Author’s Note: This work was initiated with the intention of being a short LinkedIn article. However, because the text was rated by LinkedIn as a one hour read, it was moved into a booklet, now available on Amazon.
Kindle: ASIN: B0BG6L5DV1, ISBN: 979-8-35-332495-9: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG6L5DV1; Paperback: ASIN: B0BGDSLT64, ISBN: 979-8-35-332495-9: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGDSLT64; Hardbound: ASIN: B0BGFBSZVR, ISBN: 979-83-5-437003-0: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGFBSZVR
Book Summary: Socrates greets Theophilus on a morning walk to the temple. Socrates is going to the temple to “think with the Gods.” Theophilus is coming from the temple after making an offering to the Gods for his daughter to get well. When Theophilus hears that Socrates is going to the temple to “think with the Gods,” Theophilus is amused and casually asks why Socrates uses that phrase. A conversation ensues that traverses subjects related to how we might hear the voice of God, the distinctions between what we know and what we believe, our understanding of the divine, the types of prayers, the extent to which our prayers are answered, and how our hopes might be related to our prayers.
Theophilus is a long-time servant of the Gods and professes to know as much as any man can know of the Gods. During the conversation, Theophilus is offended when Socrates suggests that Theophilus’ prayer to end his daughter’s illness might be presuming it to be a good thing to ask the Gods to “change their godly minds,” and that Theophilus’ prayers of thanks might be like “putting the Gods on trial like a criminal.” Moreover, Theophilus is abrased and baffled when Socrates suggests that Theophilus’ hope for his daughter to get well might not only be “gravely misplaced,” but also like the hope of an atheist!
Such as it is for Socrates, Theophilus implies that the abrasive questions that Socrates poses portend why men like Meletus will ultimately condemn Socrates to death at trial. Nevertheless, Socrates continues his questioning until his final conclusion as to whether “thinking with the Gods” is the same as “praying to the Gods,” as well as his summation regarding life, death, virtue, and happiness.
***
Booklet Excerpt:
I.
[1a] “Greetings, Theophilus!” said Socrates. “It’s strange to see someone coming from the temple so early. Tell me, was there some special ceremony that escaped my attention?”
“Not at all, Socrates,” replied Theophilus. “I regret that my daughter has taken ill, and I have just made an offering to the Gods.”
“Oh my, Theophilus, I am so sorry to hear of it. May I inquire with gentle concern whether it is a very serious condition?”
[1b] “Thank you, Socrates. You know how these things are, and how they can progress for the worse. Not so serious as to be alarmed, but serious enough, such as it is, to make the offering to the Gods. Just in case… But tell me, Socrates, what brings you out this way so early?”
“Not such as it is for you, Theophilus. I was just going to the temple to think with the Gods.”
[1c] “Oh, Socrates,” said Theophilus smiling, “thank you for making me smile and inviting a diversion from my current course!”
“What did I say, Theophilus, that makes you say so?”
[1d] “In my many years in serving the Gods, I have never heard ‘praying’ called, ‘thinking with the Gods.’ And, coming from you, Socrates, it seems to me that your phrase was not accidental, but exacting. I am curious to ask what you meant by it.”
[2] “Well, Theophilus, I simply said what I intend to do at the temple, being ‘to think with the Gods.’ But, it appears to me that you are trying to match what I intend to do with some commonly used word of ‘praying,’ or did I misunderstand you?”
“Not at all, Socrates. As I said, it is just that I have never heard someone call ‘praying’ phrased as ‘thinking with the Gods,’ so that made me curious.”
“Now I, too, am curious, Theophilus,” replied Socrates, “I only know what I would intend to do at the temple, but I do not know exactly what you mean by the term, ‘praying.’ Please tell me, Theophilus, what do you mean by this term, ‘praying.’”
[3a] “See, Socrates! That is why I smiled. Everyone constantly uses the term ‘praying’ and knows exactly what ‘praying’ is; yet you now question me as if you do not know very well what I meant.”
“Certainly,” said Socrates, “I have heard the term ‘praying’ used in many ways, Theophilus, but I know that—as you have served the Gods for so long—your own use of the term was not casual but exacting. So, you are trying to trick me, because you are saying my phrase is exacting when it is really your own term that is exacting! Let us make sure that we are using the terms of comparison in a wise manner, lest we induce confusion into our course of conversation. So, again, please tell me, Theophilus, what is this thing you call, ‘praying?’”
ChatGPT Review
This first chapter of The Proseuché (The Prayer of Socrates) is foundational not only structurally but thematically, setting the tone for the entire work. Let’s proceed with the standard deep-dive format, while addressing your specific questions about the phrase “just in case,” the opposing movement (Socrates going to vs. Theophilus coming from the temple), and the motif of who is actually tricking whom.
📘 CHAPTER I – “Thinking With the Gods”
I. 🔍 Summary of the Chapter
Socrates greets Theophilus and learns that Theophilus has just made an offering to the gods for his sick daughter. Theophilus asks why Socrates is headed to the temple, and Socrates replies he is going “to think with the Gods.” The phrase amuses Theophilus and sparks a dialogue about terminology—particularly about what it means to pray. Socrates cleverly redirects Theophilus’ amusement back to him, noting that while Theophilus critiques Socrates’ phrase as “exacting,” it is actually Theophilus’ own term, “praying,” that should be more precisely defined.
