Palamite soteriology in Augustinian dress? Observations on Prochoros Kydones' writings and translations of works of Augustine

Augustine’s influence on medieval Latin theology is thoroughly known. What is less well recognised is the fact that through the translation and reception of some of his works Augustine also influenced certain developments in Byzantine Greek theology, especially in the fourteenth century. This article deals with one such case, Prochoros Kydones’ translations of works of Augustine, in particular his translation of De vera religione 1-15. The focus of the article is on the theological background of Prochoros’ work, on the development of Prochoros’ own theological position, and on the possible influence of Prochoros’ translation activity on this development. The article closes with a detailed look at a few examples of how Prochoros translated and thereby also transformed certain Augustinian phrases and theological motifs into Greek theology

Poets, prophets, critics, and exegetes in classical and biblical antiquity and Early Christianity

Already in Antiquity poetry used to be seen as originating from divinely inspired ecstatic prophecy. The earliest Biblical prophets too were celebrated poets. But when the poetic tradition was fixed in writing, a more ‘rationalistic’ force seems to have taken over. The works of prophetic poets, results of divine ecstasy, were now exposed to the rather un-ecstatic looking methods and techniques of exegetes and critics. However, this article argues that critics and exegetes were from earliest times onwards aware of this connection, and down to the Christian exegetes of Late Antiquity traditional (‘Classical’) concepts and techniques were being used to explain the role of prophetic ecstasy in the production of poetry, prophecy, and other literature considered to be divinely inspired. As a consequence an unbroken tradition exists between the earliest written documents of western literature and their archaic (‘shamanic’) sources (be they Classical or Biblical) and the literary-religious experience of late-antique Christian authors and exegetes

Law and the Church Fathers

This book chapter covers aspects related to law and the Church Fathers. It begins with an overview over who the Church Fathers were and how they thought about and dealt with law. It understands ‘Church Fathers’ not merely as a group of people in history (a specific group of early Christians, leading intellectuals and bishops) but also as a quasi-normative entity, a body of teaching, which has shaped legal thinking in the Christian tradition until today. Vice versa, the chapter takes into consideration that law was something early Christians encountered in their secular environment but also something they themselves developed and cultivated, as a form of Christian law, and how these two are connected, and how they differ. The chapter goes on to discuss some relevant concepts developed by Church Fathers, ‘divine law’, ‘natural law’, ‘freedom of religion’, ‘citizenship’, ‘the common good’ and ‘the moral conscience’. It does so considering classical and biblical sources and the late-ancient contexts of these concepts as well as their reception in later periods. It engages in particular with Origen’s concept of a ‘freedom of conscience’ and Augustine’s ideas on citizenship, law and the common good. The chapter finishes by briefly touching upon the relevance of these ideas today

Paulus in der Theologie des 2. Jahrhunderts: Das Beispiel von Tatians Rede an die Griechen

This book chapter explores the presence of Paul's theology in second-century Christian theological discourse in Rome. The chapter focuses on Tatian's Oration to the Greeks, a Greek apology dating from the 170s CE. Its contents reflect intellectual discourse between Christians and pagans in Rome in the 150s. It seeks to demonstrate that Pauline theology does play a role in this discourse. There are, however, no explicit references to Pauline works, probably due to the fact that the stated addressees of Tatian's Oration are "Greeks" (Hellenes), i. e. non-Christians

Review of Thurner, Die Geburt des Christentums als Religion (2021)

Supervised by Michael Bergunder at Heidelberg, this PhD thesis outlines Ernst Troeltsch’s Theology of Religion (Part I) and investigates the sources of that Theology (Part II). It concludes that judging by the latter, Troeltsch’s Theology with its notion of Christianity as a religion cannot be understood merely in terms of a continuation of early 19th century (and earlier) traditions but draws on an entirely new, global, perspective on religion, which emerged in the late 19th century

Latin Christian Literature I (polemical and theological writings)

The chapter is part of an edited volume that aims at providing a literary context and background to Augustine of Hippo's authorial activities. It surveys polemical and theological Christian literature in Latin which Augustine of Hippo may have used or to which he may have been exposed when writing his own works. It is divided into three sections: 1. From Tertullian to Lactantius, 2. Milestones of the Latin Fourth Century, 3. Theological and polemical writing during Augustine's own flourishing. The chapter concludes that although Augustine may not have been "a great reader of his Christian contemporaries" (Williams), the literary output of his own time and of the centuries before him is still mirrored in his work to a surprising degree

Imperial involvement in education and theology: Constantine to Constantius II

This article discusses the phenomenon of imperial involvement in Christian theological debate during the reign of Constantius II. It asks what the imperial interest would have been in getting involved in Christian theological debate and what would have equipped, or qualified, an emperor to do so with at least some expectation of success. Against the wider background of these specific questions the article also discusses more generally the nature of early Christian approaches to higher education, the permutations and the status of Christian theology within the traditional (Graeco-Roman) educational framework and the changes that took place in the area of higher education towards the end of antiquity

Book Review: Zacher, Florian, Marius Victorinus als christlicher Philosoph: Die trinitätstheologischen Schriften des Gaius Marius Victorinus und ihre philosophie-, kirchen- und theologiegeschichtlichen Kontexte. Patristische Texte und Studien 80. Berlin und New York: De Gruyter, 2023. VIII+588 pages. ISBN: 978-3-11-099277-9.

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