The Image of Justinianic Orthopraxy in Eastern Monastic Literature

Abstract

Some repeated or confirmed earlier church or imperial rulings. [...]Canon Sixteen reiterated the ban on monks or nuns marrying, whilst Canon Eighteen imitated imperial law in specifically forbidding monastic conspiracy against the episcopate. [...]as the history of religious controversy in our period amply shows, ascetics were frequently unable, or unwilling, to live in isolation. [...]to ensure that his orthopraxic rulings were respected, Justinian sought to foster a culture of surveillance, in which monastic seclusion became self-reinforcing. [...]their views conform perfectly with the rulings of the 553 Council of Constantinople, condemning both Origen, on the one hand, and the authors of the Three Chapters, on the other. According to the Life, Sabas's prayers following the fulfilment of his requests resulted in two victories so great, that they exceeded the achievements of any previous emperor.91 This had supposedly delivered into Justinian's hands half of the land and the sea.92 Here, Cyril may be seen to exploit the wording of Novels 133, using Sabas as a mouthpiece to quote back to the emperor his own legislation.