Cette thèse comporte une édition critique, une traduction et un commentaire de l'Ad martyras, de l'Ad Scapulam et du De fuga in persecutione de Tertullien. Notre édition s’appuie sur une lecture à nouveaux frais des cinq manuscrits principaux transmettant ces textes, sur les éditions humanistes et modernes ainsi que sur les notes de travail d’éditeurs humanistes. Les trois textes évoquent, de trois points de vue différents, les persécutions. Dans l’Ad martyras, où Tertullien s’adresse à des chrétiens emprisonnés, la persécution apparaît comme une épreuve ; dans l’Ad Scapulam, adressé au proconsul de Carthage, il s’agit de détourner la persécution des chrétiens. Enfin, le De fuga in persecutione vise à encourager les chrétiens à s'y soumettre sans se laisser tenter par la fuite. Nous avons été attentives au discours que Tertullien construit à la fois ad extra pour détourner les autorités des persécutions antichrétiennes, et, ad intra, pour encourager les chrétiens dans l'épreuve. / This dissertation consists in the critical edition, French translationand commentary of Tertullian’s Ad Martyras, Ad Scapulam and De fuga in persecutione. The edition is based on a new reading of five of the main manuscripts which contain the texts, on early and modern critical editions and on the readings of lost manuscripts given by humanist sources. The three texts deal with the antichristian persecutions. In the Ad martyras, where Tertullian writes to emprisoned Christians, persecution is seen as a trial ; in the Ad Scapulam, addressed to the Carthaginian proconsul, Tertullian intends to prevent him from persecuting Christians. At last, the treatise De fuga in persecutione encourages Christians to accept persecution even if they can flee it. We paid attention to the speech Tertullian elaborates both ad extra to deter Roman authorities from persecuting and ad intra to support Christians in trial.

This thesis reviews the architectural context of four churches in western Cilicia. These churches, namely the East Church at Alahan, the Cupola Church at Meryemlik, the Domed Ambulatory Church at Dagpazari, and the Tomb Church at Corycus, have been tentatively grouped by Stephen Hill under the name of Domed Basilicas based on their resemblance to the early 6th century models in Constantinople, the most famous being the Hagia Sophia. However, the dome comes forward in the Constantinopolitan context mainly as a feature in the establishment of a new architectural scheme that integrates a vertical axis into the oblong horizontal axiality of the basilica. Firstly, this thesis suggests that a similar integration visible in the planning of the Cilician churches is the essential point that needs to be studied. This seems to have been ignored by previous research. Consequently, the analytical approach that has concentrated on the possibility of a dome is criticized and a spatial interpretation is attempted. Moreover, as some scholars propose, these provincial examples might be the possible source of influence for the capital, if they are a local model dated to the end of the 5th century. Thus, issues pertaining to function, dating and patronage are overviewed, in order to obtain a wider perspective of interpretation. Finally, the general information concerning the Cilician examples was found to be based on surprisingly scanty and unverifiable physical testimony which points to the urgency and necessity of further fieldwork.

This essay examines the healing miracles of Jesus as described by the Synoptic Gospels and posits that the appeal of the Synoptics over non-canonical texts can partially be found in the former’s focus on these physical healing miracles. The essay argues that the idea that one can be healed of physical pain through faith is a varied theme in the Synoptics and a strong motivator to bring an interest in early Christianity, especially during a time of persecution. Further, this essay considers Gnostic Gospels and their relative lack of healing miracles to expand upon a theory put forth by Elaine Pagels, namely that the early church declared Gnostic texts to be heretical in part because they did not cater to the basic needs of the people as the Synoptics did.

<p>My dissertation explores how constructions of memory, space, and violence intersected in the history of early Christianity. It analyzes the crucial roles of memory and space/place in the formation, practice, and understanding of late ancient asceticism in Egypt's northwestern desert (Scetis, Kellia, Nitria, and Pherme). After a "barbarian" raid of Scetis in the early fifth century supposedly exiled Christian monks from the desert, Egypt came to be remembered as the birthplace of ascetic practice. Interpreting texts (in Coptic, Latin, Greek, Syriac, and Classical Arabic) and archaeological remains associated with the northwestern Egyptian desert, my dissertation investigates ascetic ideas about the relationship between memories and places: memory-acts as preserved in the liturgical and literary texts, memory in the liturgical contexts of church and cell, the ascetic use of Scriptural interpretation to thwart "worldly" recollection caused by demonic incitement to abandon the desert, and remembrance of a past moment through the perceived loss of Scetis. Wedding textual evidence, material culture, and theoretical insights, I highlight how the memorialization of a particular moment in the history of early Christian asceticism overshadowed other, contemporary late ancient asceticisms. My dissertation produces a new understanding of the negotiations between memory and space, often a process of contestation, and sheds new light not only on how violence was performed in late antiquity, but also on modern struggles over memorialized locales.</p> / Dissertation

