Überlegungen zum Adressaten von Eusebs Historia ecclesiastica

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this essay, a prevailing confusion concerning the readership of Eusebius' Historia ecclesiastica is sought to be remedied by virtue of a literary reading of the Historia ecclesiastica as a unified whole. The approach taken does neither intend to find out who actually read the work nor who the intended readers were. Instead of that, the question of the implied readership is raised. It is contended that the Historia ecclesiastica is characterized by an immediate understanding between the reader and the narrator, and that the reader must possess a certain amount of knowledge of Christianity in order to profit from the work. Furthermore, it is shown that the implied reader must able to follow rather technical discussions concerning the genealogy of Christ or the delimitation of the New Testament canon. It follows that the reader should not be regarded as uneducated. While the predominant emic-perspective of the Historia ecclesiastica suggests that the implied readers should be understood as Christians, the apologetic introduction to the work might imply that adversaries of the Christian faith should also be counted among the implied readers. As regards to this problem, the stance of the essay is to regard the adversaries as a secondary audience. Furthermore, it is rejected that the implied readership should also consist of pagans and Jews sympathetic towards Christianity, as these groups are not offered any foothold in the work.