Universal Church from the Perspective of Cyprian: A Pietistic Approach to Unity in the House of God

Abstract

Despite Cyprian’s influence upon the early church, no scholarship has paid attention to the pietistic approach that undergirds his view of ecclesiastical unity. In probing his diverse works, one faces a set of questions that must be answered: What does Cyprian mean by unity? From where does the universal character of the church arise? Without answering these questions, it proves hard to understand other aspects of Cyprian’s works. Cyprian’s view of piety provides us a wider lens to understand his writings about conversion, church unity, and Christian ethics. For him, piety refers to believers unveiling divine grace with all the strength received from and conceived by God while they continue to overcome worldly pollutants such as lust, injustice, and wickedness. What is more, Cyprian’s perspective on church unity is not limited to the authority of the episcopate but includes the pietistic life of Christians. For Cyprian, good works neither signify a way to salvation nor operate as a cause or merit. Rather they are evident in the life of those who are cleansed by faith in Christ. His pietistic approach continues to play a role in binding others to Christ, helping them understand the love of God toward the world.