ONE DUALITY, TWO DOCTRINES

"There are two options available in duality: One side and the other side. Everything is
formed from there". Frederick Lenz.

The starting point is dualism: Two realities, one perfect, the other imperfect, the thought is
not the same, of course, if it were, we would speak of the two as one, the perfect fusion
between philosophy and religion, but it is not so, there are principles that are shared, small
details that to the eye of many have no great relationship, but greater discernment generate
a great analogy. How does the thought of Plato relate to Christian thought and more
specifically with the authors of the Patristics? Two doctrines that developed at different
points in history and that have been part of human thought for several centuries.

From the idea of dualism shared by these two doctrines, it is possible to extract several
relationships. Plato posits the existence of the world of ideas and the world of things. With
respect to the former, he states that the former houses the essences, which are not perceived
by people; it is a world that has no corruption, it is simply pure and true, whole and
genuine. With respect to the world of things, Plato indicates that it is corruptible and
apparent, everything that inhabits it is an imperfect copy of the world of ideas.

Christianity affirms that this life in this physical world is transient, corrupt and full of
constant trials and difficulties that must be passed through with faith and hope in order to
reach eternal life, where there is no suffering or pain. It is possible for mortals, simple and
small, to reach this perfect world thanks to Jesus, the Son of God, who out of his love for
humans sacrificed himself for them so that an afterlife would be possible.

The object is an imperfect copy of what is really there; for Plato the material is a deception,
a lie of the world of things, and the early Patristic authors indicate that the riches or
material goods that can be found in this world should be used for good, following the
indication of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, nor thieves break in
and steal" (Matthew 6:19-21).
Plato affirmed that the body is the prison of the soul and that it is condemned to remain in
it, which prevents the soul from easily contemplating the ideas, which can be reached
through contemplation, while in Christianity it is necessary that the physical perishes and
the soul transcends into the Kingdom of God, not everyone can be in it, only those who
firmly and confidently believe that Jesus, the Son of the Father, has sacrificed Himself for
them to save them and that nothing in this world is superior to this infinite love.

Christianity through the Patristic authors sought to find profound truths through the word of
Christ and the social context of the time. From Platonic thought, philosophy is that search
for truth, therefore, if the Patristic authors sought truths through the teachings of Jesus, they
and Jesus are true philosophers "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father, but by me'" (The Holy Bible, John 14:6).

Plato asserted that there is an entire explanation of the world existing beyond men, truth is
something independent of opinions. Clement of Alexandria, a philosopher whose thought
and work was based on Christian thought, indicated that all knowledge leads to the way of
God, hence truths are not grasped by the intellect but by symbols. This same Patristic
author stated that reason builds its arguments on principles which it cannot prove, but
accepts with faith, and as Plato said we are doubly armed if we fight with faith.

As the Bible is such a vast book containing the word of God, it must be read in the right
way, the authors of the Patristics invite a non-literal reading of the scriptures, if this is done,
the believer finds himself standing on the rudiments of faith, besides bringing grave
consequences, Origen (Clement's disciple and later successor) emasculated himself by
settling for a literal interpretation of the word of God, this prevented him from pursuing the
teaching of the scriptures. Plato indicates the need to retrace our steps to arrive at the
foundation of reason, to think well one must start from robust theoretical principles, just as
to understand God's message one must begin with the reading of the scriptures and develop,
as this progresses, behaviors that lead to the practice of interpreting God's word.