Theological Etymologizing in the Early Stoa
The present article aims to show that etymologizing was an integral part of Stoic theology. The Stoics’ pantheistic and hylozoistic view of the cosmos made it natural for these thinkers to use etymology for the purpose of discovering the diverse manifestations of God in the universe. Accordingly, th...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Centre
[2012]
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| In: |
Kernos
Year: 2012, Volume: 25, Pages: 125-148 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The present article aims to show that etymologizing was an integral part of Stoic theology. The Stoics’ pantheistic and hylozoistic view of the cosmos made it natural for these thinkers to use etymology for the purpose of discovering the diverse manifestations of God in the universe. Accordingly, the main thesis of the paper posits that, within Stoicism, etymology was not so much the study of the history of words, but rather that of how God develops and reveals Himself in the various phenomena of our world. Inasmuch as studying the names of the gods was for the Stoics tantamount to seeking God, etymology played a threefold function in Stoicism: firstly, it was a means to honor God; secondly, it was a way of interpreting poetry; and finally, it was also a tool for transforming one’s own existence. Consequently, the present article investigates the theological, the allegorical and, lastly, the existential dimension of Stoic etymologizing. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Kernos
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.4000/kernos.2109 |