En quel sens peut-on parler d’une « anthropologie paulinienne » ? Telle est la question fondamentale de cette étude. Avant même de renvoyer à la signification de l’anthropologie paulinienne, elle nous invite tout d’abord à nous interroger sur les possibilités même de l’existence d’une anthropologie dans le cadre de la pensée de Paul. Existe-il chez Paul une pensée anthropologique élaborée en tant qu’objet premier du discours, ou nous est-il seulement permis de construire ou, mieux, d’esquisser, à partir d’une lecture croisée de ses écrits, une vision de l’humanité que l’on pourra finalement appeler une « anthropologie paulinienne » ? Cette étude s’attelle ainsi à montrer que, au-delà et comme en toile de fond des thèmes privilégiés développés par Paul, notamment la justification par la foi et non pas par la Loi, il existe une anthropologie paulinienne, laquelle est notamment déterminée par l’opposition structurelle entre le « vieil homme » et l’ « homme nouveau ». / In what sense can we speak of a “Pauline anthropology”? This is the fundamental question of this study. Before referring to the meaning of the “Pauline anthropology”, it firstly invites us to wonder if an anthropology within Paul's thought does exist. Is there a “Pauline anthropology” as the first object of Paul’s writings, or are we just allowed to build, or better, to sketch, from a joint reading of his writings, a vision of humanity that we can finally call a "Pauline anthropology" ? In this sense, this study aims at showing that, beyond and as a backdrop of the main topics developed by Paul (such as justification by faith and not by the Law), there is a “Pauline anthropology”, which is determined by the structural opposition between the “old man” and the “new man”.

The aim of the thesis is to determine the influence exerted by the heads of the Catechetical School (Didaskaleion) in Alexandria on the growth and development of Christianity in Africa prior to the Arab invasion in 642 CE in Egypt. The methodological tool used is the Historical Method. Chapter 1 contains a discussion of the founding and development of the city of Alexandria through its Golden Era and until the Arab invasion in 642 CE. This city played an important role in the development of Christianity as it is there that the early Christians (the "followers of Christ's teachings") settled and established their faith. Chapter 2 deals with the founding of the Didaskaleion as an addition to the other big schools/"universities" in the city, for example the Musaion (also called the Museion), the Serapium (also called the Serapeum) and the Sebastion. All the possible heads of the School are discussed in order to get a full picture of the School and her activities during the time. In Chapter 3 all the extant and lost documents written by the heads of the School are discussed to provide insight into the formation of the Theology of the School and the contributions of her various heads. Chapter 4 constitutes the pinnacle of the thesis and depicts the influence of the School on the known parts of Africa – to the west and the south of Alexandria – during the first seven centuries CE (until the Arab invasion in 642). The influence is described at two levels: Influence, where mentioned by a specific writer, is called factual influence and includes personal influence. • Influence that is not mentioned but observed, is called derived influence. As there is ample evidence that the (heads of the) School exerted both factual and derived influence on the people in Africa, the conclusion can be drawn that the School and her heads played a significant role in the growth and development of Christianity in Africa. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Church history)