Primary Sources in Early Christian History

Transcription

1 Primary Sources in Early Christian History Some things to bear in mind What is a Primary Source? Primary Sources are materials produced by people or groups directly involved in the event or topic under consideration, either as participants or as witnesses. Mary Lynn Rampolla ( Secondary sources: books and articles in scholarly journals that comment on, and interpret, primary sources. - Rampolla) Primary sources may be: texts (most common in this field), art, artifacts, inscriptions, etc. The distinction between primary and secondary is determined by the question you ask. Example: Eusebius (4th cent.) Church History. Some Problems with Primaries (In this field) Translation Axe-Grinding interpretations (especially in non-scholarly interpretations, but also among quite a number of scholars) These might be useful, still, depending upon your approach. Scholarly debate on everything from date, to authorship, to the meaning of the text or artifact. CONTEXT is crucial! You must know, or have a good theory on, the provenance of your primary. When doing your research: You need to know what you re looking at, according to its historical context. (Be very careful of assumptions.) Read (or study) to understand not to cheer on your opinion, dis those you disagree with, or prove a pet point. Your thesis must come from the evidence (arise from the source itself) not be brought to it. Limit your thesis to what can actually be demonstrated with your source(s). (This will almost always be less than you think or hope.)

2 The Inverted Values of the Christian Life To truly understand the dynamics of Christianity before the modern period, we must acknowledge that the Christian ideal turns the values of earthly society upside-down: Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4) And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. (Matthew 19:29-30) But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Matthew 23:11) (See also the Beatitudes -- a description of the Christian ideals and their rewards) Examples: Christ, who, though God, humbled himself unto death. (Phil. 2:8) Onesimus, who remained a slave when he became Bishop, according to early Christian legend. The Martyrs, who chose Christian death over earthly security. Monasticism: the truly single life According to Monks: The last great rebellion. Death to the World. Overcoming the Tyranny of Fashion. Becoming who you Are. Liberation from the sway of the world. Renouncing the world to inherit the universe. The monastery is not a place of refuge but warfare. Implications of the Value-Inversion There were two overlapping scales of social status which were acknowledged as equally valid, though you could not follow both: worldly status and spiritual status (which had value in this world by making those who sought it special models of life.) Texts which are often taken as negative had a positive connotation in premodern Christianity. Describing someone as meek, humble, a mere servant, a mere woman, self-denying etc. was regarded as positive. Acknowledging yourself as a worm, wretched sinner, was considered admirably honest from all. Refusing positions of worldly authority was a claim of spiritual status. In early medieval France, powerful Lords increased their social image by giving their lands and possessions to the Church (whether the Church wanted them or not.) This concept was an essential part of the monastic ideal -- and the only way to understand monks is on their own terms. Celibacy: the goal A life free from distraction by: The tangles of human relationships Material worries Political obligations Empty pursuits such as fame, wealth, and trivial knowledge. This freedom produces a personal space in which meditation, balance, and transcendence of merely material existence can be cultivated.

3 Kill the flesh to acquire a body. The way to God is a daily cross. The cross is the gate of mysteries. Sergei Bulgakov Isaac the Syrian A monk is one who is separated from all and who is in harmony with all. Evagrius of Pontus My book, philosopher, is the nature of created things, and whenever I wish I can read it in the works of God. Antony of the Desert

4 God is known through nature: We know God from the grandeur of his creation and from his providential care for all creatures. For by this means, as if by a mirror, we obtain insight into his infinite goodness, wisdom and power. Maximus the Confessor. In Him we live, move, and have our being. St. Paul, Acts 17. In this way, through an uncompromising, absolute, and pure detachment from yourself and from all things,transcending all things and released from all, you will be led upwards toward the radiance of the divine darkness which is above all being. (Pseudo) Dionysios the Areopagite The Goal (summary): Not to deny the body but to master it. Through the conquest of spiritual enemies to master the renegade elements of the self. Through humility to obtain power, through denial of the self to become one with God and creation. Ultimately to transcend all things and obtain an ecstatic union with God. In mystical contemplation a man sees neither with the intellect nor with the body, but with the Spirit; and with full certainty he knows that he beholds supernaturally a light which surpasses all other light. Gregory Palamas

5 Georgios Mantzarides, summarizing Palamite spiritual discipline: These successive renunciations have a positive, not a negative meaning. They permit a man to fully open up and be perfected "in the image and likeness" of God. When man is freed from the world and from himself, he expands without limits. He becomes a true person, which "encloses" within himself the whole of humanity as Christ himself does. Further reading: Peter Brown: The Body and Society Philip Rousseau: Pachomius Jean LeClerq, O.S.B.: The Love of Learning and the Desire for God. The Monks of New Skete: In the Spirit of Happiness Modern popular images which borrowed from the monastic ideal: Gandalf the Grey: Wearing the traditional grey of the Franciscan, Gandalf, like his fellow wizards, was a spiritual being who transcended physical passions, lived a life of humility and renunciation, and was capable of phenomenal power over nature. Obi Wan Kenobi: Dressed as a desert monk, Ben Kenobi was faithful to the selfless renunciation of sex and comfort which was Lucas Jedi ideal. The spiritual awareness of the contemplative life provided him with power over lesser creatures. Finally, he exemplified ultimate transcendence by renouncing violence and stating Strike me down and I shall be more powerful than you can possibly imagine. For the Apostolic Tradition Read the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome (Be sure to read the short introduction also) Be prepared to discuss: What was early Christian worship like? What were Hippolytus concerns regarding worship and the teachings of the Church? How does this compare with images such as that found in Perpetua s Passion?