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Jerome's Women Creating Identity and Fashioning Scholars

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Jerome's Women Creating Identity and Fashioning Scholars Jerome’s Women Creating Identity and Fashioning Scholars Judith Margaret Nichols, M.LITT., B.A., GRAD.DIP.TESL. This Thesis is presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Western Australia School of Humanities Classics and Ancient History 2014 i Preface Jerome’s writings first came to my attention as an undergraduate. I was attracted by the vividness of his writing but puzzled that the female recipients of his correspondence tolerated such a vain, irascible and misogynistic mentor. I took my initial, tentative thesis to Dr Neil O’Sullivan, Discipline Chair of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Western Australia and Dr Michael Champion who listened patiently and encouraged me to persevere with a doctoral thesis. I am grateful to both men for their advice and suggestions in shaping this work. Dr O’Sullivan’s command of the classics pointed me in new and interesting directions. Dr Champion was extremely forbearing in listening to every new idea, commenting helpfully on successive drafts and making mentoring sessions enjoyable. I would also like to acknowledge the loving support of my husband, Tony, and our four adult children who have encouraged me and accepted my preoccupation without reproach. The translations in the thesis are my own, except where otherwise acknowledged. Translations of certain commentators have been included as reference points to my own and I have indicated where my interpretations differ from theirs. The standard unpunctuated Vulgate is among the texts that I regard as significant. ii iii Abstract This thesis studies the creation of identities and the role women play in Jerome’s socio-political, scholarly and eschatologically-oriented theology for Rome. It extends understanding of Jerome’s self-representation. Women gain new forms of agency while retaining traditional patronage powers. Chapter 1 contextualises the argument in modern scholarship, both critiquing and drawing on feminist and poststructuralist readings. Chapter 2 tests the utility of Carlon’s taxonomy of women by comparing Jerome’s letters to Pliny’s. Chapters 3–6 map Jerome’s construction of virgins, wives and matrons, identifying ways women exercise agency and shape Jerome’s discourse. Chapter 7 concludes the study and points to potential further research. iv DECLARATION FOR THESES CONTAINING PUBLISHED WORK AND/OR WORK PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION The examination of the thesis is an examination of the work of the student. The work must have been substantially conducted by the student during enrolment in the degree. Where the thesis includes work to which others have contributed, the thesis must include a statement that makes the student’s contribution clear to the examiners. This may be in the form of a description of the precise contribution of the student to the work presented for examination and/or a statement of the percentage of the work that was done by the student. In addition, in the case of co-authored publications included in the thesis, each author must give their signed permission for the work to be included. If signatures from all the authors cannot be obtained, the statement detailing the student’s contribution to the work must be signed by the coordinating supervisor. Please sign one of the statements below. 1. This thesis does not contain work that I have published, nor work under review for publication. Student Signature ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2. This thesis contains only sole-authored work, some of which has been published and/or prepared for publication under sole authorship. The bibliographical details of the work and where it appears in the thesis are outlined below. Student Signature ……………………………………………………………………………………………. v 3. This thesis contains published work and/or work prepared for publication, some of which has been co-authored. The bibliographical details of the work and where it appears in the thesis are outlined below. The student must attach to this declaration a statement for each publication that clarifies the contribution of the student to the work. This may be in the form of a description of the precise contributions of the student to the published work and/or a statement of percent contribution by the student. This statement must be signed by all authors. If signatures from all the authors cannot be obtained, the statement detailing the student’s contribution to the published work must be signed by the coordinating supervisor. Student Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………. Coordinating Supervisor Signature. ..