DOCSLIB.ORG

Widow As the Altar of God: Retrieving Ancient Sources for Contemporary Discussions on Christian Discipleship

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Widow As the Altar of God: Retrieving Ancient Sources for Contemporary Discussions on Christian Discipleship Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Widow As the Altar of God: Retrieving Ancient Sources for Contemporary Discussions on Christian Discipleship Lisa Marin Moore Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Moore, Lisa Marin, "Widow As the Altar of God: Retrieving Ancient Sources for Contemporary Discussions on Christian Discipleship" (2019). Dissertations (1934 -). 876. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/876 WIDOW AS THE ALTAR OF GOD: RETRIEVING ANCIENT SOURCES FOR CONTEMPORARY DISCUSSIONS ON CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP by Lisa M. M. Moore, B.A., M.A. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2019 ABSTRACT WIDOW AS THE ALTAR OF GOD: RETRIEVING ANCIENT SOURCES FOR CONTEMPORARY DISCUSSIONS ON CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP Lisa M. M. Moore, B.A., M.A. Marquette University, 2019 Recent accounts of the history of Christian theology tend to neglect material concerning widows in antiquity and their contribution to Christian discipleship. In this dissertation I would like to offer a corrective along the lines of studying the contribution of widows in Jewish and Christian antiquity to the Catholic tradition. In particular, I contend that the Jewish roots of the widows’ contribution to Christian theology is also overlooked. The idea of the widow as an “altar of God,” which emerges in early Church literature, requires an understanding of the history of widows and the altar in Jewish and Christian antiquity. What can be gleaned from mentions of widows, especially the enrolled widows, in the early Church? Firstly, enrolled widows in the early Church had historical precedents in the Old Testament that are sometimes overlooked by scholars, particularly in the omission of the Old Testament widow Judith. Secondly, the altar in Jewish and early Christian antiquity is significant; the altar has many functions and nuances of meaning, which are essential to understand the motif of the widow as the altar of God. Thirdly, these widows in the early Church offer a challenging Christian ethos, which derives from their good works and from a rootedness in ascetic practices that comprise a whole way of life for Christian discipleship. By and large, extant material on the order of widows dwindles after the fourth century A.D. The history of widows in Jewish and Christian antiquity can inform recent endeavors in the Church to revitalize the ancient vocation of widowhood, and that of belonging to an order of widows. This dissertation proposes to trace the trajectory of the contribution of widows in antiquity to Catholic theology. Moreover, by exploring what the early Church meant when it referred to the widow as the “altar of God,” especially in light of the altar’s many functions, I hope to shed light on an ancient and little studied practice in the Church. I will then show how this study of ancient Christian widows can inform two recent endeavors in the United States to renew the order of widows. i DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Lisa M. M. Moore This dissertation is dedicated to Our Lady of Good Help, who is the Theotokos, the Immaculate Conception, and the Abbess of Mount Athos, amongst her beloved titles. First thanks must be to God, in whom I live and move and have my being (Cf. Acts 17:28), our blessed Mother Mary, and all of the holy men and women whom I called upon for intercession along the way. I am especially grateful for my beloved husband Todd, for his love, prayers, unfailing support, encouragement, generosity, patience, and Christian witness at every stage of this journey. Thank you to our Sophia, Stephen, Isaac, Elizabeth, and Anna, for their love, prayers, and support. For John Paul+ and Gabriel Justin+, for their love from above. Thank you to my parents, Oscar and Kathy, for their love, prayers, support, and Christian witness. To my siblings Michele, Justin, Matthew, Jamie, Bill, Becky, and Julia, for cheering me on and not letting me take myself too seriously. Thank you also to my sibs-in-law, who act as leaven to Clan Marin. I am grateful for my in-laws, Jim and Gail+, and for the members of my extended family, and many dear friends in Christ, for their love, prayers, and support. ii Thank you to the members of the Widows of Prayer and Daughters of Divine Help, for their prayers, time spent in conversation, and Christian witness to the vocation of widowhood. Very special thanks go to Rev. Joseph G. Mueller, S.J., for directing my dissertation, for his unstinting help, patience, generosity, thoroughness, and integrity. I could not have done this without his help. Thank you to Dr. Deirdre Dempsey, for her unfailing assistance and prudent guidance throughout my graduate coursework and dissertation planning. Thank you to my other board members, Dr. Andrei Orlov and Dr. Sharon Pace, for their help and enthusiasm for this project. Thank you to Dr. Danielle Nussberger, for her encouragement and wise counsel. I am grateful for Rev. Raymond Gawronski, S.J.