stoic God is not a transcendent omniscient being standing outside nature, but rather it is immanent—the divine element is immersed in nature itself.

Should Christians believe in Stoicism?

In Stoicism, without faith, this life is all there is, to do good and live a virtuous life. With Christianity, our actions on this earth have deeper consequences because there is a moral judgment in a life after death. Christianity and Stoicism are not incompatible in practice if prioritized.

Can Stoics be religious?

While Stoicism was never a religion in the modern sense, with temples and altars, its spiritual nature evoked reverence and piety in the ancients and in many who practice it today. However, most modern popularizers of Stoicism are themselves atheists or agnostics.

Is stoic biblical?

Stoicism is not connected to Christianity. Although Stoicism refers to gods, it is a philosophical doctrine without religion.

Are Stoics spiritual?

Stoicism is a deeply spiritual and philosophical way of life. That spiritual aspect of Stoicism continues to appeal to many moderns because it resonates with our human nature which intuitively knows we are participants in something greater than ourselves.

What is the stoic concept of God?

The Stoic God is an all-pervasive, immanent, active force in the cosmos, and is equivalent to and often called “Nature.” Zeus, pneuma, universal Reason, and logos are also used to refer to this active force. The Stoics used many names to refer to the divine principle in the cosmos.

What did Marcus Aurelius think about Christianity?

“Marcus looked upon the Christians as misguided enthusiasts, who had to be punished as the law then stood, but whom he no more than Hadrian and [Antoninus] Pius wished to punish.”

Did Stoicism exist before Christianity?

Before Christianity there was Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy whose tenets—such as monotheism and belief a rational plan for the Universe—anticipated Christian theology in many ways. Philo of Alexandria was born in 20 B.C., or thereabouts, and died in A.D. 50—so his period covers the life of Jesus Christ.

Is it possible for Christians to follow the Stoics?

It is the grace of Christ that makes it possible for us to do just that! The Stoics had their short comings, but Christians have always recognized them as powerful cultural allies in explicating a morality rooted in the natural law and the inculcation of virtue. Dr.

Can Stoics believe in divine law?

Stoicism offers the obvious proofs for this—consider only the lawfulness of the cosmos itself. In Stoic teaching, particularly later Stoic teaching, knowledge of this kind of divine influence is one of the very preconceptions that a rational being has. This is an important point.

Is Stoic philosophy the bridge between Judaism and Christianity?

Given the historical period in which these developments are taking place, it is Stoic philosophy that must provide the bridge, or at least the major planks of any bridge, that lead to the central tenets of Christianity. Consider, then, some of the features of Stoicism that might have been promulgated at the time of the Jewish Christians.