DOCSLIB.ORG

Space in Coercive Poetry. Augustine's Psalm Against

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Space in Coercive Poetry. Augustine's Psalm Against Perichoresis Volume 14. Issue 2 (2016): 21-37 DOI: 10.1515/perc-2016-0008 SPACE IN COERCIVE POETRY. AUGUSTINE’S PSALM AGAINST THE DONATISTS AND HIS INTERPRETATION OF THE FEAR OF GOD IN ENARRATIONES IN PSALMOS PAUL J. J. VAN GEEST * Tilburg University ABSTRACT. This contribution consists of two parts. The first part identifies Augustine’s qualities as a mystagogue on the basis of the only poem he wrote that has been handed down: the Psalm against the Donatists . It shows that little is to be gained by studying Augustine as both poeta and mystagogue. Not his poetry itself, but his commentary on poetry as such reveals the transform- ative power that he ascribes to this genre. For this reason the second part examines Augustine’s Enarrationes in psalmos . In this work, he makes explicit the transformative power that is contained in the 150 Psalms, which are both poetry and prayer. This part asks the question how Augustine articulates or heightens fear when the Psalmist in his dialogue with God ‘compels’ him to do this, as it were, by expressing fear of enemies or of the Last Judgement. He shows that he acknowl- edges that fear alone can lead to an unbalanced, and even a bad relationship with God. Fear should result in introspection and should be a guarantee against pride. That Augustine further- more is not content to heighten the fear of God alone, but wants it to coincide with desire, joy, and hope, shows that he wishes to prevent any imbalance in the human who seeks a relationship with God. For Augustine, fear is necessary, b ut it is ‘only’ an ancilla of hope, joy, love, and desire. But as such, timor is indispensible. Fear causes attentiveness and carefulness: virtues that love presuppose and that also correlate with it. Nevertheless, love does not stand at the service of fear; for Augustine, it is the reverse. KEY WORDS: Mystagogy, poetry, psalms, patristics, Augustine Introduction Augustine has not gone down in history as an author who sought to establish a transformation in his readers’ hearts or attitude to life by writing poetry. On the contrary. It is true that Augustine’s parenetic desire to change the behaviour of, and even effect a deeper transformation in, people who already shared his world view can be discerned in all of the books of his Confessions. It is also clear that he had the protreptic wish to effect a change of world view among those who did not yet share this world view. Thus it has been demon- * PAUL J. J. VAN GEEST (PhD 1996, Catholic Theological University of Utrecht) is pro- fessor of church history and historical theology at Tilburg University. Email: p.j.j.vang- [email protected]. © EMANUEL UNIVERSITY of ORADEA PERICHORESIS 14.2 (2016) 22 PAUL J. J. VAN GEEST strated convincingly that he strove to initiate the Manicheans in the inscruta- bility of the human soul, and, as the books progress, also in the mystery of the inscrutability of God, Creator and Father (book XI ), Son (book XII ) and Holy Spirit (book XIII ) (Kotzé 2004: 58ff; Bettetini 2015: 74-76). The Confes- sions therefore certainly show Augustine as a mystagogue. But this magisterial book is a work of Latin prose, of which Augustine was a master, and it does not establish his reputation as a poet. Augustine does mention in the Confessions that he participated in his youth in poetry competitions, and he quotes three lines from a catechetical poem of praise of the Easter candle in classically shaped hexameters in The City of God (Confessiones 4.1; 4.3; De ciuitate Dei 15.22). He also composed an elegy in eight hexameters, an acrostic, for Naborius, a local martyr who fell victim to Don- atist violence. This poem in particular demonstrates that he was familiar with classical and Christian poetry, to a greater degree even than his critique of poetry in Confessions 1.20-23 would suggest (Hunink 2005a: 88-91). Augustine’s poetry cannot match—either in quality or in quantity —his Confessions , The City of God , or his vast collection of sermons, Enarrationes in Psalmos , treatises on creation and other theological works. The fact that he produced one substantial work of poetry does not negate this contention. The Psalmus contra partem Donati consists of circa three hundred lines and has al- ways been received in history as: ‘an almost unpleasant little work … that seems lacking in any stylistic pretension ’ ( Hunink 2005a: 7). The current contribution consists of two parts. The first will attempt to identify Augustine’s mystagogical qualities on the basis of the Psalm against the Donatists . It will reveal that little is to be gained by studying Augustine as both poeta and mystagogue at the same time. Not his poetry, but his commentary on poetry demonstrates the transformative power that he ascribes to this genre. In the second part, therefore, I propose to examine his Enarrationes in Psalmos . It becomes evident there that he places great value on the transform- ative power of the Psalms, which are both poetry and prayer. This part asks the question how Augustine makes explicit or intensifies fear when the Psalm- ist in his dialogue with God ‘compels’ him to do so, for instance by arti culating his fear of enemies or of the Last Judgement. Augustine’s Psalm against the Donatists The Psalmus is Augustine’s first work against Donatism. Augustine wrote it in 393, two years after his ordination to the priesthood. His bishop, Valerius, badly needed Augustine’s support in the struggle against heretical move- ments such as the Donatists. The Donatists themselves traced back their origins to the persecutions of Christians that occurred under the Emperor Diocletian (284-305). His im- provement of the military, monetary, and administrative structures of the PERICHORESIS 14.2 (2016) Space i n Coercive Poetry. Augustine’s Psalm against the Donatists 23 Roman empire led to restrictions on the rights of Christians, and, from 303 onwards, to the last and most serious wave of persecutions of Christians within his Empire. That year, he ordered that the holy books of Christianity had to be handed over to the civil authorities for destruction. 1 Christians were required to demonstrate their loyalty to the emperor and the gods of the empire by performing the so-called thurificatio (purification). Many Chris- tians submitted to the imperial command out of fear of death or loss of pos- sessions. Christians who had handed over holy books were called traditores ‘squanderers ’.2 It was forbidden to have contact with them; re-admittance to the church was only possible after a long process of penance. Because there were no publicly accessible lists of these traditores , it was un- clear at the end of the persecution in 305 who had in fact been one and who had not. Nevertheless, seventy Numidian bishops declared the consecration of Caecilianus, who had been elected the primate of Africa in 311 or 312 in Carthage, null and void because one of the consecrating bishops was sus- pected of having been a traditor . Although Caecilianus had the backing of Constantine —the emperor wanted unity in his empire through unity in the Christian church —the Numidian bishops chose Majorinus as their primate. From 313 onwards, his charismatic successor Donatus succeeded in rallying the regional establishment to the church that bore his name. When an eccle- siastical court in Rome and an imperial synod in Arles (314) failed to restore unity, Constantine himself decided in favour of Caecilianus post episcopalia iu- dicia (cf. Epistula 88, 2-3; Epistula 105.8). It was to no avail. Extremist armed circumcelliones even regarded Donatism as a nationalist movement against the emperor. In their struggle against the emperor they tortured and assassinated Catholic clerics and renegade Don- atists, and carried out suicide killings (Augustine, Epistula 134, 2; c. Litt. Pet. II, 91, 201 et passim ). Nor did the imperial commissary Macarius refrain from using violence in his attempts to compel the pars Donati to return to the Cath- olic church. Although the Emperor Constans issued a law in 347 that made unity with the Catholica compulsory, the schism between Donatists and Cath- olics became final around 360 (Codex Theodosianus XVI 6, 2). From that time on, the pars Donati developed its own theology of ministry and its own ecclesiology. These were distinct from their Catholic equivalents in that the Donatists traced their notion of holiness back to the idea that they were the successors of the martyrs who had refused to hand over the books —an idea that lacked historical evidence. In addition, just as in classical Roman religion, 1 For the history of the Donatists, see mainly Lancel (1999: 606-622). Cf. Optatus of Mileve (1844: 673-784), Monceaux (1920: 311-328.329-333.335-339), and Tilley (2011). 2 Cf. Acta Martyrum Saturnini presbyteri, Felicis, Dativi, Ampelii et aliorum , in PL 8, col. 688- 703, especially 690. PERICHORESIS 14.2 (2016) 24 PAUL J. J. VAN GEEST the Donatist bishops considered that the holiness of the community was ef- fected through the performance of clearly defined rituals, which they derived from the purity laws in the Old Testament ( c. ep. Parm. II, 7,12; Sermo 268, in PL 38, col. 1232-1234). Although there were exceptions, such as Tyconius, for most Donatists striving for holiness did not primarily involve personal transformation. One consequence was that they developed an ecclesiology based on strict opposition between the church and the world. Their church contained those who were integer , whole, on the basis of their second baptism; outside it were those who were profanus or adulter .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Church's Unity and Authority: Augustine's Effort to Convert The
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects The hC urch's Unity and Authority: Augustine's Effort to Convert the Donatists Gavril Andreicut Marquette University Recommended Citation Andreicut, Gavril, "The hC urch's Unity and Authority: Augustine's Effort to Convert the Donatists" (2010). Dissertations (2009 -). Paper 62. http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/62 THE CHURCH’S UNITY AND AUTHORITY: AUGUSTINE’S EFFORT TO CONVERT THE DONATISTS by Gavril Andreicu Ń, Licentiate in history, 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 August 2010 ABSTRACT THE CHURCH’S UNITY AND AUTHORITY: AUGUSTINE’S EFFORT TO CONVERT THE DONATISTS Gavril Andreicu Ń, Licentiate in history, M.A. Marquette University, 2010 This dissertation is about Augustine’s views on Church unity and authority and is primarily based on the letters that he wrote against the Donatists. Although Augustine is one of the Fathers most enthusiastically and thoroughly researched, his letters are less studied than his other works. As a significant number of Augustine’s letters were written as part of his effort to unite the Donatists with the Church, they are especially relevant sources for his views on the unity and authority of the Church. While no single work of Augustine covers the entire period of his dealing with the Donatists, the letters witness to Augustine’s activity against the Donatists from the time he became a priest up to 418. Since through his letters Augustine appealed to imperial officials, Catholic landowners, and the Donatists in order to unite the latter with the Church, in the letters Augustine is presenting himself to readers in a uniquely practical and social context, which his other works do not do.
    [Show full text]
  • Theological and Ideological Complexities
    ABSTRACT The Donatist Church in an Apocalyptic Age Jesse A. Hoover, Ph.D. Mentor: Daniel H. Williams, Ph.D. As a dissident Christian tradition that still endured sporadic Imperial persecution, the Donatist church occupied a unique niche within the wider apocalyptic milieu of late antiquity. This was an era characterized by intense eschatological speculation, spurred on by the recent political ascendency of Christianity within the Empire, the rise of rival theological communions in its wake, and mounting anxiety over the increasing tenuousness of Roman rule in the western provinces. Despite its often-overstated estrangement from the transmarine Christian communities of late antiquity, Donatism was no stranger to this phenomenon. In this dissertation, I wish to contextualize extant Donatist interaction with apocalyptic exegesis in order to see where it remained in continuity with the wider western apocalyptic tradition and where it diverged. This is a topic which will require some nuance. The dominant tendency within early and mid-twentieth century academic discussions of Donatist apocalypticism – when it is mentioned at all – have been to portray it as evidence of an anachronistic inclination within Donatist theology or as a symptom of simmering national or economic dissatisfaction, a religious warrant for social unrest. Reacting to such interpretations, more recent discussions of Donatism which emphasize its theological viability have tended to avoid the topic altogether. In this project, in contrast, I portray Donatist apocalyptic exegesis as an essentially dynamic, adaptive theological phenomenon. As befits an ecclesiastical communion which once formed the majority church in North Africa, Donatist interaction with apocalypticism was neither monolithic nor static.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses Politics and controversy: a study of the inuence of the Donatist and Pelagian controversies on the political thought of St Augustine of Hippo Charnaud, Katherine How to cite: Charnaud, Katherine (2007) Politics and controversy: a study of the inuence of the Donatist and Pelagian controversies on the political thought of St Augustine of Hippo, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2958/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 - Pofitics and Controversy- .Jl Study of tlie I njfuence of tlie {])onatist ancf CJ>efaeian Controversies on tlie Pofitica[Tiiouglit of St .Jl ugustine of Jfippo 1(atlien'ne Cliarnaucf The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was submitted. No quotation from it, or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged.
    [Show full text]
  • The Church's Unity and Authority: Augustine's Effort to Convert The
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by epublications@Marquette Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects The hC urch's Unity and Authority: Augustine's Effort to Convert the Donatists Gavril Andreicut Marquette University Recommended Citation Andreicut, Gavril, "The hC urch's Unity and Authority: Augustine's Effort to Convert the Donatists" (2010). Dissertations (2009 -). Paper 62. http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/62 THE CHURCH’S UNITY AND AUTHORITY: AUGUSTINE’S EFFORT TO CONVERT THE DONATISTS by Gavril Andreicu Ń, Licentiate in history, 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 August 2010 ABSTRACT THE CHURCH’S UNITY AND AUTHORITY: AUGUSTINE’S EFFORT TO CONVERT THE DONATISTS Gavril Andreicu Ń, Licentiate in history, M.A. Marquette University, 2010 This dissertation is about Augustine’s views on Church unity and authority and is primarily based on the letters that he wrote against the Donatists. Although Augustine is one of the Fathers most enthusiastically and thoroughly researched, his letters are less studied than his other works. As a significant number of Augustine’s letters were written as part of his effort to unite the Donatists with the Church, they are especially relevant sources for his views on the unity and authority of the Church. While no single work of Augustine covers the entire period of his dealing with the Donatists, the letters witness to Augustine’s activity against the Donatists from the time he became a priest up to 418.
    [Show full text]
  • This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G
    This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. !i The lay summary is a brief summary intended to facilitate knowledge transfer and enhance accessibility, therefore the language used should be non-technical and suitable for a general audience. (See the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study, General Postgraduate Degree Programme Regulations. These regulations are available via: www.drps.ed.ac.uk.) Name of student: Joshua Bruce UUN S1544464 University email: [email protected] Degree sought: Ph.D. History of Christianity No. of words in the 85,074 main text of thesis: Title of thesis: Coercive Precedents: The Place of Donatist Appeals in Augustine’s Anti- Donatist Polemic Insert the lay summary text here - the space will expand as you type. This thesis addresses certain political and legal aspects of the organisation of Christianity in North Africa in the fourth and early fifth centuries CE, particularly as addressed in arguments put forward by Augustine of Hippo.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role and Status of the Catholic Church in the Church-State Relationship Within the Roman Empire from A.D
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2009 The Role and Status of the Catholic Church in the Church-State Relationship Within the Roman Empire from A.D. 306 to 814 Jean Carlos Zukowski Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Catholic Studies Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Zukowski, Jean Carlos, "The Role and Status of the Catholic Church in the Church-State Relationship Within the Roman Empire from A.D. 306 to 814" (2009). Dissertations. 174. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/174 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary THE ROLE AND STATUS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE CHURCH-STATE RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE ROMAN EMPIRE FROM A.D. 306 TO 814 A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Jean Carlos Zukowski July 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................. viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ................................ 1 Background of the Problem ........................ 1 Statement of the Problem .......................... 4 Purpose .................................... 6 Justification for the Research .......................
    [Show full text]
  • A Fine Line? Catholics and Donatists in Roman North Africa*
    A FINE LINE? CATHOLICS AND DONATISTS IN ROMAN NORTH AFRICA* Alexander Evers I. Introduction On the st of June of the year ad, bishops from all over Roman North Africa gathered together in the main hall of the Baths of Gargilius at Carthage, right in the centre of the city, as Augustine of Hippo pointed out—in urbe media.1 They were divided in two camps: on the one side Catholic bishops were present, on the other Donatist. The Emperor Honorius had called for this council, in order to find the Donatists guilty of schism and to deliver a final blow to the movement, which had started a hundred years earlier. The verbatim records of the meeting were meticulously written down and have been carefully preserved, thus being by far the most valuable literary source, providing an almost complete record of the African episcopal sees—on both sides of the dividing line— at the beginning of the fifth century. * First of all I would like to express my gratitude to Olivier Hekster and Ted Kaizer for organising this colloquium on Frontiers in the Roman World, and for allowing me to speak on mostly imaginary boundaries—the dividing lines between two parties within an entity that at the time was perhaps also only separated from its surrounding world in the “imagination of their hearts”: the Church within the Roman Empire. I am very grateful to Averil Cameron, Robert Dodaro o.s.a., Alan Fitzgerald o.s.a., Peter Garnsey, Paul van Geest, Claude Lepelley, Fergus Millar, Simon Price, Bryan Ward-Perkins, and Greg Woolf for providing directions and sharing opinions.
    [Show full text]
  • Papal and Papal Claims
    m TAPAL AIMS AND PAPAL CLAIMS WITH REMARKS ON APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION E. GARNET MAN BABKIBTBE-AT-LAW ' LONDON SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO., Lra. PATERNOSTER SQUARE 1902 PRINTED BY COWAN & Co., LTD. PERTH 1481900 CONTENTS CHAP. I Introduction - - - -- -- 1 IE Argument - - -- - - -12 in Claims ------- 18 Papal IV Whither to direct our steps - - - 35 V The biblical grounds for Peter's supremacy considered ...... 39 VI Did Peter himself act as if he were sole infal- lible Yicar of Christ ? Did he ever assert a claim to be Universal Bishop, or did he, by word or deed, place himself above the other Apostles, or show that he aspired to temporal or spiritual supremacy over* the - - - - whole world? . .-.-_- 58 VH Was Peter ever Bidfioip of Rome ?-> - - 65 VILE Did the AposjSes or Peters contemporaries . appear to acknowledge his Suprem&cy - 73 IX PART I. Did the bishops of Borne, .during the first three centuries, assert .., claims to universal supremacy now arrogated by their successors - - - - - 82 PART II. The same continued - - - 91 Is there evidence to that of X show the popes .-,.. ~ Borne are the actual direct successors of St. Peter? - - - - - - 106 XI Is there evidence that Peter transmitted any extraordinary or divine power to the bishops of Borne in preference to any ^ other bishops? - - - - - 122 IV CONTENTS CHAP. '. PAGE XII Did the early Fathers and writers acknow- ledge any, and if any, what kind of, supre- macy in the bishops of Rome before the ._ <> time of Barnabas ? - - - ... 131 XTTT Did the early Fathers and contemporary writers acknowledge the supremacy .of the " Roman bishops from the time of Barnabas 139 XIV Did the Fathers and contemporary writers acknowledge the pretensions of the bishops of Rome from the time of TertuUian ? - 148 - - XV Did the early Synods or Councils to A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Memories of Utopia
    Memories of Utopia These essays examine how various communities remembered and commemorated their shared past through the lens of utopia and its corollary, dystopia, providing a framework for the reinterpretation of rapidly changing religious, cultural, and political realities of the turbulent period from 300 to 750 CE. The common theme of the chapters is the utopian ideals of religious groups, whether these are inscribed on the body, on the landscape, in texts, or on other cultural objects. The volume is the first to apply this conceptual framework to Late Antiquity, when historically significant conflicts arose between the adherents of four major religious identities: Graeco-Roman ‘pagans’; newly dominant Christians; diaspora Jews, who were more or less persecuted, depending on the current regime; and the emerging religion and power of Islam. Late Antiquity was thus a period when dystopian realities competed with memories of a mythical Golden Age, variously conceived according to the religious identity of the group. The contributors come from a range of disciplines, including cultural studies, religious studies, ancient history, and art history, and employ both theoretical and empirical approaches. This volume is unique in the range of evidence it draws upon, both visual and textual, to support the basic argument that utopia in Late Antiquity, whether conceived spiritually, artistically, or politically, was a place of the past but also of the future, even of the afterlife. Memories of Utopia will be of interest to historians, archaeologists, and art historians of the later Roman Empire and those working on religion in Late Antiquity and Byzantium. Bronwen Neil , FAHA, is Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University, Australia, and Research Associate of the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • St. George's Anglican Church, Tunis
    St. George’s Anglican Church, Tunis Christian Heritage, Carthage Suggested Itinerary and Texts Rt Rev Dr Bill Musk Many of the archeological sites in the Carthage area of Tunis tell or reflect the story of the arrival of the Christian gospel in North Africa and its gradual transformation into “Church”. It is a costly and messy story! This article is designed to enhance your visit to these historic sites by explaining a little of that story. I am grateful to others for their stimulating input and help.1 Any errors or inaccuracies in what follows are mine alone. Your feedback to [email protected] is very welcome! 1 Rev Frank Bernardi has led several pilgrimages to Carthage sites on behalf of St George’s Anglican Church, Tunis and much of what follows in this article is based on his research and presentations. David Cater (Engaging Cultures Travel – Tunisia [+216.24.405.950]; [email protected]; www.engagingcultures.com) is experienced in organizing and leading pilgrimage groups. 1 The itinerary and texts offered in this article are intended to assist you in seeing significant archeological remains and to help you understand something of the history of the development of Christianity in this part of North Africa. Not all the sites of Carthage (not even all the Christian sites) are featured. I hope that those that are featured will whet your appetite. The photos included should help you to identify what you are looking at where!2 The Tophet of Salammbó Start your journey of discovery just south of the Punic port area at the Tophet of Salammbó.
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT the Contours of Donatism: Theological and Ideological
    ABSTRACT The Contours of Donatism: Theological and Ideological Diversity in Fourth Century North Africa Jesse A. Hoover, M.A. Mentor: Daniel H. Williams, Ph.D. It has been tempting for many historians of fourth century North Africa to view the Donatist church as a monolithic movement. This is not, however, an accurate picture. Donatism exhibited varied contours during its period of ascendancy in North Africa, differences in theological and ideological beliefs which often led to tension, even schism, within itself. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss these varieties within the Donatist movement. Accordingly, it will first examine the evolution of Donatism over time by comparing the concerns of the original schism with those of the movement at the Council of Carthage in 411. The paper will then turn to the great divergences which characterized the late Donatist movement by focusing on the radicals on its right and left flanks—the Circumcellions and Rogatists/Maximianists, respectively. By doing so, a picture of Donatism will be presented that truly appreciates the theological variety within the movement. The Contours of Donatism: Theological and Ideological Diversity in Fourth Century North Africa by Jesse Hoover, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Religion ___________________________________ William H. Bellinger, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee ___________________________________ Daniel H. Williams, Ph.D., Chairperson ___________________________________ Charles A. McDaniel, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Barry A. Harvey, Ph.D. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2008 ___________________________________ J.
    [Show full text]
  • Download (8MB)
    https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ Theses Digitisation: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/digitisation/ This is a digitised version of the original print thesis. Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] THE CHRISTIAN NORTH AFRICAN DEBATE ON ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH, MINISTRY, AND SACRAMENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE USE OF SCRIPTURE. by LAURENCE SAMUEL KIRKPATRICK. This thesis is submitted through the Department of Theology and Church History in the Faculty of Theology in the University of Glasgow for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. OCTOBER 1994. ProQuest Number: 10392575 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10392575 Published by ProQuest LLC (2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author.
    [Show full text]