<p>Ambrose, bishop of Milan, was one of the most outspoken advocates of Christian female virginity in the fourth century C.E. This dissertation examines his writings on virginity in the interest of illuminating the historical and social contexts of his teachings. Considering Ambrose's treatises on virginity as literary productions with social, political, and theological functions in Milanese society, I look at the various ways in which the bishop of Milan formulated ascetic discourse in response to the needs and expectations of his audience. Furthermore, I attend to the various discontinuities in Ambrose's ascetic writings in the hope of illuminating what kinds of ideological work these texts were intended to perform by the bishop within Milanese society and beyond.</p> <p> In the first part of this dissertation, I consider the mechanisms of language and rhetoric promoting virginity in context of the Nicene-Homoian debate, highlighting the fluidity and flexibility of ascetic language in the late fourth century. While in his earliest teachings Ambrose expounds virginity in ways that reflect and support a Nicene understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, his later ascetic writings display his use of anti-Homoian rhetoric in order to support his virginal ideals when they are challenged by Jovinian and others. In the second part, I examine some of the various ways in which the bishop formulated his teachings of virginity in response to the complaints and criticisms of lay members of the Christian community in Milan and elsewhere. I scrutinize the bishop's rhetorical expositions of Biblical figures such as Mary, Eve, the bride of the Song of Songs, and the Jews as a means of furthering his ascetic agenda, and consider his adaptation of a female voice to avoid incurring further criticism. Finally, I consider the role that the bishop's ascetic interests may have played in the so-called Altar of Victory controversy of 384. Largely at stake in Ambrose's dispute with the Roman senator Symmachus, I argue, were the rights and privileges of the Vestal Virgins, a well-established pagan ideology of virginity whose continued prominence and existence was largely unconscionable to the bishop. Ambrose's involvement in the controversy was partly attributable to his interest in ensuring the restriction of Vestal privileges as he perceived the cult to be in direct social and ideological competition with Christian virginity. Together, these three parts attempt to demonstrate the highly fluid and flexible nature of virginity discourse in the late fourth century and to draw attention to some of the socio-theological negotiations that took place as the cult of virginity gained increasing prominence in the Christian church.</p> / Dissertation

This thesis investigates space through its relationship with society based on the idea of the social production of space. By employing the social concepts of community and institution, and the spatial concepts of shelter space and marker space, it provides a theoretical perspective for the evaluation of space in architectural history. This theoretical frame is supplied with a case study on the evolution of Early Christian community and their meeting place. The historical course of the Early Christianity in the Roman Empire from community formation to become an institution &ndash / Christendom - constitutes the paradigm for the social premise of the thesis. On the other hand, the proposed outline for the spatial evolution is demonstrated on the house-church at Dura-Europos.

Univ., Diss.--Princeton. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 278-296) and indexes.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T15:01:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 708964 bytes, checksum: d6c5cf36c9d73665dd065decd6ba621a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-11 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The research constitutes a quest to rescue the understanding of epistemology angelology present in early Christianity. Since the Bible makes mention of the book of Enoch, we sought to harmonize the accounts so that some biblical texts could be seen more clearly. In the book of Jude, for example, there is a prophecy attributed to Enoch, however, this prophecy is not found in the Bible, which begs the question: Where Judas taken this prophecy? The prophecy is present in the Book of Enoch, more precisely in the Book of Watchers. Reading the Book of Watchers introduces the reader in an interesting world that discusses about the fall of angels, giants, flood, demons and visions. Such reports, present in Enoch, complete biblical narratives giving them a very interesting harmony. In an attempt to know the influence of Enoch in Judaism, allowed us to find quotes from the book present in Jewish writings, and quotes made by the leaders of early Christianity. In both cases there was extensive use of the Book of Watchers corroborating the finding that the book was a significant influence on the thought of Judaism and Christianity angelology primitive. Keywords: Enoch, early Christianity, Angelology. / A pesquisa se constituiu em uma busca por resgatar a compreensão da epistemologia angelológica presente no cristianismo primitivo. Uma vez que a Bíblia faz menção do livro de Enoque, buscou-se harmonizar os relatos de modo que alguns textos bíblicos pudessem ser percebidos com mais clareza. No livro de Judas, por exemplo, encontra-se uma profecia atribuída a Enoque, porém, tal profecia não está presente na Bíblia, o que, naturalmente, suscita a seguinte questão: De onde Judas extraiu esta profecia? A profecia encontra-se presente no Livro de Enoque mais precisamente no Livro dos Vigilantes. A leitura do Livro dos Vigilantes introduz o leitor em um mundo bem diferente que discorre sobre queda de anjos, gigantes, dilúvio, demônios e visões. Tais relatos, presente em Enoque, completam narrativas bíblicas concedendo-lhes harmonia. Na tentativa de conhecer a influência de Enoque no judaísmo, buscou-se verificar citações do livro presente em escritos judaicos, bem como citações feitas por líderes do cristianismo primitivo. Nos dois casos verificou-se ampla utilização do Livro dos Vigilantes corroborando para a constatação de que o escrito foi muito influente no pensamento angelológico do judaísmo e cristianismo primitivo.