………………………………………………………………………………………… vi Abbreviations Scriptural Abbreviations Gen Genesis 1 Chr Chronicles Col Epistle to the Colossians 1 Cor First Epistle to the Corinthians Deut Deutoronomy Eph Epistle to the Ephesians Ex Exodus Ezek Ezekiel Heb Epistle to the Hebrews Hos Hosea Isa Isaiah Jer Jeremiah Lk Gospel of Luke Mt Gospel of Matthew 1 Pet First Epistle of Peter 2 Pet Second Epistle of Peter Phil Epistle to the Philippians 1 Sam Samuel 1 Tim First Epistle to Timothy 1 Thess First Epistle to the Thessalonians Rev The Revelation to St John Rom Epistle to the Romans Primary Text Abbreviations CCSL Corpus Christianorum, Series CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum GCS Die griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller NASB New American Standard Bible PG Patrologia Graeca PL Patrologia Latina vii Aen. Aeneid adv. Helv. De Mariae virginitate perpetua adversus Helvidium adv. Iov. Adversus Iovinianum Apol. ad Constan. Apologia ad Constantium imperatorem Apol. c. Ruf. Apologia contra Rufinus Cod. Theod. Codex Theodosianus Comm. in ep. ad Titum Commentarius in epistulam ad Titum Comm. in Es. Commentarius in Esaia De Gen. ad Litt. De Genesi ad litteram De vir. illus. De viris illustribus Dialog. de orator. Dialogus de oratoribus Ep(p). Epistula(e) Ep. adv. Ruf. Epistula adversus Rufinum In Amos Commentariorum in Amos Prophetam Libri Tres In Hiez. Commentarius in Hiezechielem Jerome, contra Pelag. Juv. Sat. D. Iunii Iuvenalis Saturae LXX Septuagint Palladius, Hist. Laus. Historia Lausiaca Pelagius, Ad Demetr. Pelagius, ad Demetriadem Plut. Num Plutarch, Numa Pro Caelio Pro M. Caelio oratio Re. gest. Rerum gestarum libri Ruf. Apol. Rufinus, Apologia contra Hieronymum Tac. Ann. Tacitus, Annales Ter. Eun. Terence, Eunuchus Vulgate Biblia Sacra Vulgata Abbreviations e AEHE V Annuaire de l’École pratique des hautes études, V sec., sciences religieuses AHR American Historical Review AJA American Journal of Archaeology AJP American Journal of Philology ATR Anglican Theological Review BJPsych British Journal of Psychology viii BCE Before Common Era CE Common Era Ch(s). Chapter(s) ChHist. Church History CHR Catholic Historical Review CUP Cambridge University Press ESC Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations G&H Gender & History G&R Greece & Rome HThR Harvard Theological Review His History: The Journal of the Historical Association HUP Harvard University Press ILS Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JLARC Journal for Late Antique Religion and Culture JRA Journal of Roman Archaeology JRS Journal of Roman Studies JThS Journal of Theological Studies NT New Testament OT Old Testament OUP Oxford University Press PUP Princeton University Press RAC Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum REA Revue des études anciennes REAug. Revue des études augustiniennes REL Revue des études latines RSR Revue des sciences religieuses RThPh Revue de théologie et de philosophie SSEC Society for the Study of Early Christianity StudPatr Studia Patristica VChr. Vigiliae Christianae ZKG Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte ix Table of Contents Preface ........................................................................................................... i Abstract ....................................................................................................... iii Abbreviations .............................................................................................. vi Scriptural Abbreviations .............................................................................................. vi Primary Text Abbreviations ......................................................................................... vi Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: ‘This Turbulent Priest’ ........................................................... 1 A Letter at the Cross Road ............................................................................................ 1 Jerome, His Life ............................................................................................................ 5 Jerome’s Asceticism in Context ................................................................................ 6 Rome, Jerome’s Heartland ...................................................................................... 10 Life in the ‘Wilderness’: Conflict and Labour ........................................................ 19 Approaches to Studying Jerome ................................................................................. 21 ‘Writing Women’ and the ‘Linguistic Turn’ ........................................................... 24 Jerome and Epistolography ..................................................................................... 27 The Rhetoric of Letters ........................................................................................... 31 Letters: Patronage and Friendship ..........................................................................
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