The Roots of Calvinism 3 - Stoicism/ Neoplatonism

We examine the roots of the popular system of theology today called Calvinism. Where did John Calvin draw his resources from? He tells us himself, “Augustine is so wholly within me that I could write my entire theology out of his writings.” Thus, we need to examine this incredibly influential theologian, Augustine of Hippo. There were 3 major philosophical influences in Augusines life, prior to his conversion, that shaped his understanding of life, of God, and His character; Stoicism, Neoplatonism, and Gnosticism. We are examining each to see if traces of these philosophies made their way into Augustine's Roman Catholic theology, and later into Christian doctrine through the famed John Calvin himself.