Aristotlenism - What is it and How Does it Relate to Orthodox Church Theology?

p>Aristotlenism is the belief and teaching that there is aOrthodoxy as pagan heresy. In the final analysis,
ra­tional correlation between nature and grace.Aristotlenism is a clever but undisciplined
Aristotle founded metaphysics. He believed that God iscombina­tion of reason and philosophy, and
not transcendental. He can be known by experiences,nothing more.
though these are in the realms of ethics andThomism
philosophy. Ethics is the only just guide to man'sIn the Roman Catholicism, St. Thomas' teachings of
behavior. To Aristotle, God is no more than we canAristotle evolved into a doctrine of the Church known
experi­ence Him to be (a very pronounced themeas Thomism. In some priestly orders it was more
in Karl Barth). Therefore, these things being true, itpopular and vital than others but the onset of Age of
makes no difference what a man believes as long asReason Theology eventually led to the demise of
he is sincere. Sincerity is the sign of an ethical man and,Thomism as a major doctrinal force. Due largely to the
since reality is not an abstract essence but an individualwork of the very influential and highly regarded
substance that is a combination of matter and form,Dominican Cardinal and philosopher Tommaso de Vio
what a man's ethics lead him to do is what reality is,Gateani Cajetan (1469-1534) a new approach to
thus what truth is and therefore what God is. ThoughThomas and Aristotle known as Neo-Thomism sprang
Aristotlenism was introduced into the Church byup and flourished for a while. But that has largely lost
Thomas Aquinas and gave rise to natural theologyfavor with the Gregorian in the twentieth century when
that is with us to this day, and though it was thought bymost of the intellectual and liberal Catholic Scholars
many religious philosophers to have Christian elements,became involved with Liberation Theology.
it has always been denounced by Historic Christian