Η ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗ ΩΣ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΒΛΗΜΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟ ΤΟΥ (ΝΕΟ)ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΔΙΑΦΩΤΙΣΜΟΥ

Resumen

The discovery of America contributed not only to the radical expansion ofhuman knowledge and to a reorientation of man's place on earth, but causedsome theological problems too. These difficulties appeared mainly because ofthe existence of indigenous population in the New World. What was the originof these people? Were they descended from Adam and Eve? Were they affectedby the original sin? Had Christ saved them? Why are they not mentioned in theBible? What was their relation to the inhabitants of the already known world?Among the various answers to these questions in Western Europe, the Preadamitetheory by Isaac La Peyrère (1596-1676) should be mentioned here. La Peyrèresuggested a polygenetic theory and argued for the existence of human beingson earth before the creation of Adam and Eve. Despite harsh criticism andcountermeasures by the religious establishment ofthat time, La Peyrère's theorytried to reconcile the biblical information with the new discoveries, exertedstrong influences in the long run and paved the way for the wider disseminationof polygenism (e.g., by Voltaire).

The purpose of this article is to examine the belated diffusion of theseideas and discussions in pre-independence Greece during the period of the(Neo)Hellenic Enlightenment. Our main source is the correspondence betweenNeophytos Kausokalyvitis (1713-1784) and Nikiphoros Theotokis (1731-1800),two of the eminent intellectual figures of the eighteenth century. Neophytoshad some questions about the New World, therefore he asked for Theotokis'opinion, whom he esteemed highly. For example, had the Christian messagereached the New World before 1492? What was exactly the origin of theAmericans? How did they manage to reach this remote continent? When wasAmerica first inhabited? Did the universal flood affect the New World? Theotokisin his lengthy answer exhibited clearly the characteristics of a polyhistor.Aside from his strong theological background, he was very well informed ofthe latest developments in the fields of archaeology, history, geography andnatural science. He put particular emphasis on the defense of the historicity ofthe biblical account concerning the universal deluge. For this reason, he triedto prove that America was populated for the first time after this cosmogonieevent. He also discussed some additional (theological) issues in relation to theAmerican continent. Theotokis' main concern was to show that the biblicalinformation in general can be corroborated and verified by science, because the Bible is a God-inspired work that can never lie. It should not be forgotten thatTheotokis wrote his letter during the period of the Enlightenment and wasacutely aware of the serious dangers posed to Christian doctrine by variousanti-religious currents. No doubt, the discovery of America did not cause amajor controversy at that time. Its limited discussion, however, is indicative ofa certain religious mentality which has a long historical background since theearly Christian times and which constantly seeks to reconcile the Bible withscientific knowledge and progress. Despite the differentiation of science fromreligion, this mentality prevails in various forms among certain religious circleseven nowadays. Its objective is to "marry" the Bible with science and todemonstrate the scientific reliability of the former in every possible detail (e.g.,the creation account of Genesis, the universal flood).