Research Topics: Philo of Alexandria

February 6, 2011

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Philo - "Philo (20 BC – 50 AD), known also as Philo of Alexandria, Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria." - Wikipedia
Philo - New World Encyclopedia
Philo's view of God - "Philo interprets the stories of Torah as elaborate metaphors and symbols. He does not reject the subjective experience of Ancient Judaism; yet, he repeatedly explains that the Torah cannot be understood as a concrete, objective history. Philo is largely shaped by contemporary Greek philosophy. For example, he explains that ideal Greek forms for reason and wisdom illustrate the deep, mystical truth of God and Judaism." - Wikipedia
Philo's Works - "The Church Fathers have preserved most of Philo's works that are now extant. Many of these are allegorical commentaries on the Torah, but there are several significant other works of history and philosophy." - Wikipedia

Books

Essentials of Unification Thought - "The identification of the Word with God is said to have been the expression of John, who had been influenced by Philo of Alexandria (ca. 25 B. C. - A. D. 40), who regarded Logos as the Second God. If the Word is identified with God, however, a problem arises. Hegel is a case in point: considering Idea, or Logos, to be God, Hegel described the creation of' the universe as tile self-development of Idea (or Logos). As a result, the personal aspect of God became excluded from his philosophy." - paragraph about 'Logos'
The works of Philo Judaeus - pdf 1221 pages

Notes

Philo influenced early Christology by either introducing or emphasizing the concept of Logos as God's creative principle.

How did the different authors of the gospel depict Jesus? - "The author of John's Gospel depicts Jesus as both divine and pre-existing. The Gospel opens with the author describing Jesus as the Logos ('Word'), originally a pagan concept, that entered Christianity late in the first century from Philo of Alexandria." - WikiAnswers
The Second God among ancient Jewish philosophers and commoners - "Philo’s views are often considered esoteric and probably alien to the normal beliefs of the common Jews in Palestine and elsewhere..."
Two Adams – and never the twain did meet - Philo's view on Adam: "The first Adam was the logos, and he was made in the “image” of God. He was the (Platonic) Ideal Man. The second was the earthly Adam whose destiny was to become “like” God." -

Videos

Philo father of medieval jewish philosophy jewu 350 Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg www.jewu.info - 6:00
Philo, Logos, and non-zero - "Robert Wright, the author of "The Evolution of God" and "Non-Zero" talks about Philo — "a Jew living in the Roman Empire, very much influenced by Greek culture, at the time of Jesus" — and defines "non-zero sumness" - 5:51