Overview
In the age of the Theodosian dynasty and the establishment of Christianity as the only legitimate religion of the Roman Empire, few figures are more pivotal in the power politics of the Christian church than archbishop Theophilus of Alexandria (385-412). This work examines the involvement of archbishop Theophilus in the so-called First Origenist Controversy when the famed third-century Greek theologian Origen received, a century and a half after his death, a formal condemnation for heresy. Modern scholars have been successful in removing the majority of the charges which Theophilus laid on Origen as not giving a fair representation of his thought. Yet no sufficient explanation has been offered as to why what to us appears as an obvious miscarriage of justice came to be accepted, or why it was needed in the first place. Kratsu Banev offers a sustained argument for the value of a rhetorically informed methodology with which to analyse Theophilus' anti-Origenist Festal Letters. He highlights that the wide circulation and overt rhetorical composition of these letters allow for a new reading of these key documents as a form of 'mass-media' unique for its time. The discussion is built on a detailed examination of two key ingredients in the pastoral polemic of the archbishop - masterly use of late-antique rhetorical conventions, and in-depth knowledge of monastic spirituality - both of which were vital for securing the eventual acceptance of Origen's condemnation. Dr Banev's fresh approach reveals that Theophilus' campaign formed part of a consistent policy aimed at harnessing the intellectual energy of the ascetic movement to serve the wider needs of the church.
Full Product Details
Author: Krastu Banev (Lecturer in Greek Patristics, Lecturer in Greek Patristics, Durham University)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 14.40cm
, Height: 2.10cm
, Length: 22.30cm
Weight: 0.460kg
ISBN: 9780198727545
ISBN 10: 0198727542
Pages: 244
Publication Date: 19 February 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
the book is significant and substantially reframes animportant episode in the early history of Christianity. By placing Theophilus and his writings under the spotlight and arguing for reappraising them on their own terms, Banev pushes Theophilus further out of the shadow of contemporary portrayals that paint him as a turncoat in the Origenist controversy and as a villain in the downfall of the bishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom. Beyond that, by turning the spotlight on rhetoric and power — most notably, the use of appeals to emotion, ethics, and reason in attacking and undermining an opponent — this book challenges us to pay greater attention to the tactics employed in such disputes and to the identity and expectations of the audience. * Wendy Mayer, Journal of Religion *
the book is significant and substantially reframes animportant episode in the early history of Christianity. By placing Theophilus and his writings under the spotlight and arguing for reappraising them on their own terms, Banev pushes Theophilus further out of the shadow of contemporary portrayals that paint him as a turncoat in the Origenist controversy and as a villain in the downfall of the bishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom. Beyond that, by turning the spotlight on rhetoric and power - most notably, the use of appeals to emotion, ethics, and reason in attacking and undermining an opponent - this book challenges us to pay greater attention to the tactics employed in such disputes and to the identity and expectations of the audience. * Wendy Mayer, Journal of Religion *
the book is significant and substantially reframes animportant episode in the early history of Christianity. By placing Theophilus and his writings under the spotlight and arguing for reappraising them on their own terms, Banev pushes Theophilus further out of the shadow of contemporary portrayals that paint him as a turncoat in the Origenist controversy and as a villain in the downfall of the bishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom. Beyond that, by turning the spotlight on rhetoric and power -- most notably, the use of appeals to emotion, ethics, and reason in attacking and undermining an opponent -- this book challenges us to pay greater attention to the tactics employed in such disputes and to the identity and expectations of the audience. * Wendy Mayer, Journal of Religion *
Author Information
Dr Krastu Banev is a lecturer in Greek Patristics at Durham University.