+, for his classes that brought the good, the true, and the beautiful together and into clearer focus for me, and for his spiritual guidance. His introduction to theology class planted the seed that resulted in this Ph.D. undertaking. Thank you to all of my professors at Marquette, with special mention to Dr. Patrick Carey, Bishop Alexander Golitzin, Rev. William Kurz, S.J., Rev. John Laurance, S.J., Dr. M. Therese Lysaught, and Dr. Mickey Mattox; to Gale and Pat in the Theology Department, for smoothing the way for this project; and to the Raynor library staff, especially Tom, Dan, and Jim, for their help, support, and laughs along the way. It was beautiful and humbling to see the Mystical Body of Christ in action all along this journey. I truly had the dream team helping me get to this point. Thank you, everyone. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................. i INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1—WIDOWS IN ANTIQUITY .................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 10 THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST .......................................................................................... 12 Mesopotamia ................................................................................................... 12 Widows in Egypt and Maat: The Care of the Widow as the Duty of the King .. 13 THE OLD TESTAMENT ................................................................................................ 16 The Childless Widow....................................................................................... 21 Options for the Widow, Including Levirate Marriage ....................................... 22 Woman as Metaphor for Suffering Israel ......................................................... 29 JEWISH ALTAR IMAGERY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ...................................................... 32 Altar as Object: Place of Sacrifice, Meeting, Refuge, Celebration .................... 36 Altar for Covenant Ratification ........................................................................ 41 Altar as a Means of Reconciliation ................................................................... 43 Altar as Witness and the Naming of the Altar .................................................. 44 Purity of the Altar ............................................................................................ 46 The Golden Altar of Incense ............................................................................ 47 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER 2—JUDITH, EXEMPLARY WIDOW ........................................................ 55 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 55 Précis of the Judith Narrative ........................................................................... 58 THEOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF JUDITH: THE TRUE, THE GOOD, THE BEAUTIFUL, AND HOLY AUTHORITY ..................................................................................................... 62 Truth and Integrity ........................................................................................... 63 Goodness, Wisdom, and a “True Heart” ........................................................... 64 Strength, Power, and Authority ........................................................................ 65 Scholarly Assessment of Judith’s Character ..................................................... 77 iv THEOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF JUDITH: ASCETIC PRACTICES .......................................... 85 Prayer and Fasting ........................................................................................... 88 Continence in Ancient Judaism ........................................................................ 89 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE AND THE ALTAR IN THE BOOK OF JUDITH ............... 94 CONCLUSIONS ..........................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Charisma, Medieval and Modern
    Charisma, Medieval and Modern Edited by Peter Iver Kaufman and Gary Dickson Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Religions www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Peter Iver Kaufman and Gary Dickson (Eds.) Charisma, Medieval and Modern This book is a reprint of the special issue that appeared in the online open access journal Religions (ISSN 2077-1444) in 2012 (available at: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/charisma_medieval). Guest Editors Peter Iver Kaufman Jepson School, University of Richmond Richmond, VA, USA Gary Dickson School of History, Classics, and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, EH, Scotland, UK Editorial Office MDPI AG Klybeckstrasse 64 Basel, Switzerland Publisher Shu-Kun Lin Production Editor Jeremiah R. Zhang 1. Edition 2014 0'3,%DVHO%HLMLQJ ISBN 978-3-03842-007-1 © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. All articles in this volume are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. However, the dissemination and distribution of copies of this book as a whole is restricted to MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. III Table of Contents List of Contributors ............................................................................................................... V Preface
