26 OCTOBER 1895, Page 25

Chief Ancient Philosophies : Neoplatonism By Charles Bigg, D.D. (S.P.C.K.)—An

admirable little manual this, in which a difficult subject is touched with the ease and lightness which are found only in a practical band, and not always in that. Dr. Bigg .explains, in a very lucid and attractive way, the conditions out of which Neoplatonism was evolved,—a peculiarly interesting subject, because this was the most attractive rival that Christianity ever had among all the forms of Pagan philosophy. Stoicism never could have been popular ; it had too much paradox about it. Another interesting aspect of the subject is the influence which the Neoplatonic thinkers had on Christian teaching.