Saint Augustine and the Donatist Controversy

Saint Augustine and the Donatist Controversy
Author: Geoffrey G. Willis
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2005-04-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1597521426

This detailed study gives a convincing picture of an interesting phase in North African nationalism, and illustrates how significant was the controversy in forcing Augustine to formulate his doctrines of the Church, the relations between Church and State, and the administration of the Sacraments.

The Donatist Schism

The Donatist Schism
Author: Richard Miles
Publisher: Translated Texts for Historian
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781781382813

This is the first book for over twenty years to undertake a holistic examination of the Donatist Controversy, a bilious and sometimes violent schism that broke out in the North African Christian Church in the early years of the century AD and which continued up until the sixth century AD. What made this religious dispute so important was that its protagonists brought to the fore a number of issues and practices that had empire-wide ramifications for how the Christian church and the Roman imperial government dealt with the growing number of dissidents in their ranks. Very significantly it was during the Donatist Controversy that Augustine of Hippo, who was heavily involved in the dispute, developed the idea of 'tough love' in dealing with those at odds with the tenets of the main church, which in turn acted as the justification for the later brutal excesses of the Inquisition. In order to reappraise the Donatist Controversy for the first time in many years, 14 specialists in the religious, cultural, social, legal and political history as well as the archaeology of Late Antique North Africa have examined what was one of the most significant religious controversies in the Late Roman World through a set of key contexts that explain its significance the Donatist Schism not just in North Africa but across the whole Roman Empire, and beyond.

On Baptism Against the Donatists

On Baptism Against the Donatists
Author: Saint Augustine of Hippo
Publisher: Aeterna Press
Total Pages: 371
Release:
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

This treatise was written about 400 A.D. Concerning it Aug. in Retract. Book II. c. xviii., says: I have written seven books on Baptism against the Donatists, who strive to defend themselves by the authority of the most blessed bishop and martyr Cyprian; in which I show that nothing is so effectual for the refutation of the Donatists, and for shutting their mouths directly from upholding their schism against the Catholic Church, as the letters and act of Cyprian. Aeterna Press

Sacred Violence

Sacred Violence
Author: Brent D. Shaw
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 931
Release: 2011-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 0521196051

Employs the sectarian battles which divided African Christians in late antiquity to explore the nature of violence in religious conflicts.

The Writings of St. Augustine Against the Donatists

The Writings of St. Augustine Against the Donatists
Author: Augustine of Hippo
Publisher:
Total Pages: 814
Release: 2014-05-16
Genre:
ISBN: 9781499581010

The Donatist schism in Africa began in 311 and flourished just one hundred years, until the conference at Carthage in 411, after which its importance waned. St. Augustine began his victorious campaign against Donatism soon after he was ordained priest in 391. His popular psalm or "Abecedarium" against the Donatists was intended to make known to the people the arguments set forth by St. Optatus, with the same conciliatory end in view. It shows that the sect was founded by traditors, condemned by pope and council, separated from the whole world, a cause of division, violence, and bloodshed; the true Church is the one Vine, whose branches are over all the earth. After St. Augustine had become bishop in 395, he obtained conferences with some of the Donatist leaders, though not with his rival at Hippo. In 400 he wrote three books against the letter of Parmenianus, refuting his calumnies and his arguments from Scripture. More important were his seven books on baptism, in which, after developing the principle already laid down by St. Optatus, that the effect of the sacrament is independent of the holiness of the minister, he shows in great detail that the authority of St. Cyprian is more awkward than convenient for the Donatists. The principal Donatist controversialist of the day was Petilianus, Bishop of Constantine, a successor of the traditor Silvanus. St. Augustine wrote two books in reply to a letter of his against the Church, adding a third book to answer another letter in which he was himself attacked by Petilianus. Before this last book he published his "De Unitate ecclesiae" about 403. To these works must be added some sermons and some letters which are real treatises.

The Uniquely African Controversy

The Uniquely African Controversy
Author: A. DuPont
Publisher: Peeters
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2015-03-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 9789042931558

Roman North Africa was one of the major centres where ancient Christianity thrived, and there Donatism was the most prevalent form of Christianity. This neglected story from Late Antiquity is treated in a multi-disciplinary way in the current volume. The Uniquely African Controversy: Studies on Donatist Christianity seeks to uncover what the identity and historical context of Donatism was, and why it disappeared. What was Donatism's legacy? Who were its leaders and adherents? Why did Augustine of Hippo become so embroiled in controversy with the Donatist Church? The contributions to this volume come from scholars from North America, Europe, and Australia, and they cover topics including archaeology, Roman law, theology, martyrology, and ecclesiastical history.

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Christian Martyrdom

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Christian Martyrdom
Author: Paul Middleton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 564
Release: 2020-04-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 111909982X

A unique, wide-ranging volume exploring the historical, religious, cultural, political, and social aspects of Christian martyrdom Although a well-studied and researched topic in early Christianity, martyrdom had become a relatively neglected subject of scholarship by the latter half of the 20th century. However, in the years following the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the study of martyrdom has experienced a remarkable resurgence. Heightened cultural, religious, and political debates about Islamic martyrdom have, in a large part, prompted increased interest in the role of martyrdom in the Christian tradition. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Christian Martyrdom is a comprehensive examination of the phenomenon from its beginnings to its role in the present day. This timely volume presents essays written by 30 prominent scholars that explore the fundamental concepts, key questions, and contemporary debates surrounding martyrdom in Christianity. Broad in scope, this volume explores topics ranging from the origins, influences, and theology of martyrdom in the early church, with particular emphasis placed on the Martyr Acts, to contemporary issues of gender, identity construction, and the place of martyrdom in the modern church. Essays address the role of martyrdom after the establishment of Christendom, especially its crucial contribution during and after the Reformation period in the development of Christian and European national-building, as well as its role in forming Christian identities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. This important contribution to Christian scholarship: Offers the first comprehensive reference work to examine the topic of martyrdom throughout Christian history Includes an exploration of martyrdom and its links to traditions in Judaism and Islam Covers extensive geographical zones, time periods, and perspectives Provides topical commentary on Islamic martyrdom and its parallels to the Christian church Discusses hotly debated topics such as the extent of the Roman persecution of early Christians The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Christian Martyrdom is an invaluable resource for scholars and students of religious studies, theology, and Christian history, as well as readers with interest in the topic of Christian martyrdom.

The Bible in Christian North Africa

The Bible in Christian North Africa
Author: Maureen A. Tilley
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 244
Release:
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781451414523

In today's demands for moral absolutes, the puritanism of early Christian Donatists is reflected. Maureen A. Tilley's study gives new insight into the Donatist church by focusing attention on the surviving Donatist controversies. She persuasively shows how Donatist interpretations of Scripture correlate with changes in the social setting of their church.

Against the Donatists

Against the Donatists
Author: Saint Optatus (Bishop of Mileve)
Publisher:
Total Pages: 220
Release: 1997
Genre: Africa, North
ISBN: 9781789628449

There Is No Crime for Those Who Have Christ

There Is No Crime for Those Who Have Christ
Author: Michael Gaddis
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 415
Release: 2005-10-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 0520241045

Focusing on the 4th and 5th centuries, Michael Gaddis explores how various groups employed the language of religious violence to construct their own identities, to undermine the legitimacy of their rivals, & to advance themselves in the competitive & high stakes process of Christianizing the Roman Empire.