The road from harmony to conflict in the third century of Rome: The relationship between Christianity and philosophy

Early Christian doctrine and its thinkers developed a discourse that borrowed the conceptual tools of philosophy with the aim of both defending the faith against external attacks and providing it with internal consistency. A fundamental characteristic of this defense strategy was its reinterpretation and use of contemporary philosophical concepts and methods within a theological framework. This process, extending from the works of the early Church Fathers to scriptural exegesis, demonstrates that Christian thought established its relationship with philosophy on a systematic foundation. This interaction, which initially promised a synthesis, gradually evolved into an epistemological and methodological tension. This study analyzes the dynamics behind this transformation to seek answers to the following questions: (1) Does the root cause of this tension stem from the potential of philosophy and Christian theology to transform one another? (2) How did Christianity, upon gaining an institutional identity, position and reshape the philosophical heritage within its own belief system? Research findings reveal a clear divergence among the Church Fathers regarding the role of philosophy. One group of thinkers embraced philosophy as a legitimate and valuable tool for constructing theological arguments (e.g., Iustinus, Clemens), while another group viewed it as a threat to the purity of faith (e.g., Tertullianus). Consequently, this dialectical process laid the groundwork for the emergence of a new disciplinary field called "Christian Philosophy." Keywords: Christianity, Philosophy, Church Fathers