Gerd Van Riel (1967), full professor at the Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven (Belgium), studied classics and philosophy at the Universities of Leuven and Antwerp. He lectures on ancient philosophy, and also holds a course on 'Fundaments of Philosophy' at the Leuven Faculty of Law. His main research areas are Plato and the Platonic tradition, esp. later Neoplatonism (Proclus, Damascius), and Saint Augustine. Gerd Van Riel's works include a monograph on Pleasure and the Good Life: Plato, Aristotle and the Neoplatonists [This book received a Humanities Award of the Royal Belgian Academy], and the Greek-French annotated edition of Damascius, Commentary on the Philebus. He is the author of several articles on ancient philosophy, and on Neoplatonism in particular. He is editor of Augustiniana. A Journal for the Research on Augustine and Augustinianism.

'Van Riels thought-provoking book is a pleasure to read. His grasp of over a century of scholarship impressive, yet it does not obstruct the argument, which is always admirably clear. His discussions of Plato’s well-known texts are intelligent and nuanced, and often have an unexpected twist. Most importantly, it gives a new and powerful impetus to the important debate about Plato’s god or, as Van Riel has convinced me, gods.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Plato’s Religion; Chapter 2 Plato’s Theology; Chapter 3 Theology and Metaphysics; conclusion; Conclusion;

Gerd Van Riel (1967), full professor at the Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven (Belgium), studied classics and philosophy at the Universities of Leuven and Antwerp. He lectures on ancient philosophy, and also holds a course on 'Fundaments of Philosophy' at the Leuven Faculty of Law. His main research areas are Plato and the Platonic tradition, esp. later Neoplatonism (Proclus, Damascius), and Saint Augustine. Gerd Van Riel's works include a monograph on Pleasure and the Good Life: Plato, Aristotle and the Neoplatonists [This book received a Humanities Award of the Royal Belgian Academy], and the Greek-French annotated edition of Damascius, Commentary on the Philebus. He is the author of several articles on ancient philosophy, and on Neoplatonism in particular. He is editor of Augustiniana. A Journal for the Research on Augustine and Augustinianism.

'Van Riels thought-provoking book is a pleasure to read. His grasp of over a century of scholarship impressive, yet it does not obstruct the argument, which is always admirably clear. His discussions of Plato’s well-known texts are intelligent and nuanced, and often have an unexpected twist. Most importantly, it gives a new and powerful impetus to the important debate about Plato’s god or, as Van Riel has convinced me, gods.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Plato’s Religion; Chapter 2 Plato’s Theology; Chapter 3 Theology and Metaphysics; conclusion; Conclusion;

Gerd Van Riel (1967), full professor at the Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven (Belgium), studied classics and philosophy at the Universities of Leuven and Antwerp. He lectures on ancient philosophy, and also holds a course on 'Fundaments of Philosophy' at the Leuven Faculty of Law. His main research areas are Plato and the Platonic tradition, esp. later Neoplatonism (Proclus, Damascius), and Saint Augustine. Gerd Van Riel's works include a monograph on Pleasure and the Good Life: Plato, Aristotle and the Neoplatonists [This book received a Humanities Award of the Royal Belgian Academy], and the Greek-French annotated edition of Damascius, Commentary on the Philebus. He is the author of several articles on ancient philosophy, and on Neoplatonism in particular. He is editor of Augustiniana. A Journal for the Research on Augustine and Augustinianism.

'Van Riels thought-provoking book is a pleasure to read. His grasp of over a century of scholarship impressive, yet it does not obstruct the argument, which is always admirably clear. His discussions of Plato’s well-known texts are intelligent and nuanced, and often have an unexpected twist. Most importantly, it gives a new and powerful impetus to the important debate about Plato’s god or, as Van Riel has convinced me, gods.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Plato’s Religion; Chapter 2 Plato’s Theology; Chapter 3 Theology and Metaphysics; conclusion; Conclusion;