Christian Roman Research Articles

Gedimino laiškai ir pirmosios dominikonų bažnyčios Vilniuje problema

This article seeks to answer a seemingly simple question: did the Dominican church exist in Vilnius during the reign of the Lithuanian grand duke Gediminas (1316–1341)? It is mentioned in a several letters of this ruler that were produced in 1323 and, therefore, the idea that this church was a real thing received wide currency in numerous historiographical works. However, the comprehensible analysis of the contradictory information regarding this subject-matter, and the very absence of its mention in a letter addressed to the Dominicans themselves, allowed the author of this paper to advance a thesis that this church, in all probability and likelihood, did not exist at all. The fact that it was mentioned might be interpreted as an attempt by Gediminas to produce a most positive image of his (pagan) country in the eyes of the intended (Roman Christian) audience. In sum, Gediminas collaborated more closely with the Franciscans, but some Dominican friars also were present at his court in 1323. It would be extremely interesting to know whence they came. However, for the lack of conclusive evidence this question must remain unanswered.

A Second Apostate?

Abstract The epithet apostate is one of the most striking terms among symbolic characters of late antiquity. It has been applied to only Iulianus and described his paganist practices. Yet, there is another character from the same era that modern literature has left in the dark. After just seven years of Iulianus’ death, Pap, the Armenian king, was labelled as impious by Armenian sources like the characterization of Iulianus by Roman Christians. Keeping these under consideration, this study aims to re-examine whether Pap could be named as a second apostate and to conclude that this was a unilateral glance.

An African in Rome

Abstract At the end of the second century, Christianity in Rome existed as a federation of individual communities, despite the narrative provided in the fourth century by Eusebius. There was a multiplicity of leaders, of social backgrounds, of languages, of beliefs, and of practices among the Christians of Rome. How did the church of Rome maintain unity internally and externally in the presence of such diversity? By the end of the second century, with Victor, that forbearance came to a dramatic end. The best-known example is the Quartodeciman controversy over the dating of Easter. Other examples include his reaction to Monarchians, Montanists, and Valentinians. In itself, this is not evidence that Victor was attempting to act as sole bishop of Rome, but simply that he used the structures of the pluralist communities to push for greater theological conformity, which contributed to the centralisation of leadership in Rome. As a qualifier, it will be argued that he was not opposed to pluralism per se, but was opposed to it when he became aware of any particular threat divergence presented to Christian life and thought.

Roundtable on Michael J. Hollerich, Making Christian History: Eusebius of Caesarea and His Readers (Oakland: University of California Press, 2021)

Few topics are more germane to this journal than the writing of ecclesiastical history, and no figure has had greater influence on the development of this genre than the bishop and scholar, Eusebius of Caesarea. In his masterful study of Eusebius and his readers from the late ancient to the modern era, Michael Hollerich has done a great service to all historians of Christianity. A work of reception history, the book begins with a chapter on Eusebius's life and work, focusing on his Ecclesiastical History and its relation to his Chronicle as well as other historical and non-historical genres with which he engaged. Subsequent chapters examine the reception of his work in the Christian Roman Empire of late antiquity, the non-Greek East, the medieval Latin West, and Byzantium, before turning to the rediscovery of Eusebius in diverse early modern contexts and his reception in modern scholarship including the implications of his historiographical work for future historians. The essays that comprise this roundtable, followed by the author's response, continue this important conversation about Eusebius and his legacy.

A Stoic Reading of Internal Obedience in Romans 1:18–2:29

Romans 1:18-2:29 connects with Stoic philosophy in a way that would be unmistakable to a Gentile audience. While acknowledging the Hellenistic tone of the passage, this paper focuses on the Stoic elements of natural law that were broadly recognized in Rome. Particularly, Cicero’s speeches, rhetorical handbooks, and philosophical treatises provide a comprehensive account of the connections between Hellenistic philosophy and Roman law and declamation. Although no direct evidence exists to show that Paul had read Cicero, these texts reveal the culture of the Roman Christians to whom Paul was writing. Key concepts of natural law appear in Romans that contextualize Paul’s message on internal obedience in 2:27-29, although he reworks them. Paul emphasizes spirit ‘πνεῦμα’ as the generating force of obedience. Two interpretations of πνεῦμα echo Stoic perspectives as the intent opposed to the letter of the law and as the inward motivation of the person obeying the law. The third interpretation as a foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit would be new for Paul’s Roman audience. This paper demonstrates that by incorporating Stoic elements on natural law, Paul presents the central significance of internal obedience in a way that would be understandable to his Christ-believing auditors and readers in Rome.

