It has for long been generally assumed that the relationship between our canonical texts of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew is to be explained in terms of direct literary dependence, either of Matthew on Mark, or of Mark on Matthew. Professor Rist questions this assumption vigourously, and argues that it leads to contradictory and paradoxical conclusions. He replaces the theory of literary dependence with the thesis that Matthew and Mark grew up independently on the basis of a common oral tradition, and supports his view by detailed examination of a large number of parallel passages. The...

The aim of this work is to show how Augustine adapted a deeply Platonic outlook to the new world of Christianity, and how he constructed a vision in which Platonism and Christianity pointed in the same direction. Augustine is skillfully contextualized, while the enduring, if often unpopular, power of his claims on a variety of topics is discussed in a manner that puts a fresh perspective on some of his chief concerns. These include: divine and human love; marriage and sexuality; the lust for power; and God's providence and omnipotence.

Is Christian truth unchanging? Can it develop over time? To what extent may the Catholic community jettison or modify earlier beliefs? Should it embrace insights from other cultures or revise its views on matters such as the status of women or church-state relations? In this wide-ranging and provocative book, John Rist brings his expertise in ancient philosophy, theology and history to bear on these questions as they relate to Roman Catholicism and to human society at large, both in the early Christian centuries and in our own times.

Is Christian truth unchanging? Can it develop over time? To what extent may the Catholic community jettison or modify earlier beliefs? Should it embrace insights from other cultures or revise its views on matters such as the status of women or church-state relations? In this wide-ranging and provocative book, John Rist brings his expertise in ancient philosophy, theology and history to bear on these questions as they relate to Roman Catholicism and to human society at large, both in the early Christian centuries and in our own times.

John Rist surveys the history of ethics from Plato to the present and offers a vigorous defence of an ethical theory based on a revised version of Platonic realism. In a wide-ranging discussion he examines well-known alternatives to Platonism, in particular--Epicurus, Hobbes, Hume and Kant, as well as contemporary "practical reasoners." His accessible study is enhanced by a strong sense of philosophical history, and will be of interest to students and scholars of ethics.

John Rist surveys the history of ethics from Plato to the present and offers a vigorous defence of an ethical theory based on a revised version of Platonic realism. In a wide-ranging discussion he examines well-known alternatives to Platonism, in particular--Epicurus, Hobbes, Hume and Kant, as well as contemporary "practical reasoners." His accessible study is enhanced by a strong sense of philosophical history, and will be of interest to students and scholars of ethics.

This 1967 study begins with a brief biography of Plotinus, and goes on to discuss Plotinus' concept of the one, the logos and free will.

Professor Rist's short introduction to the philosophy of Epicurus combines scholarship with clear exposition.

Professor Rist examines in detail philosophical problems discussed by leading members of the Stoic school.

Rist explores how and why Augustine's moral framework became distorted with time and proposes a return to a revitalized version of his thought.