From a Martyrological ‘Tabernacula Pastorum’ towards a Geographical ‘In Meridie’. Augustine’s Representation and Refutation of the Donatist Exegesis of Sg. 1,6-7

Abstract

This article first presents Augustine’s exegesis of Sg. 1, 6-7 in the Donatist controversy. This overview is based on his anti-Donatist sermo 46, which is devoted to this passage. Augustine states that the Donatists do not seem to be able to read ‘in meridie’ of Sg. 1, 6-7 correctly, erring by (i) understanding it geographically as applying it to Donatist Africa, (ii) seeing it as confirming the uniqueness of the Donatist Church, and at the same time not realizing that it actually condemns the Donatist schism. The second section of this article presents a possible reconstruction of a Donatist reading of the two verses of the Song of Songs, different from the Donatist exegesis Augustine presented in his works, depicting the Donatists as incapable of reading correctly the punctuation of a biblical passage or of understanding its content. The expression ‘tabernacula pastorum’ functioned as our key to reconstruct what we believe could be a more plausible Donatist exegesis of Sg. 1, 6-7. This reading would give the issue of martyrdom a central place, and ultimately, this topic was the real cornerstone of the Donatist movement.