PeterBillerandL. J.Sackville, eds.:Inquisition and Knowledge 1200–1700. Woodbridge and Rochester, NY: The York Medieval Press, 2022; pp. xi + 346.

PeterBiller<scp>and</scp>L. J.Sackville<scp>, eds.:</scp>Inquisition and Knowledge 1200–1700. Woodbridge and Rochester, NY: The York Medieval Press, 2022; pp. xi + 346.

The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning, and Power

The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning, and Power

Cultural Encounter, Race, and a Humanist Ideology of Empire in the Art of Trecento Venice

Cultural Encounter, Race, and a Humanist Ideology of Empire in the Art of Trecento Venice

Ursinus, Luciferians, and The Bishops of Rome

Abstract Two texts in the Collectio Avellana, a sixth-century collection of documents concerning the relationship between bishops of Rome and emperors, provide us with a unique window into the Christian landscape of Rome in late antiquity. The first is the Quae gesta sunt, a narrative of the contested episcopal election at Rome in 366 between Ursinus and Damasus, written by a supporter of Ursinus. The second is the Libellus precum, a petition from a group of Nicene rigorists called ‘Luciferians’ which details the long persecution they have suffered at the hands of other Nicene Christians in Rome and elsewhere. The relationship between these two documents, and between these two communities, has long been a point of confusion in modern scholarship, but has only rarely been addressed as a question in its own right. This study examines these two documents in their mid-fourth-century context and concludes that they reflect the interests and experiences of separate communities. It concludes with a brief note about how the historical events of the 350s, which compelled these two separate Nicene communities to remain opposed to Damasus in the 360s, caused intractable social ruptures in Rome that Damasus was unable to overcome.

PAUL'S CONCEPT OF POLITICS IN ROMANS 13:1-7 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON EVANGELICAL CHURCH WINNING ALL (ECWA)

Politics is the art of governance and as such a responsibility for every citizen to participate in it. The Church in Rome finds it extremely difficult to understand the concept of politics. This may be due to the cruelty of the wicked Emperor at the helm of affair during the apostolic era. Apostle Paul’s concept of politics about Christians and civil authority is a point of reference for generations. Nigeria Constitution adjudge every citizen to be responsible to the constituted authority. ECWA as a Church denomination is quiescent about participation of staff and members in partisan politics, but gratifying the dividends. This may not be unconnected with some part of ECWA Bye-laws that forbids active political participation especially of persons under her employment. Since no church’s Constitution and Bye-laws can be greater than biblical injunctions, the researcher undertakes to study Paul’s Concept of Politics as enshrines in Romans 13:1-7 in relations to ECWA policies on membership political participation. The study employs historical, analytical and exegetical methods. Findings reveals that ECWA policies on political participation arose from a misconstrue notion that politics is a dirty game bedeviled with devilish activities. The study concludes that since Apostle Paul admonished the Roman Christians to submit to constituted authority and play their roles in carrying out their civil responsibility to the political policies of rulers of his time, politics itself might not be as dirty as they assumed. The study recommends a review of ECWA Constitution and Bye-laws. KEYWORDS: Partisan Politics, ECWA, Concepts, Constitution and Bye-laws.

A Study of Romans 13:1-7 in the Context of Nigerian Polity

This study examines the synergetic activities between religion and civil society’s organizations in addressing issues in Nigerian polity using the exhortation of Paul to the Roman Christians in Romans 13:1-7 his epistle to the century Christians. Generally, Romans 13:1-7 is known for its teachings regarding the cooperation the citizenry needs to accord civil rulers by the former’s willingness to submit to the constituted authorities. This study, however, treated the question as to the limitation of this overemphasized overblown submission to the governing powers in any democratic dispensation away from the imperial societies of Paul’s time. Basically, the selected text was exegeted in the course of the study which the seven verses of the pericope were analytically appraised in the context of the study. The result of the exegesis was used to treat salient issues in the Nigerian polity from two different perspectives viz., the civil society and the pericope as well as the Nigerian government and the civil society organizations. The study unveiled with dismay the uncordial relationship the present administration has consistently had with civil organizations in the Nigerian society contrary to what the experience has been from the inception of the country and regrets as well as decries the pathetic aftermath of such. The work concludes that such an undemocratic attitude on the part of the present administration is highly frowned upon and recommends that the Church and civil organization societies need to disallow such to dissuade them in their synergetic efforts to enforce good governance in the country. Keywords: Religion, Civil Society, Christian ethics, Nigerian Polity

