189—St. Boethius, Stoicism and Neoplatonism—Thomas Ward

By Thomas V. Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Jan 22, 2025 | In The Catholic Culture Podcast

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St. Anicius Manlius Severius Boethius’s book The Consolation of Philosophy, which he wrote in prison while awaiting martyrdom around the year 524, is one of the single most influential works for medieval Catholic philosophy and theology. But Boethius also owed much to the pagan philosophy that came before him. Thomas Ward has just written a commentary on Boethius’s dialogue for Word on Fire, entitled After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher.

Topics discussed include:

  • Boethius’s debt to Stoic ethics and how he critiques the Stoic view of happiness
  • The influence of neo-Platonist philosophy on Boethius
  • Questions about the account of deification given by Lady Philosophy—is it more Platonist than Christian?
  • Boethius’s brilliant arguments about how God’s way of knowing differs from ours

Links

Thomas Ward, After Stoicism: Last Words of the Last Roman Philosopher https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/after-stoicism?srsltid=AfmBOopBRfuMW6DMx_iUEH9u2gjSswySJAZ__JrdTznAIpZ3Ptj9mDMJ

Way of the Fathers episode on Boethius https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-boethius-church-father-and-medieval-scholar/

Theme music: “Franciscan Eyes”, written and performed by Thomas Mirus. Download the Catholic Culture Podcast soundtrack.

Thomas V. Mirus is President of Trinity Communications and Director of Podcasts for CatholicCulture.org, hosts The Catholic Culture Podcast, and co-hosts Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast. See full bio.

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