Around two thousand years ago, in an outpost of the Roman Empire, a man stands before a crowd, teaching. He is dressed simply, in coarse homespun garments. He is thin from years of eating little, his beard is long, his face is weathered, but he exudes a peaceful sense of serenity, and his eyes shine brightly as he shares his message with his followers. His audience listens, enraptured, as he entreats them to turn away from the temptations of the world, to care for the people who do them wrong, and to show justice and compassion even to the downtrodden. Despite being persecuted by the authorities and forced into exile throughout his life, he is revered by the people for his personal integrity, universal love for humanity, and spiritual guidance.

His name is Gaius Musonius Rufus, and he is the leading Stoic philosopher of his day.

You are probably already familiar with another wisdom tradition born in the same region around the same time—based on the life and divinity of Jesus of Nazareth—that calls its followers to love their enemies and show charity to the poor. Jesus, of course, is well known for his teachings of love, redemption, and healing. But you might not know that Christianity was not the first ethical system of its time and place to espouse an ethos of compassion, forgiveness, and social harmony. That honor belongs to Stoicism, a philosophy and way of life that had been flourishing for around three hundred years when Jesus walked the earth.

In Jesus and Stoicism we examine the extraordinary parallels in the ethical systems developed by Jesus and the Stoics. Together. these two ethical systems have influenced Western ideals at a fundamental level for two millennia, inspiring individuals to lead better lives and encouraging justice on a societal scale. For these historical reasons alone, it would be worth reading texts of Jesus and the Stoics side by side. However, the goal of this comparison is not academic but rather inspirational. By studying these two venerable traditions side by side, we can see established truths with new clarity, perhaps even detecting an underlying pattern within Western ethics that points us toward a deeper understanding of ourselves and our lives.

The larger purpose of my book Jesus and Stoicism: Parallel Sayings is to provide insight and guidance for those of us who turn to Stoicism, Christianity, or both as sources of wisdom and inspiration. In this way, Jesus and Stoicism follows in the footsteps of Marcus Borg’s open-hearted vision in Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings. As a scholar of the historical Jesus and a non-exclusivist Christian pastor, Borg found deep meaning in meditating on the parallels between two great spiritual paths. He found that when we drop our need to defend whether one version is “right,” we can become attuned to what is right in both of these traditions.

In much the same way, we will look at the parallels between Christianity and Stoicism, seeing where they point to a similar way of being in the world. That’s not to say there are no differences between the two traditions—there obviously are—but perhaps because of these differences, the similarities are even more striking. While Stoicism is based in human rationality and Christianity is based on divine revelation, the fact that the two arrive at such similar conclusions surely says something very significant about the human experience.

Indeed, the differences matter too, and I don’t mean to suggest that we paper over any of the substantial metaphysical or theological disagreements between Christianity and Stoicism. However, those will not be the focus of this work. Differences already receive far too much attention in our argumentative world, as so many people are eager to dispute with others and point out why they themselves are right and everyone else is wrong, or why their chosen path is better than everyone else’s. This book, therefore, takes the rarer and more contrarian approach of pointing out how—despite their differences—these two ancient wisdom traditions are also very much alike.

An open-hearted and open-minded search into the parallels between Christianity and Stoicism can yield unexpected insights into our path and purpose as humans here on earth—insights that may not be achieved by studying just one tradition on its own. So, whether you consider yourself a Christian, a Stoic, both, or neither, I invite you to ask questions, reflect on the parallel texts, ponder the shared wisdom of these two great traditions, and allow their meaning to sink deep into your heart and mind. You might find, as Marcus Borg says, that the sayings can illuminate each other—and light the way to deeper wisdom in your life.

Excerpted from Jesus and Stoicism: Parallel Sayings by Brittany Polat. Published by Ulysses Press 2026.

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