ENCOUNTERS AND DISCONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE “FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS”, STOICISM, AND “EPIMÉLEIA HEAUTOÛ”

Abstract

Early Christianity was influenced by Jewish traditions in a context in which the Greco-Roman world was immersed in Hellenism. Paul, a Pharisee born in Tarsus and educated in Jerusalem, converted to Christ at the gates of Damascus. The Apostle was influenced by Hellenistic philosophy, particularly Stoicism, which is evident in his speeches and the 14 letters attributed to him in the New Testament. We have chosen for our reflections the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, whose central themes offer an opportunity for dialogue with this Hellenistic school. Furthermore, we focused on examining how this interaction takes place concerning the notion of epiméleia heautoû, a Greek expression referring to the concept of 'care of the self.' Our goal was to promote a dialogue between Philosophy (Stoic), Health (epiméleia heautoû), and Spirituality (First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians) to explore encounters and disconnections. At the end of the research, we see how Christianity in the first century A.D. transited through the ideas and values of its time, highlighting interfaces between Philosophy, Spirituality and Health.