Overview
This is the first up-to-date, accessible study dedicated to the rule of Cyprian as the Bishop of Carthage in the 250s AD. Using the tools of cultural anthropology, Cyprian the Bishop examines the interplay between the shift in the social structures of Christian churches in third-century Roman Africa, the development of their ritual practices, and the efficacy assigned to them in changing a person's standing - not only within a community - but before God. During the Decian persecution, Bishop Cyprian attempted to steer the middle ground between compromise and traditionalism; he redefined the execution of the sacraments - particularly penance and reconciliation - and showed that their efficacy depended upon the unity of the church. Cyprian succeeded where his rivals failed by defining the boundary between the empire and the church. By concentrating on social structures, J. Patout Burns Jr. reveals the logic of Cyprian's plan, the basis for its success in his time, and the reason why it failed in later centuries when the empire began to support rather than oppose the church. This book will be of great interest to classicists, ancient historians and sociologists as well as
Full Product Details
Author: J. Patout Burns Jr.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint: Routledge
Dimensions:
Width: 13.80cm
, Height: 1.40cm
, Length: 21.60cm
Weight: 0.470kg
ISBN: 9780415238502
ISBN 10: 0415238501
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 22 November 2001
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
'This study is easily readable. This will make it valuable for students, who will no doubt also appreciate the sober balance of theory and exposition ... the book is ideally suited to an advanced undergraduate course. Burn's work is thoroughly commendable, and the study is recommended without hesitation.' - Augustine Casiday, Reviews in Religion and Theology 'A large part of what makes this book impressive - indeed, of what makes so many of Burns' arguments compelling - is Burns' obvious familiarity with Cyprian's corpus operum. That Burns has dedicated a significant portion of his professional life to the study of Cyprian is something that is evidenced on almost every page and in more than a few of the copious footnotes ... In sum, this book is to be recommended.' - Ephemerides Theologicae Loranieases 'The book is well-written and refreshingly candid about Cyprian's views, without ever seeking to belittle them. It will probably be the standard introduction to his thought for some time to come, and will help to shape the next generation's perception of the important legacy of the North African church.' -Churchman
'The book is well-written and refreshingly candid about Cyprian's views, without ever seeking to belittle them. It will probably be the standard introduction to his thought for some time to come, and will help to shape the next generation's perception of the important legacy of the North African church.' -Churchman
Author Information
J. Patout Burns Jr. is Edward A Malloy Professor of Catholic Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. He is the author of The Development of Augustine's Doctrine of Operative Grace, and the editor of Theological Anthropology.
