There have been few longer, or, perhaps more fruitful dialogues in the history of human thought than that between Christianity and Greek philosophy. It began in the second century when persons with some tincture of philosophical culture began to enter the Church and philosophers who felt no temptation to do began to scrutinize with superior indignation this impertinent barbarian apparition and this first encounter had of course been preceded by a long period during which Hellenic philosophy had exercised some influence on the thought of Greek speaking Jews.