    [Show full text]
  • MALE/FEMALE FRIENDSHIP in EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES 1 Breaking Boundaries Theological Inquiries
    Rosemary Rader MALE/FEMALE FRIENDSHIP IN EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES 1 Breaking Boundaries Theological Inquiries Studies in Contemporary Biblical and Theological Problems General Editor Lawrence Boadt, C. S. P. Editorial Advisory Board Raymond Brown, S. S. Scripture Myles Bourke Scripture David Tracy Systematic Theology Michael Buckley, S. J. Systematic Theology Richard McCormick, S. J. Moral Theology PAULIST PRESS New York • Ramsey • Toronto Breaking Boundaries Male/Female Friendship Early Christian Communities Rosemary Rader PAULIST PRESS New York • Ramsey • Toronto Copyright © 1983 by Rosemary Rader All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 82-60756 ISBN: 0-8091-2506-4 Published by Paulist Press 545 Island Road, Ramsey, N.J. 07446 Printed and bound in the United States of America Contents Preface 1 Introduction 3 1. Heterosexual Friendship: Distinctive Phenomenon Within Early Christian Societies 5 2. Normative Greco-Roman and Judaic Male/Female Relationships 18 3. Early Christian Themes: Unity and Reconciliation 32 4. Martyrdom 44 5. Syneisaktism: Spiritual Marriage 62 6. Celibacy and the Monastic Life 72 7. Celibacy and the Friendship Ideal 86 8. Institutionalization of the Friendship Ideal 111 . sM ,2 ' ■ .' ** ««■l»^'^ ft' »*.i3»»»ii?5^SM t! ••iMi.ft't V. ■ c A*?> "« ■ ■ f t ^ / »> f-» »j* r%%«yip W ^ . •iT ** -•!» '. Tti -!»••. .t *i>^^« l> * ‘ " • 09 ♦ \^.w.. ■ ■ ■ ■: ■» •< • 1 . I \ I > <^1*- >, t ‘ ^ ^ ‘ ‘*1' v , ' iiiiL. • • ’ ■• Ml, «vt a«ir.- a' I M«/ .' UT " ^''MUfiM ' Wv% •* *4# .
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    Table of Contents Christopher M. HAYS, Oxford, UK Early Egyptian-Christian Wealth Ethics: Diverse Christian Morali- ties from the Apostolic Fathers to the Rise of Constantine ............... 1 Kristof K.P. VANHOUTTE, Rome, Italy How Philosophical were the First Christians? The First Generation of Fathers Seen through Archaeological Glasses ............................... 15 William TABBERNEE, Oklahoma City, USA Exiled to Pepouza: Consorting Unwillingly with Heretical Mon- tanists ................................................................................................... 29 Melanie Starks KIERSTEAD, Wilmore, Kentucky, USA Phrygian Roots of the Montanist Movement ...................................... 35 Daniel L. WORDEN, St Andrews, Scotland Clement’s Protreptikos to the Greeks: An Exhortation for Relapsed Hellenistic Believers to Return to God ............................................... 43 Matthew J. CHALMERS, University of Pennsylvania, USA Seeking as Suckling: The Milk of the Father in Clement of Alexan- dria’s Paedagogus I 6 .......................................................................... 59 Kathryn M. THOSTENSON, Edinburgh, UK Sharing God’s Image: Tertullian on the Creation of the Sexes ......... 75 Alastair LOGAN, Exeter, UK ‘Paul and Peter – Pray for Victor!’ The History and Impact of the Earliest Roman Martyr Cult ............................................................... 85 Hazel JOHANNESSEN, London, UK Tyrants, Slaves and Demons: The Language of Demonic Slavery in Eusebius of Caesarea’s De Laudibus
    [Show full text]
  • Chrysostom and Luther on the Intergenerational Character of The
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Master of Art Theology Thesis Concordia Seminary Scholarship 8-20-2020 Chrysostom and Luther on the Intergenerational Character of the Faith: Retrieving the God-Designed Parental Role in the Transmission of the Faith to the Next Generation Charles Samuel Voigt Ledebuhr [email protected] Charles Samuel Voigt Ledebuhr Mr. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/ma_th Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Voigt Ledebuhr, Charles Samuel and Voigt Ledebuhr, Charles Samuel Mr., "Chrysostom and Luther on the Intergenerational Character of the Faith: Retrieving the God-Designed Parental Role in the Transmission of the Faith to the Next Generation" (2020). Master of Art Theology Thesis. 91. https://scholar.csl.edu/ma_th/91 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Art Theology Thesis by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHRYSOSTOM AND LUTHER ON THE INTERGENERATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE FAITH RETRIEVING THE GOD-DESIGNED PARENTAL ROLE IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THE FAITH TO THE NEXT GENERATION A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Systematic Theology, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts By Charles Samuel Voigt Ledebuhr August, 2020 Approved by: Joel D. Biermann Thesis Advisor David R.
