Charles Norris Cochrane (1889-1945) was educated at the University of Toronto and Oxford (Corpus Christi College). He taught at the University of Toronto, then served overseas for Canada in World War I before going back to Oxford for his MA in 1919. Returning to Toronto, he became Assistant Professor of Greek and Roman History, then Dean of Residence, and finally full professor and the head of the department of Greek and Roman History.
Originally published in 1940, Christianity and Classical Culture: A
Study of Thought and Action from Augustus to Augustine by Charles
Norris Cochrane (1889-1945) is a thoughtful, insightful,
informative examination of the contrast and sometimes clash between
the classical era's culture and struggle to understand the world in
purely rational terms, and the completely new understanding of the
world developed and spread by Christianity. From divisions of
church and state; to the impact that Constantine and the spread of
Christianity had; to a technical dissection of propositions
concerning sometimes starkly different worldviews, Christianity and
Classical Culture has survived the test of time to remain a pillar
of philosophical, religious, and cultural analysis. John Taylor
The Midwest Book Review
February 2004
The reissue of the classic work published in 1940 by Oxford
University Press, this volume describes the revolution in thought
and action that came about through the impact of Christianity upon
the Greco-Roman world in the period from Augustus and Virgil to
Theodosius and Augustine. Under the heading "reconstruction' it
first considers the following topics: pax Augusta--the restored
republic; Romanitas--empire and commonwealth; Roma aeterna--the
apotheosis of power; and regnum Caesaris regnum diaboli. Then under
"renovation" it discusses these topics: the new
republic--Constantine and the triumph of the cross; Quid Athenae
Hierosolymis?--the impasse of Constantinianism; apostasy and
reaction; state and church in the new republic; and Theodosius and
the religion of state. Finally under "regeneration" it deals with
these matters: the church and the kingdom of God; nostra
philosophia--the discovery of personality; and divine necessity and
human history. An appendix (pp. 573-609) included in this edition
provides English translations (by K. Alvis and J. Alvis) of the
Latin and Greek words and phrases that appear in the main text.
Cochrane (1889-1945) was professor of Greek and Roman history at
the University of Toronto. New Testament Abstracts
January 2005
For 64 years Christianity and Classical Culture has stood as a
definitive study of this practice of politics and the understanding
of the world in rational terms during classical times, and the
revolution in this thinking with the advent of Christianity. With
fresh translations of the Latin and Greek, Liberty Fund arranged
for this edition with the original publisher, Oxford University
Press, as part of the its encouragement of study of the ideal of a
society of free and responsible individuals. As the title suggests,
this is not a casual read, but a scholarly text. The theme is
explored in three parts:
- Reconstruction of the Roman Empire, including the influence of
Hellenization and the rise of Christianity;
- Reconstruction, with Constantine's creation of the Holy Roman
Empire and the development of government services, and Theodosius'
transformation of it into an Orthodox Empire; and
- Regeneration, with the acceptance of the Nicene Creed,
development of theologico-ehical values, and the continuing
influence of Roman ideas of justice and power.
It is interesting to read this book in the post-Sept. 11, 2001,
world, where many of the actions and ideas of classical Roman times
are seemingly being repeated in a modern context, by leaders in the
United States, Europe and the Middle East alike. Carroll County
News Weekend Edition
April 2004
Click here for a pdf of a brochure featuring Christianity and
Classical Culture
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