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2018-03-19T18:20:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Albertino Lima2.pdf: 1005509 bytes, checksum: 2e41800ff4634dbf8a1d1d8c96c31fac (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-19T18:20:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Albertino Lima2.pdf: 1005509 bytes, checksum: 2e41800ff4634dbf8a1d1d8c96c31fac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-12 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The presente dissertation aims to foster a centralized study on the character Simon, stigmatizated as magician by Early Christian Literature. To do that we will highlight the character introduced at chapter 8 from the Apostle´s Acts and will take a look at him, above all from the Apocryphal Acts of Peter due to the fact that this texts offers a more comprehensive picture about Simon, his spells and his duels with Peter. For this, we will use as a method, the Carlo Ginsburg´s indoctrination paradigm. With the aim of proposing clarification on the subject, this research is divided in three parts: in the first moment, we will work on the historical aspects of magic, and their sociological and anthropological concepts. In the second moment, we will discuss the presence of magic in the Greco-Roman world and and it´s practices among the Early Christians. Lastly, in the third and final moment, we will present our research on Simon within Early Christian Literature and historiography. However, we will focus in analysis in the Acts Apocryphal of Peter. Our intent is to show a new image from Simon. Not of a simple magician, but the image of a threatening leader of Christian hierarchical structures who has public acclaimed and used it to present himself as a new proposal for the Christian Community. We intend with this research to contribute with, a new perspective on the character Simon who is as important for Christian historiography as the other apostles. / A presente dissertação tem como proposta fomentar um estudo centralizado no personagem Simão estigmatizado como mago pela literatura cristã primitiva. Para isto, destacaremos o personagem apresentado no capítulo 8 de Atos dos Apóstolos e lançaremos um olhar sobre ele a partir dos Atos Apócrifos de Pedro, devido ao fato que este texto oferece uma imagem mais abrangente acerca de Simão, suas magias e seus duelos com Pedro e, para isto, utilizaremos como método o paradigma indiciário de Carlos Ginzburg. Com o intuito de propor um esclarecimento maior sobre o tema, esta pesquisa é dividida em três momentos. No primeiro momento, trabalharemos os aspectos históricos sobre a magia e os seus conceitos entre sociólogos e antropólogos. No segundo momento, dissertaremos sobre a presença da magia no mundo greco-romano e suas práticas entre os primeiros cristãos. Por fim, no terceiro e último momento apresentaremos a nossa pesquisa sobre Simão dentro da historiografia e da literatura cristã primitiva. No entanto, faremos o nosso foco final sobre os Atos Apócrifos de Pedro. Nosso objetivo será mostrar uma outra imagem de Simão, não de um mago pejorativamente, mas de um líder ameaçador das estruturas hierárquicas cristãs que possui uma aclamação pública e usa dela para apresentar-se como uma nova proposta para a comunidade cristã. Pretendemos com essa pesquisa contribuir com uma nova perspectiva sobre o personagem Simão que é tão importante para a historiografia cristã quanto os demais apóstolos.

This study examines the centrality of the body in the apostle Paul's resurrection ideals. It is argued that Paul holds to a non-propositional understanding of resurrection that is grounded in recurrent patterns of human embodiment. Such an assertion stands in stark contrast to the pervading scholarly consensus, which is exceedingly cognicentric in its outlook and premised on an untenable opposition of body and mind. In contrast to this consensus, which disembodies resurrection, the present study demonstrates the extent to which Paul's resurrection ideals are somatically grounded. Working within a theoretical matrix that integrates the study of cognition and culture, this study utilises methodologies drawn from cognitive linguistics. Three theoretical concepts are particularly elaborated in relation to Paul: (1) Mark Johnson's understanding of image schemata, (2) George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's understanding of conceptual metaphor, and (3) Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner's understanding of conceptual blending. These three theoretical concepts are utilised in concert with one another and thus constitute this study's methodological apparatus. After demonstrating the inherent cognicentrism of standard scholarly approaches (ch. 1), this study examines four aspects in which resurrection can be seen as an embodied concept. Chapter 2 establishes a conceptual framework in which resurrection texts can be both identified and interpreted. It is argued that the concept of RESURRECTION is necessarily abstract and metaphorical in nature, though fundamentally grounded in recurrent patterns of human embodiment. In ch. 3 attention is directed to Paul's transformation metaphors and notions of both dualism and monism in the apostle's thought. It is argued that Paul works within a dualistic framework characterised not by opposition (e.g., body vs. soul) but rather by tensive integration (e.g., the embodied soul). Building on this assertion, in ch. 4 we examine the extent to which Paul understands resurrection as a present (and not merely future) experience. Critically assessing the apostle's eschatological outlook, this chapter argues that the somatic interior functions as the location of present resurrection. In ch. 5 this experience of present resurrection is further elaborated in light of Paul's broader participationist ideals. It is demonstrated that Paul's eschatology fosters a specific kind of resurrection experience in the present, one that is mapped onto the human body itself and elaborated via an in-out transformative interplay. Finally, ch. 6 offers a synthesis of the argument, scholarly contribution, and suggested avenues for further research.