Main Page: Difference between revisions

Saint Justin (100-165 AD) affirms in his ''Second Apology'':

And Saint Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD) affirms in his ''Stromata'':

The patrologist Berthold Altaner writes in regards to Justin the Martyr and his expression “seeds of the Word”:

{{Text and translation|{{lang|it|Con la sua teoria di λόγος σπερματικός [logos spermatikos] Giustino getta un ponte tra la filosofia antica e il Cristianesimo. In Cristo apparve, in tutta la sua pienezza, il Logos divino, ma ogni uomo possiede nella sua ragione un germe (σπέρμα) del Logos. Questa partecipazione al Logos, e conseguente disposizione a conoscere la Verità, fu in alcuni particolarmente grande; cosí nei Profeti del giudaismo e, fra i greci, in Eraclito e Socrate. Molti elementi della verità sono passati, cosí egli opina, nei poeti e nei filosofi greci dell’antica letteratura giudaica, poiché Mosè era ritenuto lo scrittore assolutamente piú antico. Di conseguenza i filosofi, in quanto vissero e insegnarono conformemente alle regole della ragione, furono dei Cristiani, in un certo senso, prima della venuta di Cristo. Tuttavia solo dopo questa venuta i Cristiani sono entrati in possesso della verità totale e sicura, priva di ogni errore. Il pensiero teologico di San Giustino è fortemente influenzato dalla filosofia stoica e platonica}}|With his theory of λόγος σπερματικός [logos spermatikos] Justin builds a bridge between ancient philosophy and Christianity. In Christ the divine Logos appeared in all his fullness, but every man possesses in his reason a germ (σπέρμα) of the Logos. This participation in the Logos, and consequent disposition to know the Truth, was particularly great in some; so in the Prophets of Judaism and, among the Greeks, in Heraclitus and Socrates. Many elements of the truth have passed, so he opines, in the Greek poets and philosophers of ancient Jewish literature, since Moses was considered the most ancient writer. Consequently, the philosophers, insofar as they lived and taught according to the rules of reason, were Christians, in a sense, before the coming of Christ. However, only after this coming did Christians come into possession of the total and sure truth, devoid of any error. The theological thought of Saint Justin is strongly influenced by Stoic and Platonic philosophy|Berthold Altaner, Patrologia, Marietti, 7ª ed., 1977, pp. 70-71}}

The Doctrine of the Seeds of the Word interpreted as truths of the Gospel being spread throughout human culture is also present in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. The Decree on Missionary Activity ''[[wikipedia:Ad Gentes|Ad Gentes]]'' affirms:

Similarly the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church ''[[wikipedia:Lumen Gentium|Lumen Gentium]]'' states:

The Declaration on non Christian religions, ''[[wikipedia:Nostra Aetate|Nostra Aetate]]'', uses the simile of a ray of light to express the same concept:

In the years following the Second Vatican Council, the metaphor ''Seeds of the Word'' and the theme ''Praeparatio evangelica'' were also used by the Popes.  

[[wikipedia:Pope Paul VI|Pope Paul VI]], in the apostolic Exhortation on evangelization, states:

[[wikipedia:Pope John Paul II|Pope John Paul II]], in his first encyclical ''[[wikipedia:Redemptor Hominis|Redemptor Hominis]]'', writes:

And the Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting from ''[[wikipedia:Lumen Gentium|Lumen Gentium]]'', states: