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Doctrinalising Dreams: Patristic Views of the Nature of Dreams and Their Relation to Early Christian Doctrines

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Doctrinalising Dreams: Patristic Views of the Nature of Dreams and Their Relation to Early Christian Doctrines DOCTRINALISING DREAMS: PATRISTIC VIEWS OF THE NATURE OF DREAMS AND THEIR RELATION TO EARLY CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES BY LIEN-YUEH WEI NEW COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH A thesis submitted to the University of Edinburgh for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy MAY 2011 Declaration I declare that I have composed Doctrinalising Dreams: Patristic Views of the Nature of Dreams and Their Relation to Early Christian Doctrines, and that it is my own work and that it has not been submitted in whole or in part for any other degree or professional qualification. ____________________ Lien-Yueh Wei Abstract Modern scholarship has generated several works on ancient Greco-Roman, Jewish or biblical oneirology, whereas it has never resulted in a book or monograph devoted solely to the study of patristic oneirology. Although many articles discuss the dreams in patristic texts, most of their authors do not analyse these dreams correctly in their doctrinal context, a context from which virtually all patristic dream narratives or discourses emerged. This thesis endeavours to remedy the deficiency in the construction of patristic views of dreams by a corresponding analytic approach. Numerous early Christian writers attempted to formulate a Christian dream theory, conceptualise dream phenomena, or interpret their own dreams or the dreams of prominent figures. This thesis argues that from their perspective, the nature of human-inspired dreams can be conceived of as creations of the soul, as indicators of the dreamer’s state and as moral reflection (Ch.1 to 3), that of demon-inspired dreams as demonic assault, temptation and deception (Ch.4) and finally that of divinely-inspired dreams as a site of epiphany, as divine messages and as the dynamic of faith reinforcement (Ch.5 to 7). In addition to investigating their thoughts on dreams, additional discussions of Greco-Roman, Jewish and biblical dream traditions will be provided as helpful references for readers to understand the background in which patristic oneirology was shaped and cultivated (Appendixes). Moreover, unlike pagan authors, these Christian writers did not elucidate dreams for oneirological, physiological or psychological purposes. Rather, their real agenda was to promulgate Christian doctrines, including the doctrines of man, asceticism, sin, demonology, God, Christology, revelation and eschatology. When they encountered dreams, they not only interpreted but doctrinalised them, just as they did to many other aspects of human life. Methodologically, they dogmatically expounded dreams so as to facilitate their dissemination of the doctrines. The making of patristic oneirology was essentially the propagation of dogmatics. Hermeneutically, they integrated doctrinal tenets into their explication of dreams. The doctrines defined the essence of dreams and even orientated their mission outside the dream world. Accordingly, their oneirological and doctrinal conceptions were intertwined and serve each other. This doctrinalised oneirology marked the birth of a new ideology of dreams in late antiquity. Hence, in each chapter the methodological and hermeneutical relationships between dreams and the related doctrine in patristic texts will be demonstrated. Due to these relationships, this thesis contends that the task of penetrating patristic views of dreams cannot be accomplished without analysing them in their doctrinal context; meanwhile, the doctrines cannot be fully represented without undertaking that task. Acknowledgment Numerous people have helped me to reach the completion of this thesis. To mention all of them would be impossible. However, there are some to whom I am especially indebted. My special thanks go to the supervisors of my doctoral research, Dr. Sara Parvis and Dr. Paul Parvis. Without their advice and encouragement, this thesis would stay in the oneiric wilderness, and my dream would not have come true. I also thank both Prof. J. Patout Burns and Prof. Robin M. Jensen who led me into the field of patristics and trained me to be able to undertake this study. To Prof. Gillian Clark, Prof. Jane Dawson, Prof. J. den Boeft, Prof. Markus Vinzent and David Robertson I express my appreciation for their insightful suggestions. I am deeply grateful to my family, particularly my mother Lee, my wife Angela, my brothers Tony and David, and my sister Maomao. Without their support, I would never have become a dreamer. I also owe a warm debt of gratitude to many friends who have financially supported and prayed for me in the course of my research, especially to Kay Eaves and Ava Laws as well as to the brothers and sisters in my churches in Taiwan, China, U.S.A. and U.K. Finally, my deepest gratitude is reserved for God, who has guided me through the valley of the shadow of dreams, and has helped me far more abundantly beyond all that I asked or imagined. Sola Gratia et Soli Deo Gloria. Table of Contents Abbreviation…………………………………………………………………….…. i Introduction………………………………………………………………………... 1 Part I. Patristic Views of Human-Inspired Dreams 1. Dreams as Creations of the Soul and the Doctrine of Man………………………37 2. Dreams as Indicators and the Doctrine of Asceticism……………………………65 3. Sexual Dreams as Moral Reflection and the Doctrine of Sin…………………….91 Part II. Patristic Views of Demon-Inspired Dreams 4. Dreams as a Means of Demonic Assault, Temptation and Deception and Demonology………………………………………………….…………..…121 Part III. Patristic Views of Divinely-inspired Dreams 5. Dreams as a Site of Epiphany and the Doctrine of God and Christology……….161 6. Dreams as Divine Messages and the Doctrine of Revelation…………………...189 7. Dreams as the Dynamic of Faith Reinforcement and Eschatology.……………..241 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...275 Appendices Appendix A: Greco-Roman Views of Dreams………………………………….…287 Appendix B: Jewish Views of Dreams (with Table of Dreams in Jewish Texts)….309 Appendix C: Biblical Views of Dreams (with Table of Dreams in Biblical Texts)..343 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………369 Abbreviations ACW Ancient Christian Writers. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1946-67; NY: Newman Press, 1970-. AHI Augustinian Historical Institute: Works of Saint Augustine. A Translation for the 21st Century. Ed. by John Rotelle. N.Y.: New City Press. AHR American Historical Review AJP American Journal of Philology AJSR Association for Jewish Studies Review, Cambridge, MA: 1976-. ANF The Ante Nicene Fathers. Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325. 9 Vols. Eds. by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. Grand Rapids, M.I.: W. B. Eerdmanns, 1882-1890, reprint, 1989. ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt ASTI Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute. Leiden: Brill, 1962-1983. ATR Anglican Theological Review BA Bibliothèque Augustinienne. Paris: Declée de Brouwer, 1936-. BHM Bulletin of the History of Medicine BZ Biblische Zeitschrift CB Classical Bulletin CCL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina. Turnholti: Brepols, 1953-. CE Catholic Encyclopedia. NY: Encyclopedia Press, 1914; New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd edition. MI, Farmington Hill: Gale Thomson, 2003. CH Church History CHR Catholic Historical Review CQ Classical Quarterly i CR Classical Review CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium. Louvain: [various imprints] 1903-. CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum. Vienna: [various imprints], 1866-. CSLP Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum Paravianum. Turin: Paravia, 1922-. CTM Currents in Theology and Mission EHR English Historical Review FC The Fathers of the Church. A New Translation. NY: Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1949-60; Washington. D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1962-. GCS Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller (or CB, Corpus Berolinense). Berlin: Th. Mommsen, 1903-. HR History of Religions HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs HTR Harvard Theological Review JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JHMAS Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Science JQR Jewish Quarterly Review JR Journal of Religion JRS Journal of Roman Studies JSJSup Supplements to Journal for the Study of Judaism JSPSup Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Supplement Series JTS Journal of Theological Studies LCC Library of Christian Classics. Philadelphia: Westminster John Knox Press, 1953-1966. ii LF Library of the Fathers LCL Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973-. MA Medium Aevum MGH Monumenta Germaniae Historica Scriptores. Digital Edition. German: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 2004. NPNF A Selected Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. First and Second Series. 14 Vols. Ed. by Philip Schaff. Grand Rapids, M.I.: Eerdmanns, 1886-1890, reprint, 1989. NRSV New Revised Standard Version: The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Deuterocanonical Books. Ed. by M.D. Coogan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, third edition, 2001. NovT Novum Testamentum NTApoc New Testament Apocrypha. Ed. by W. Schneemelcher. Louisville: WJK, 2003. OTP The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 Vols. Ed. by J.H. Charlesworth. N.Y.: Doubleday, 1983-1985. PG Patrologia Graeca. Paris: Migne, 1857-66. PL Patrologia Latina. Paris: Migne, 1844-65. PO Patrologia Orientalis. Paris: Firmin-Didot and Brepols, 1904-. PPR Philosophy and Phenomenological Research PS Patrologia Syriaca. Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1894-1907. PTS Patristische Texte und Studien. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1964-. PVTG Pseudepigrapha Veteris Testamenti Graece. Leiden: Brill, 1967. SAEMO Sancti Ambrosii Episcopi Mediolandensis Opera. Milan: Biblioteca Ambrosiana; Rome: Citta` Nuova Editrice, 1989. SAR South
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