00555 - Ancient Christian Literature

Course contents

Dying for God ... or fleeing? The literary support to the martyrs in the first three Christian centuries

When Christians, brought before the magistrate, are forced to choose between confessing their faith in Jesus or sacrificing to the emperor and the gods of Olympus, they find themselves at a crossroads that leaves no alternatives: to die for God or to give in to political pressure. In this choice, however, the Christian is not alone: in the first centuries a veritable literature supporting this choice arises and develops: some of the most significant personalities of early Christian literature engaged in advising, comforting and exhorting co-religionists about to face the ‘baptism of blood’. If the Acts and the Passions are aimed at describing, in a dramatic or more simply narrative manner, the culminating moment of the martyr's action, with all the implications that this entails for the creation of the social identity of Christianity in its own context, the texts that will be analysed in this course have as their primary purpose that of supporting and directing the choice of those who, facing persecution, are in prison awaiting trial or, already tried and condemned, execution. The various writings ad martyras, employing different literary genres, adopt numerous strategies to support martyrdom, through the presentation of biblical models or by recovering schemes from philosophical protreptic literature, and thus at the same time elaborate a ‘theology of martyrdom’.

Not all Christians, however, have the strength to face martyrdom: at the end of the course we will therefore analyse, in the light of Bishop Cyprian’s answer, the question of the lapsi, those who, after having sacrificed and thus denied the Christian faith, repented and asked to be admitted again into ecclesial communion.

- The first module (Module 1; 30 hours) will be devoted to reading and commenting on Tertullian’s Ad Martyras and De fuga in persecutione and a part of Origen's Exhortatio ad martyrium (cap. 1-27)

- The second module (Module 2; 30 hours) will be devoted to the last part of Origen's Exhortatio ad martyrium (cap. 28-51) and to Cyprian's Ep. 58, Ad Fortunatum, and De lapsis

Both modules will begin with a quick presentation of the problem of persecutions against Christian and of the authors covered in the module.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

a) Literary Outline of Ancient Christian Literature

– M. Simonetti – E. Prinzivalli, Storia della Letteratura Cristiana Antica, Bologna 2010 (only chapters II; IV-VII; VIII/3; XII; XIII/7-10; XVI/; XVIII/3-5; XIX); alternatively:

– F. Young – L. Ayres – A. Louth, The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, Cambridge 2004 (only chapters 3; 5-6; 11-12; 23; 26-30)

b) Texts

Module 1:

– Tertulliano, Ad martyras: text and translation in Tertulliano, Opere apologetiche (Scrittori cristiani dell'Africa romana 1), a c. di C. Moreschini - P. Podolak, Città Nuova, Roma 2006 (142-155, a c. di P. Podolak) or an English translation

– De fuga in persecutione: text and translation in Tertulliano, Opere montaniste (Scrittori cristiani dell'Africa romana 4/1), a c. di A. Azzali Bernardelli - F. Ruggiero - E. Sanzi - C. Schipani, Città Nuova, Roma 2011 (272-325, a c. di G. Azzali Bernardelli) or an English translation

– Origene, Exhortatio ad martyrium: text and translation in Origene, Esortazione al martirio (Opere di Origene 20), a c. di C. Mazzucco, Città Nuova, Roma 2022 or an English translation

Module 2:

– Origene, Exhortatio ad martyrium: text and translation in Origene, Esortazione al martirio (Opere di Origene 20), a c. di C. Mazzucco, Città Nuova, Roma 2022 or an English translation

– Cipriano, Ep. 58: text and translation in Cipriano vescovo di Cartagine, Lettere 51-81 (Scrittori Cristiani dell'Africa Romana) 5/2, trad. di M. Vincelli, note di G. Taponecco, Città Nuova, Roma 2007 (72-87) or an English translation

– Cipriano, Ad Fortunatum: text and translation in Cipriano vescovo di Cartagine, Opuscoli (Scrittori cristiani dell’Africa Romana 6/2), a c. di A. Cerretini - S. Matteoli - C. Moreschini - C. Dell'Osso - M. Veronese (310-351, a c. di C. Moreschini) or an English translation

– Cipriano, De lapsis: text and translation in Cipriano vescovo di Cartagine, Opuscoli (Scrittori cristiani dell’Africa Romana 6/1), a c. di A. Cerretini - S. Matteoli - C. Moreschini - C. Dell'Osso - P. Podolak - G. Taponecco - M. Veronese (290-331, trad. di A. Cerretini, note di C. Dell'Osso) or an English translation

c) Essays

G. W. Bowersock, Martyrdom and Rome, CUP, Cambridge 1995 (available on AlmaRE)

D. Boyarin, Morire per Dio. Il martirio e la formazione di Cristianesimo e Giudaismo, tr. it. di P. Ursino, il melangolo, Genova 2008

P. Grattarola, “Il problema dei lapsi fra Roma e Cartagine”, Rivista di Storia della Chiesa in Italia 38/1 (1984) 1-26

W. Kinzig, La persecuzione dei primi cristiani, Il Mulino, Bologna 2017

C. Moss, Ancient Christian martyrdom : diverse practices, theologies, and traditions, Yale University Press, New Haven - London 2012 (available on AlmaRE)

M. Rizzi, “Martirio cristiano e protagonismo civico. Rileggendo Martyrdom & Rome di G.W. Bowersock”, in A. Barzanò, C. Bearzot, F. Landucci, L. Prandi, G. Zecchini (eds.), Modelli eroici dall'antichità alla cultura europea, Bretschneider, Roma 2003, 317-340

M. Rizzi, “Origen on Martyrdom: Theology and Social Practices”, in G. Heidl, R. Somos (eds.), Origeniana nona. Origen and the Religious Practice of His Time, Peeters, Leuven 2009, 469-476

E. Zocca, “Martiri” e “martirio” nella chiesa precostantiania, in: Martirio di pace. Memoria e storia del martirio nel XVII centenario di Vitale e Agricola, a cura di G. Malaguti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004, 259-278

Teaching methods

Lectures; use of bibliographic and electronic databases

Assessment methods

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

In the current academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in March, April, May, July and September.

Oral exam. Students will have to prove

• to be able to discuss the main problems arising from a critical reading of the works of early Christian literature, with the help of the critical introduction quoted supra in Bibliography, point a);
• (classics students only) to be able to read the Greek or Latin text, translate and comment the texts analysed during the lessons;
  
• to have read and be able to interpret early Christian literary production, supplementing and integrating class notes with one of the essays (pro each Module) quoted supra in Bibliography, point b);

Additionally, students who cannot attend the lessons will substitute class notes with two (6 CFU) or four (12 CFU) chapters of their choice from the books listed supra in Bibliography, point c).

More to the point, skills will be assessed according to the following guidelines:
- failing grade (< 18): lack of knowledge of ancient Christian literature; inability to provide a correct interpretation of texts; lacking notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.
- passing grade (between 18 and 24): elementary knowledge of ancient Christian literature; interpretation of texts is partially correct, but lacks accuracy and autonomy; schematic knowledge of the notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.
- positive grade (between 24 and 30): good knowledge of ancient Christian literature; interpretation of texts is correct, but mostly superficial and not entirely autonomous; good knowledge of the notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.
- excellent grade (30L): in-depth knowledge of ancient Christian literature; ability to interpret, contextualize and critically compare texts in detail and in full autonomy; full acquaintance with the notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.

Teaching tools

Computer and projector; bibliographic and electronic databases; fotocopies; texts and segments of texts in PDF format uploaded by the teacher as teaching materials (downloadable from https://virtuale.unibo.it).

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Villani