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Stoic Christianity
Two weeks ago I had a conversation with a family friend who asked about what my interest in Stoicism was, they had seen something I had posted on Instagram about it. As we were at Church too, he asked how I reconciled Stoic Philosophy and my Christian faith.
Being a literary sort who can never let a good idea go without writing something about it, I thought an article on how Stoicism relates to my faith would be both amusing and useful.
Before continuing this article it’s worth noting that I do not claim to be either a practicing Stoic or fully versed in Stoic philosophy. It is an interest with useful and insightful ideas which I enjoy learning.
Stoicism and Religion
The Philosophy of Stoicism functions without a religious context. What we know know as Stoic philosophy does not claim to have metaphysical solutions to good and evil, or any offering of a life after death where you can play shuffleboard with old people wearing togas. In its heyday, it was a school of thought that was entertained by pantheists, deists, and atheists, much like it often is today.
As a philosophy, it offers a tool box of mental models to stimulate virtue and honest perceptions of the world around you. It doesn’t ask for conversation to any beliefs or a commitment to dogma.
They are ideas, not beliefs.
In his book, The Guide to The Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy, William B. Irvine writes, “Some readers might, at this point, wonder whether the practice of Stoicism is compatible with their religious beliefs. In the case of most religions, I think it is. Christians in particular will find that Stoic doctrines resonate with their religious views. They will, for example, share the Stoics’ desire to attain tranquility, although Christians might call it peace.”
Applied Philosophy
There are several mental models in Stoicism that I believe become more robust with the addition of a belief in an all-powerful God.
The Dichotomy of Control is the idea that there are things within our control and that which is without our control. For the conventional Stoic it ends there, he controls what is in his power and leaves the rest to fate. As a Christian, I believe that God controls everything…