    [Show full text]
  • This Material Has Been Provided by Asbury Theological Seminary in Good Faith of Following Ethical Procedures in Its Production and End Use
    This material has been provided by Asbury Theological Seminary in good faith of following ethical procedures in its production and end use. The Copyright law of the united States (title 17, United States code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyright material. Under certain condition specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to finish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. By using this material, you are consenting to abide by this copyright policy. Any duplication, reproduction, or modification of this material without express written consent from Asbury Theological Seminary and/or the original publisher is prohibited. Contact B.L. Fisher Library Asbury Theological Seminary 204 N. Lexington Ave. Wilmore, KY 40390 B.L. Fisher Library’s Digital Content place.asburyseminary.edu Asbury Theological Seminary 205 North Lexington Avenue 800.2ASBURY Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 asburyseminary.edu Thesis Approval This is to certify that the thesis entitled TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF CELIBACY IN A CHRISTIAN CONTEXT FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY presented by Marilyn Iva EUiott has been accepted towards fulfillment ofthe requirements for the MASTER OF ARTS IN THEOLOGY degree at Asbury Theological Seminary Wilmore, Kentucky Date Toward An Understanding Of Celibacy In A Christian Context For The Twenty-First Century by Marilyn Iva Elliott A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, Theology Asbury Theological Seminary May 1998 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 1.
    [Show full text]
  • THE STORY of MONASTICISM
    THE STORY of MONASTICISM RETRIEVING an ANCIENT TRADITION for CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUALITY GREG PETERS K Greg Peters, The Story of Monasticism Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2015. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) © 2015 by Greg Peters Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516–6287 www.bakeracademic.com Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Peters, Greg, 1971– The story of monasticism : retrieving an ancient tradition for contemporary spirituality / Greg Peters. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8010-4891-3 (pbk.) 1. Monasticism and religious orders. 2. Spirituality—Christianity. I. Title. BX2432.3.P48 2014 271—dc23 2015007081 Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Greg Peters, The Story of Monasticism Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2015. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript—copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) To my sons, Brendan and Nathanael, for giving me great hope in the church’s future Greg Peters, The Story of Monasticism Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • Ttie Politics of Virginity and Women's Subiectivity
    I SWARTHMORE COLLEGE TTIE POLITICS OF VIRGINITY AND WOMEN'S SUBIECTIVITY: A LITERARY/CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PRESCRIPTIVE TEXTS ADDRESSED TO WOMEN ASCETICS AN HONORS THESIS SUBMITTED TO TTIE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION IN CANDIDACY FOR TTIE DEGREE OF BACI{ELORS OF ARTS DEPART MENTS OF ENGLISH AND RELIGION BY LAURALOMAS SWARTHMORE, PENNS YLVANIA MAY 1989 ABSTRACT late fourth century as This thesis analyzes the practice of women's asceticism in the several feminist it was defined in the prescriptive texts of sts. Ambrose and chrysostom. a liberating alternative for scholars have affirmed tfrat women's asceticism provided gleater equality with men' women. They base their conclusion on the ascetic \ryoman's herself in Michel Foucault's theory of the subject suggests that the individual constructs according to various bodies of accord with an ethical ideal, but this self-consfucdon occurs tools used to knowledge. The texts on virginity function as discourse' That is, they are reveal how and where power reshape behavior; and they are products of power, which on virginity, operates. To examine the relationships of power visible within the discourse which reveal the I examine the repudiations of male and female celibate cohabitation, domination had to occuÍ' characteristics of an individual that resist power and where reveal the strategic definitions and Secondly, I read texts which prescribe holy virginity and woman. using primarily a metaphors which effect a greater conüol over the individual experience of the fourth century textual analysis which is an attempt to simulate the reading Although the virgin virgin,I draw a different conclusion than some feminist scholars.