Claudian’s "Gigantomachia": Coping with Reality and Dealing with Loss

The subject of Claudian’s Gigantomachia, narrating the great war between the Gods and the Giants, is vividly felt in the fourth century AD, given the historical context during which it was written. This piece, besides being mythological in a Christian world, remains unfinished, and the perspective of the incomplete end raises some questions: did Claudian do it voluntarily? Was he forced to do so? Was the end lost? And more generally, why would an official poet choose to write on a subject which does not align with the new way of thinking of a Christian Roman Empire, while rewriting a myth which tends to echo the military and the political context he was living in? In order to see through this perspective, it may be interesting to observe Claudian’s adaptations in rewriting the myth in order to grasp the different aspects of the context he was living in and that he was trying to mirror, and also to question the function of such a narration for Claudian himself, between pessimism towards loss and hope for a brighter future. This study, which focuses on the difficult adaptation of Pagans to the Christian era, allows to see, through a thorough study of Claudian’s Gigantomachia, the expression of a personal belief in an epic poem. Late Christian Antiquity poetry therefore appears both as a means to express one’s feelings and to overcome them.

The Origins of Roman Christian Diplomacy: Constantius II and John Chrysostom as Innovators. By Walter Stevenson. London and New York: Routledge, 2021. xii + 203 pp. $160 hardcover.

The Origins of Roman Christian Diplomacy: Constantius II and John Chrysostom as Innovators. By Walter Stevenson. London and New York: Routledge, 2021. xii + 203 pp. $160 hardcover.

Late Roman Law and the Quranic Punishments for Adultery

Late Roman Law and the Quranic Punishments for Adultery

Relics, Images, and Christian Apotropaic Devices in the Roman-Persian Wars (4th-7th Centuries)

This paper analyses the military use of holy relics, images, and other Christian apotropaic devices in the Roman-Persian wars. I examine a wide range of literary evidence from the 4th to the 7th century exploring where, why, and how different Christian objects were used in military contexts. Moreover, I consider different factors, as the local religious practices or the rivalry between the Christian Roman Empire and Zoroastrian Persia. I argue that the earliest military uses of relics and holy images happened in the context of the Roman-Persian conflict and frontier region, and that, during the 4th-7th centuries, these uses were much more common there than anywhere else. Also, that some local practices of this region could have been adopted by military officers and the Imperial elite. I propose that three factors could explain this: First, the intensity of the cult of relics and images in Syria and the Near East. Second, the growing identification of the Roman Empire as a Christian power between the 4th and 7th centuries. Finally, the Roman-Persian conflict and the climate of religious confrontation that grew over the course of the Byzantine-Sassanian wars.

„Freikauf“ oder „Erlösung in Jesus Christus“? (Röm 3,24)

Abstract This contribution examines the lexeme ἡ ἀπολύτρωσις in the top text of Paul’s doctrine of justification in Rom 3:21–31 exegetically. In particular, one should ask how the syntagma διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ in Rom 3:24b is to be translated correctly. The interpretation is based on the hermeneutical assumption of a translation of ἀπολύτρωσις with “free purchase” or “redemption”. It is important to consider whether the propositio generalis and especially the syntagma δύναμις … εἰς σωτηρίαν in Rom 1:16–17 can contribute aspects to the decision of this translation. Last but not least, it is asked which fields of imagination are called up by the urban Roman Christians through the use of the metaphor of ransom.

Indigenous Tanzanian Music Traditions in Roman Catholic Church and Changing Social Context

This article focuses on the use of indigenous Tanzanian music traditions in Roman Christian worship in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. The paper argues that the use of indigenous Tanzanian music tradition in church worship helps to make congregation members feel close to God and identify with their own African culture. The study focused on three churches: Msewe Roman Catholic, Manzese Roman Catholic and Kimara Roman Catholic. Congregation members and music stakeholders were involved to establish their perception of the changing social context of Tanzania’s indigenous music traditions used during church worship. It used in-depth interviews, discussions and participant performer were the methods to explore how music from different Tanzania ethnic groups brought cultural identity and changed social context in church worship. The findings suggested that the use of indigenous traditional music in Christian churches brought cultural identity in terms of melody, tune and rhythm although changes in text, language and the performance area are inevitable.

