Jesus & Stoicism: Parallel Sayings by Brittany Polat, Ulysses Press, 2016

Jesus & Stoicism brings together two moral traditions that have shaped Western thought and places them in quiet conversation. Brittany Polat does this by arranging sayings from Jesus alongside passages from the Stoic philosophers, grouped by ethical themes such as wealth, virtue, compassion, forgiveness, and inner peace. The book invites slow reading and rewards attention.

Polat begins by setting the historical scene. Stoicism was already well established when Jesus lived, and it formed part of the intellectual atmosphere of the Roman world from which early Christianity emerged. As Polat notes, Stoicism had been “flourishing for around three hundred years when Jesus walked the earth.”

This context matters because it helps explain why similar moral concerns surface in both traditions.

The author states her purpose plainly. She presents the book as an invitation to reflection rather than a scholarly argument. The parallels are offered for consideration, not for proof. Polat writes that the aim is “not academic but rather inspirational,” and that aim shapes both the tone and the structure of the book.

Each section opens with brief commentary and then steps aside, allowing the texts to speak directly to the reader.

The thematic organization works well. By grouping passages around shared concerns, Polat makes it easier to see how both traditions address recurring human problems. In the section on treasure, Jesus’ warning that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” appears alongside Epictetus’ observation that people naturally love what they set their hearts on.

Read together, these passages point to a common understanding of desire. Both traditions caution against fastening one’s sense of worth to possessions and status and encourage attention to what lasts.

The discussion of virtue and righteousness follows the same approach. Polat explains that Stoic writers spoke of virtue as excellence of character shaped by reason, while Jesus often spoke of righteousness as right relationship expressed through action. Despite the difference in language, both traditions emphasize inner consistency. Moral life depends on what is cultivated within. Epictetus’ claim that “impurity of a mind consists of bad judgments” sits naturally beside Jesus’ insistence that wrongdoing flows from the heart.

The pairing sharpens the reader’s understanding of both. Polat does not smooth over real differences. She acknowledges that Stoicism grounds ethics in human reason, while Christianity grounds ethics in faith and revelation. She also notes long-standing points of tension, including Christian objections to certain Stoic views. These differences remain visible throughout the book, which helps prevent the comparisons from feeling forced or superficial.

The section on social harmony is among the book’s strongest. Both Jesus and the Stoics treated human beings as social creatures with obligations to one another. Polat pairs Gospel passages about caring for the poor and vulnerable with Stoic reflections on justice, cooperation, and shared humanity. Seneca’s remark that nature “created us from the same source and to the same end” appears alongside Jesus’ teaching that care shown to the least is care shown to all.

The effect is cumulative rather than dramatic. Over time, the shared moral direction becomes clear.

The tone of the book deserves mention. Polat writes calmly and without urgency. She does not press the reader toward a conclusion or a program of action. Instead, she encourages attentiveness. Drawing on Marcus Borg, she suggests that reading traditions side by side can help readers “see something new in a familiar saying.”

The book respects the reader’s intelligence and leaves space for reflection.

Accessibility is another strength. The prose is clear and unadorned. Commentary is concise and focused. Readers with little background in philosophy or theology will find the material approachable, while readers with more experience will appreciate the care taken with sources. Notes and references are available for those who wish to explore further, but they never interrupt the flow of reading.

The value of Jesus & Stoicism lies less in any single insight than in the experience it creates. By placing Jesus and the Stoics side by side, Polat draws attention to a shared moral vocabulary that has endured across centuries. Themes such as humility, self- discipline, compassion, and inner freedom appear again and again, expressed in different voices but pointing in similar directions. The book suggests that these themes respond to lasting features of human life rather than to the concerns of a single time or place.

Jesus & Stoicism will appeal to readers interested in ethics, spiritual practice, and the history of ideas. It does not require agreement with either tradition. It asks only for patience and openness.

Readers willing to give it that attention will find a steady and thoughtful exploration of moral wisdom drawn from two of the West’s most influential traditions.

---