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When Athens Met the Platypus: The Platypus Reads Part XLI




"Oh the East is the East, and the West is the West,
and never the twain shall meet,
till earth and sky stand presently
at God's great judgment seat..."

-Kipling

My wife and I have finished reading John Mark Reynolds' "When Athens Met Jerusalem."
Let me start off with the virtues of the work. "When Athens Met Jerusalem" is an excellent introduction to Greek thought. The key concepts of Homeric religion, the pre-socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic schools are presented in a clear and accessible manner. Anyone setting out to wrestle with the Ancient Greeks should begin by picking up this book; even if only as a refresher course.

The only downside is that it was hard to figure out the exact point of the work. The title is deceptive, as the book focuses almost entirely on Athens (the ancient Greek tradition) and has almost nothing to say about the development of Jerusalem (the Judeo-Christian tradition). However, the title may not be the author's fault (it could be the work of an IVP editor). "When Athens Met Jerusalem" seems to be more of an apologia for why contemporary Christians need to reconnect with the classical tradition. I kept envisioning the author's intended audience as a circle of skeptical homeschool moms wondering why they should send their kids to Torrey instead of a denominational Bible college. Even if the exact point and audience are hard to determine, however, "When Athens Met Jerusalem" is still well worth the read.

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