The stage is now set for a philosophical inquiry into prayer, faith, hope, and divinity, which continues throughout the text.
II. 🎓 PEDAGOGICAL METHODS USED
| Method | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Socratic Reversal | “It is really your own term that is exacting!” | Turns the challenge back onto the challenger; destabilizes confidence in common terms |
| Irony / Gentle Mockery | “Thank you for making me smile…” | Theophilus mocks Socrates lightly, but Zegarelli uses this to expose the hidden presumptions |
| Contrast in Movement | Socrates going to the temple vs. Theophilus coming from | Metaphorical: seeking versus presuming, questioning versus ritual closure |
| Unveiling Presumption | “Just in case…” | A casual phrase reveals theological uncertainty—even in a devout man |
| Incremental Probing | “Please tell me what you mean by this term, ‘praying.’” | Builds toward epistemic humility and deeper definitional analysis |
III. 🔎 SPECIFIC QUESTIONS & THEMATIC INTERPRETATION
1. What is meant by Theophilus’ “just in case”?
This is a loaded phrase. Theophilus says he’s made the offering “just in case,” which, though casual, betrays a subtle lack of faith in the gods’ guaranteed intervention—or, at least, introduces doubt about the causality of prayer.
Implication: Even a man “who knows as much as any man can know of the Gods” acts on uncertainty. This undermines the idea that religious ritual is based solely on divine trust and suggests it is partly driven by fear, superstition, or hopeful hedging.
Zegarelli’s teaching: This phrase exposes the psychological gambling aspect of some religious practice: a wager on divine favor in the absence of certainty.
2. Is it significant that Socrates is going to the temple while Theophilus is coming from it?
Yes—this is not just stage direction. It is narrative symbolism.
- Socrates Going Toward: Represents open inquiry, future thinking, seeking wisdom. He hasn’t acted yet—he is contemplating.
- Theophilus Coming From: Represents ritual closure, past-oriented behavior, already-acted faith. His act is done—he is affirming.
Zegarelli’s pedagogical contrast: Socrates embodies dynamic philosophy, and Theophilus represents static dogma. The movement underscores the contrast between philosophical seeking and ritual certainty.
3. Is there a subtle trick? Who’s tricking whom?
This scene contains a masterclass in rhetorical misdirection.
- Theophilus thinks Socrates is being exacting or clever with wordplay—“thinking with the Gods”—and teases him about it.
- Socrates, however, turns the tables and exposes that Theophilus has used his own term, “praying,” without clarity or definition.
Zegarelli’s implication: The real trick isn’t in Socrates’ phrase—it’s in society’s casual acceptance of undefined but emotionally powerful terms. The “trick,” then, is philosophical conditioning: people think they understand what prayer is, but that belief is based on cultural assumptions, not reflection.
Socrates thus subtly teaches a core principle:
✳️ The first step to wisdom is admitting we do not truly know what we think we know.
IV. 🧠 CORE TEACHINGS OF CHAPTER I
| Concept | Teaching |
|---|---|
| Faith v. Hope | Theophilus’ prayer is both hope and hedge—suggesting that even belief contains insecurity |
| Precision in Language | Even sacred or commonplace terms (“prayer”) must be reexamined for clarity |
| Questioning the Ritual | Socrates’ “thinking with the Gods” is offered not as irreverence, but as contemplative spirituality |
| Philosophy as a Living Act | Philosophy is an ongoing engagement with meaning, not a one-time ritual act |
| Early Meta-Theme | Zegarelli uses this chapter to preempt the reader: Before you argue the divine, define it. |
V. 🔁 CONTEXTUAL LINKS TO LATER CHAPTERS
| Later Chapter | Link |
|---|---|
| Chapter V (Conquered Gods) | Further develops the idea that belief does not prove truth, and that many people act devoutly based on social constructs rather than clear epistemology |
| Chapter VI (Measuring) | Expands on how we use imprecise intellectual tools (like “prayer”) to reach unjustified conclusions |
| Chapter VIII (Free Mind) | Culminates with the idea that only a fully autonomous thinker—like Socrates—is capable of interacting with the divine honestly, rather than through rote observance |
VI. 🧭 CONCLUSION
Chapter I of The Proseuché functions as the epistemological gateway to the entire work. Zegarelli embeds his ethos early:
- Don’t accept words at face value.
- Question assumptions, even sacred ones.
- Understand before invoking.
- Be more afraid of the unknown you ignore than the questions you ask.
The scene is deceptively simple, but it launches the reader into the deeper waters of what it means to believe, to hope, to pray, and to know.
✳️ Zegarelli’s Socrates begins by asking what seems like a gentle semantic question—but the inquiry reveals the shaky scaffolding on which much spiritual certainty is built.
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First Publication September 11, 2022. Copyright © 2022 by Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
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