    [Show full text]
  • Virginity and the Patristic Tradition; Spenser’S Faerie Queene and the Reformation
    Virginity and the Patristic Tradition; Spenser’s Faerie Queene and the Reformation —————— Beatrice Fannon Thesis Submitted in Candidature for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Cardiff University —————— July 2012 Summary It has long been recognised that chastity is a problem in Book III of The Faerie Queene. The problem arises in part because the poem does not clearly define chastity but instead ambiguously praises it both as virginity and marital love. Behind the poem, too, lies the problem of Elizabeth with her Protestant virginity sometimes represented in Britomart, sometimes in Belphoebe, but also dangerously Catholic in its iconography. Indeed, wherever we turn in The Faerie Queene there are tangles of meaning. The contention of this thesis is that these problems are not merely surface writings, but stem from the Protestant breach with the Church Fathers and the long history of virginity. That history, I suggest in the main body of the thesis, has been broadly ignored by the critics who, by failing to grasp its theological complexity and development, have failed to produce an adequate platform from which to read the Protestant reformers and The Faerie Queene. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The Introduction examines recent critical discussions of virginity in Spenser, the Middle Ages and patristics, thus working backwards historically to the patristic writings themselves where I offer, in Part I, a detailed examination of the growth of the theological significance of virginity. Part II then looks at the reformers’ attacks on virginity, Luther and Erasmus especially, before turning to a discussion of the troubled meanings of virginity and chastity in Spenser’s epic poem.
    [Show full text]
  • Sacred Sisters Gender, Sanctity, and Power in Medieval Ireland Sacred Sisters Sacred
    1 HAGIOGRAPHY BEYOND TRADITION Callan Maeve Callan Sacred Sisters Gender, Sanctity, and Power in Medieval Ireland Sacred Sisters FOR PRIVATE AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS Sacred Sisters FOR PRIVATE AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS Hagiography beyond Tradition The study of sanctity in medieval Europe is starting to elicit cutting-edge, innovative and genuinely interdisciplinary scholarship that destabilizes what people have conventionally considered to be hagiography. This is demonstrated in the topic range of panels sponsored by the Hagiography Society at recent landmark medievalist conferences. While hagiography has traditionally been understood only in religious terms, recent scholarship moves beyond such frameworks to consider alternate ways of identifying and representing exemplary people. So doing, such research emphasises modern cultural analogies and resonances with medieval figures. It is not enough, however, to approach saints’ lives with a “sexy” modern framework. The best scholarship is rooted in analytical rigour, close attention to context(s), and a keen awareness of the potential pitfalls of anachronism, all the while accepting that anachronism can often be productive. This series provides a home for the kind of work that negotiates that border between the traditional and the contemporary and encourages scholarship enhanced by interventions drawn from celebrity studies, trans studies, crip theory, animal and monster studies, the history of senses and the emotions, media studies, and beyond. Rather than considering hagiography as a single genre, the series is open to expanding the ways in which we imagine how people come to be offered for veneration, as well as the media and genres in which they are fashioned, represented, and celebrated.
