Artistotle
Aristotle (385–323 B.C.) was one of Plato’s star pupils and built his philosophy on much that Plato taught, but diverged from him in various ways. One of Aristotle’s greatest contributions was his creation of logic as a science. He developed formulas to test and correct ideas and propositions. He determined that correct thinking can be distilled down to universal rules like math and physics, and can then be taught to any normal person. His work became the foundation of medieval scholasticism, which we will discuss later. Based on his approach to logic, Aristotle finds Plato’s teaching that universal concepts are a reality to be nonsensical. He propounds a more tangible hands-on philosophy. Ernest Renan states, “Socrates gave philosophy to...Plato
After Socrates’ death, twenty-eight year-old Plato realized that Athens was no longer safe, so he left and traveled the world, continuing Socrates quest for truth. He visited Italy, Egypt, Judea, and India. He returned to Greece as a well traveled 40 year-old man. The first Christian philosopher, Justin Martyr (110–155 A.D.), insisted that Plato adopted many concepts from Judaism while developing his philosophy. Plato believed in one God, that humans come down to earth from a pre-mortal existence with God and will either go back up to heaven or down to hell when we die. The Christian concept of a person’s ultimate end being either in heaven above the earth or in hell below comes from Plato, which binary concept replaced Paul’s teachings...Socrates
Socrates (470–399 B.C.) is the most famous philosopher for a reason. Philosophers before him were mainly concerned with explaining physical phenomena and less concerned with the inner man. Socrates is credited with being the father of philosophy because he taught that the individual must begin by first examining himself. One needs to “Know thyself” in order to examine the world. Even then, he exclaimed, “One thing I know, and that is that I know nothing.” The basis of his approach to reason was to doubt everything, be inquisitive, and to ask questions. He taught by asking questions, a practice utilized in law schools to this day. The Socratic method insists on defining terms before any debate, logical thinking and accurate analysis. He...Pre-mortal Existence
The concept that each human soul existed in a pre-mortal existence was universally understood and believed by many, Christian and non-Christian alike, during the early Christian era. (. . . more)
CLEARSTONE PUBLISHING:
“Light at the end of the arched tunnel. Blood on the stone wall. Rust on the cell’s bars. The glance of a gladiator sitting in his cell. The soldier’s sandals stepping in front of her. Amora grasped every detail as her world moved in slow motion, drawing her closer to her fate. The stench of death permeated the suffocating darkness, making a mockery of the heightened vitality within her. Her chains rattled, gears ground, animals roared, and people cheered. She gave them no heed. Amora, in an elegant white gown, moved with natural grace in front of a cell of prisoners. Her sixteen-year-old chained slave, Maria, followed behind wearing a simple tunic; a second soldier brought up the rear…”
With that introduction, author Grant Hallstrom draws you into the world of ancient Rome with its intrigue and contrasts, where he explores the timeless struggles between revenge and forgiveness, hope and despair, and loss and redemption.
This award-winning bestseller follows Amora on her path of self-discovery from her opulent teenage wedding with Leo through her life full of personal disappointment, tragedy, and betrayal, ultimately leading to peace in the face of death. We watch Leo withdraw into his dark private world of despair as he struggles to maintain his standing in society while trying to escape from the ever-present pain of loss. We delight in the romance between two slaves and champion the young man’s quest to avenge his lover’s untimely death. The sweeping panorama of this immersive story includes the suspense of battles and the action of gladiators fighting to survive in the arena as well.
The author weaves a well-crafted and deeply researched historical fiction based on a true story that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. The book is filled with non-stop action and suspense, so you are never sure what’s about to happen on the next page. This superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings will have you turning pages from beginning to end. Skillfully constructed, cinematic in presentation and deeply inspiring, this thought-provoking book makes a solid impact.
Even though the book shows how new Christian ideas influenced some characters, it does not try to convert the reader. It simply tells the story including the role that religion played in their lives. Amora is ultimately a story about love, family, friendships, faith, trials and forgiveness. It is well worth the read!
Available in E-book or paperback.
A Collection of Inspiring Essays.
God is love, and because we all have a spark of His divinity in us, we have a strong core need to love and to be loved. However, because we are born into an imperfect world, all of us have been disappointed by others we depended on for love. This betrayal creates an emotional black hole at the center of our personal universe that sucks us down into a life of loneliness, frustration and pain.
How do we escape the gravity of our emotional black holes? Can we really become free to love and enjoy life? As Mr. Hallstrom shares the life lessons he has learned from a variety of intriguing and often difficult experiences, you may discover a path of healing that leads to freedom and happiness.