On the Byzantine-Mongol Marriages

The article focuses on the rapprochement between Byzantium and the Mongols from the 1250s which resulted in marriage alliances between Mongol Khans and Byzantine despoinas (princesses). The key issue is a clash of two different approaches. The Byzantine one was focused on the exclusive status of Byzantium as Christian Roman Empire, whose status was unrivalled and whose sovereigns seldom allowed marriages of Byzantine ladies to the foreign rulers, especially if the latter were heathen or Muslim. The Mongol view considered the Mongol state as the only one destined to dominate over other states. Here, the marriages between Mongol rulers and foreign brides have been suggested as one of vital elements of such domination. The compromise between two views seemed to have been made by the Byzantines: while the Byzantine church law refused to recognize interconfessional marriages, the Byzantines began to see these marriages as a Christian mission of sorts as the Greek brides and wives could have served as agents for spreading Greek Orthodox Christianity. Given the fact that some Khans had already converted to Islam prior to the marriage, these were also the first marriages between the Byzantine Imperial dynasty of the Palaiologoi and the Muslim rulers. It seems that special tolerance of the Mongols towards Christianity (even if they were Muslims) played a key role in the change of the principles of the Byzantine marriage policy: it henceforth became possible for the Emperor’s illegitimate daughter to marry a Muslim ruler. This policy affected the marriages of the later period of the fourteenth and fifteenth century between the imperial dynasties of the Palaiologoi and Grand Komnenoi, on the one hand, and the neighboring Turkish rulers, including the Ottomans, on the other.

DID PATRIARCH ABRAHAM FIGHT THE PERSIANS? NOTES ON JOHN CHRYSOSTOM’S INTERPRETATION OF GEN. 14:1–16

The article discusses the interpretation by St. John Chrysostom of the Old Testament plot which is contained in the Book of Genesis (Gen. 14:1–16), namely Abraham&amp;apos;s attack on the army of foreign kings, which invaded Canaan and defeated the coalition of Canaanite rulers in the battle of Siddim. The main problem lies in the fact that commenting on this plot John Chrysostom without any seemingly objective reason identified the opponents of Abraham as the Persians. In addition, the anachronism allowed here by John Chrysostom is obvious, since the Persians first appear in the Old Testament only from the moment of the death of the Babylonian kingdom, i.e. in a fairly late era, more than a millennium distant from events described in Gen. 14:1–16. Adjacent to these issues is the problem of designating the homeland of the Abraham as Persia and Patriarch himself as a Persian. An analysis of the sources taking into account the peculiarities of the worldview of John Chrysostom and the principles of Orthodox-Christian exegesis of the Holy Scriptures shows that St. John saw in (a) Patriarch Abraham and (b) the Jews the prototypes, respectively, of (1) our Lord, Jesus Christ (as a descendant of Abraham in the flesh) and (2) Christians (as descendants of Jews by faith, &amp;quot;New Israel&amp;quot; living in the new &amp;quot;Promised Land&amp;quot; i.e. the Christian Roman Empire). The foreign troops with whom the Patriarch Abraham fought, are metaphorically called by St. John Chrysostom the Persians for the reason that in the 4th century AD the embodiment of the Old Testament prefiguration of the enemy of the &amp;quot;people of God&amp;quot; was the Persian Sasanian empire as the most powerful and dangerous adversary of the Roman Empire on east. A certain role in this was played by the fact that the Persians invaded the Roman provinces from the territory of Mesopotamia, which in the John Chrysostom’s worldview was strongly associated with Persia.

Saint Jerome’s Posthumous Life: Aspects of His Reception in the Twentieth Century

The paper examines three examples of Saint Jerome’s contemporary reception. First, in Sous l’invocation de Saint Jérôme, the essay by the French writer and translator Valery Larbaud (1946), Jerome’s life is imagined as the large city of Hiéronymopolis where three itineraries are possible: one that is imaginary to Stridon, Rome, and Bethlehem; one that is iconographical through the paintings of Raffaello, Correggio, and Domenichino, and one that is literary through Jerome’s works, divided into many “city districts,” where an impressive bridge, the Vulgata, connects Jerusalem to Rome. – In the eccentric novel Jérôme ou de la traduction by the French-Canadian writer Jean Marcel (1990), Hieronymus’s famous lion narrates the main episodes of the Saint’s life, especially regarding his translations. This is an existential metaphor for the passage from the ancient eastern world to early Christian Rome. – The poetic movie by the Brasilian director Júlio Bressane, São Jerônimo (1999), is not a biographical reconstruction of Jerome’s life, but rather a fresco, which consists of some moments of his life and some iconic symbols (the skull, the lion, the desert).