    [Show full text]
  • Andra Jugănaru Family Double Monasteries in the Fourth and the Fifth Centuries
    The Public Defense of the Doctoral Dissertation of Andra Jugănaru entitled Family Double Monasteries in the Fourth and the Fifth Centuries: An Inquiry into the Theological Roots, Social Context, and Early Evolution of an Old Practice will be held on Friday, 8 June 2018, at 9:30 am in the Senate Room-Monument Building Central European University (CEU) Nádor u. 9, Budapest Examination Committee Chair István Bodnár (CEU, Philosophy Department) Members Marianne Sághy, supervisor (CEU, Medieval Studies Department) István Perczel, co-supervisor (CEU, Medieval Studies Department) György Geréby (CEU, Medieval Studies Department) External readers Samuel Rubenson (University of Lund, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies), present Simeon Paschalidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Pastoral and Social Theology), present The doctoral dissertation is available for inspection on the CEU e-learning site. Should you wish to access it contact Csilla Dobos ([email protected]) Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation My dissertation is the first attempt to analyze and contextualize an ascetic trend which appeared simultaneously with the emergence of cenobitic monasticism in different regions of the Christian world. This inquiry involves an interdisciplinary approach, combining history, theology, philosophy, and philology. At the beginning of the fourth century, after Christianity changed its status from persecuted to official recognition in the Roman Empire, an “ascetic revolution” spread especially among the members of the high aristocracy
    [Show full text]
  • John Chrysostom and the Subintroductae
    John Chrysostom and the Subintroductae ELIZABETH A. CLARK When physical affections are destroyed and tyrannical desire extinguished, then no hindrance will any longer stand in the way of men and women being together, because all evil suspicion will be cleared away and all who have entered the kingdom of heaven can maintain the way of life of the angels and spiritual powers, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, honor, and dominion from age to age. Amen.1 I With these words, John Chrysostom concludes his first treatise on the subintroductae, one of the most fascinating groups of women encountered anywhere in the annals of church history. As defined by Hans Achelis, whose Virgines Subintroductae2 remains the classical exposition of the subject, the subintroductae were "female Christian ascetics who lived together with men, although both parties had taken the vow of conti- nency, and were animated with the earnest desire to keep it."3 Such virginal couples were united in a "permanent, intimate relation,"4 spiritual marriage, which Derrick Sherwin Bailey has vividly described as "the cohabitation of the sexes under the condition of strict continence, a couple sharing the same house, often the same room, and sometimes the same bed, yet conducting themselves as brother and sister."5 The man—who may or may not have been a cleric—usually took the woman into his house, although occasionally the female might invite the man to share her residence, especially if she were a widow with private means.
    [Show full text]
  • Doubting Mary: Early English Drama from N-Town to Shakespeare
    Doubting Mary: Early English Drama from N-Town to Shakespeare Emma Margaret Solberg Jersey City, New Jersey BA, Oxford University, 2005 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of English University of Virginia August, 2013 Table of Contents Introduction…………...................................................................................................................1 ★ The Late Medieval English Cult of the Virgin………….……………………………...6 ★ Critical History…………………………………………..……………………………...9 Chapter 1: The Virgin Whore ★ Introduction: Ave Eva……………………………………...………………………….20 ★ The Immaculate Conception………………………………...…………………………27 ★ Joseph’s Doubt………………………………...………………………………………42 ★ The First Suspect: Joseph………………………………...……………………………44 Mary’s Locked Door………………………………..………………………...52 God’s Cuckold……………………………………….……………………….55 ★ The Second, Third, and Fourth Suspects ……...……………………………………...60 ★ The Fifth Suspect ……...……………………………………………………………...69 ★ The Sixth Suspect ……...……………………………………………………………..73 The Adulteress’ Excuse………………………………..……………………..80 ★ Christ and the Adulteresses……………………………………...…………………….83 Marian Miracles…………………………………………..…………………..90 ★ Conclusion: Incarnational Theater…………………………………….………………92 Chapter 2: “Trye the Trewthe Owth” ★ Introduction: “The fool says in his heart, there is no God”…………………...………96 ★ Moments of Doubt…………………………………………………………..…..……102 ★ N-Town’s Nativity Pageant………………………………………………...……...…108 ★ N-Town’s “Trial of Mary
    [Show full text]