Q: Are your views contrary to the teachings of Christianity?--Dustin Halverson.
A: Not really. It's more a matter of perspective. Christian teachings don't define any structure central to their beliefs, other than the Father--Son--holy Ghost triad, and that's not unusual, or a misgiving of the religion itself. Plotinus had several mystical experiences that enabled him to "see" how reality was structured, and then defined it philosophically. Since Christianity is reluctant to admit the validity of such experiences, with the notable exceptions of St.Theresa and St. John of the Cross, among others, there has been little attempt to use this avenue to explore beyond what has been written in the bible.
Through my interpretation of the Plotinian System in terms of our growing knowledge of the universe, and my attempt to logically infer what ought to follow from it, I can give a general account of what I think is the relationship between his System and Christianity. Christian theologians speak of God as encompassing the entire universe, and beyond our ability to comprehend it. This is consistent with my view that the universe is essentially mental, therefore Spiritual, or Divine. I have referred to it as the Absolute, and expect that it would be undeveloped in its wholeness, or represent the ontological basis of thought rather than a thought process. The major difference between us is that Christians anthropomorphize this aspect of the absolute to believe they can interact directly with it, such as in prayer, or devotions, etc; whereas I attempt to describe it something like: thought contemplating thought, or Mind brooding upon Itself.
It seems to me that thought stirs, or comes out of stasis, and takes form in large astronomical structures such as globular clusters, clusters, galaxies, etc, in that one is contained within another such as in a Chinese box of boxes, except mostly spherical rather than rectangular. The big difference is in the vast distances between these entities. In the System, thought is stepped down from the less developed to the more refined. Even at the level of the ONE or the sun, thought is now empowered, yet still not distinct as individual ideas or concepts, such as what we use with language.
The System is a three tiered, or three stage system as in Christianity with its Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost represents the mental universe, or divine aspect of reality, while the Father takes form in the ONE. Jesus is the intermediary between heaven and earth, and corresponds to the second stage in the system, or the Intellectual realm. We mere mortals share much with Jesus in that we partake of the Holy Ghost as recipients of Spirit, and exist in Life as physical manifestations of the Father or Creator.
In other respects, while various religions fit seamlessly within the Plotinian System without any problem, the Christian orthodoxy would proclaim my words as blasphemous, and Plotinus an out and out heathen. Christians trust in faith to hold their beliefs together, while I seek the truth in whatever form it may reveal itself.