Showing papers in "Vigiliae Christianae in 1963"

Thèmes Lévitiques Dans La Prima Clementis

Abstract: C'est une vieille question que celle du caractere juif ou hellenise de la premiere epitre de Clement, mais quelle que soit l'opinion tenue sur l'origine de l'auteur de l'epitre ou quelle que soit la place qu'on y accorde a certains themes communs de la philosophie populaire, nul ne songe a nier la dependance de Clement a l'egard du judaisme Est-il possible de preciser davantage et de rechercher si Clement n'a pas ete plus particulierement sensible a certains courants interieurs au judaisme? Nous croyons qu'en plusieurs passages on peut discerner dans la Prima Clementis des themes de resonance levitique ou sacerdotale De prime abord les chapitres les plus caracteristiques sont ceux de 1 Clem 40-41 ou l'ordre cultuel de l'ancienne loi est propose en exemple a la communaute chretienne Ce passage est precede d'une longue citation de Job qui proclamait l'inanite des mortels devant Dieu et la folie des insenses qui n'ont pas de sagesse 40,1 ((Puisque nous nous sommes pench6s sur les profondeurs de la connaissance divine, nous devons faire avec ordre tout ce que le Maitre a ordonne d'accomplir selon des temps fixes 2 II a ordonne que les offrandes et les fonctions liturgiques s'accomplissent non pas au hasard ou sans ordre, mais a des temps et des moments determines 3 Ou et par qui il veut qu'on les accomplisse, lui-meme l'a determine par sa decision souveraine, afin que toutes choses se passent dans la saintete, selon son bon plaisir, et soient agreables a sa volont6 4 Done ceux qui presentent leurs offrandes aux temps marques sont agrees et heureux, car en suivant les pr6ceptes du Maitre ils ne se trompent pas 5 Car au grand-pretre ont ete devolues des fonctions qui lui sont particulieres, aux pretres a ete marquee leur place particuliere, aux levites sont imposes des services particuliers Celui qui est laique est lie par les preceptes propres aux laiques 41,1 Que chacun de nous, freres, a son rang particulier, plaise a Dieu, en agissant selon une

A Note On the Dance of Jesus in the "Acts of John"

Abstract: The most interesting episodes in the apocryphal Acts of John is that of Jesus' dancing with his disciples Particularly interesting there is the great hymn Jesus sings with the constant "amen" of the disciples Its phraseology is so peculiar and has such a "Gnostic" ring that it has often attracted the attention of scholars, without yielding a generally accepted explanation But the setting of this hymn is not less curious, for it is sung during a dance, and this feature is rather unique in the history of early liturgical traditions Is it a sign of the "heretical" character of these Acts and what was its origin? Jesus is reported to have said: "Before I am delivered up unto them let us sing a hymn to the Father, and so go forth to that which lieth before us?Keywords: Acts of John; dance of Jesus

Le problème de la "conversion" : étude sur un terme commun a l'hellénisme et au christianisme des trois premiers siècles

Abstract: L’ouvrage de Paul Aubin constitue une etude de reference sur plusieurs problematiques majeures. Il concerne d’abord un probleme linguistique d’un interet toujours actuel : le passage dans les categories indo-europeennes du message juif et chretien concernant la conversion, formule primitivement dans des categories semitiques. La morale et la religion ont en effet vivement preoccupe les premieres generations de notre ere et l’ensemble des courants de pensee, des auteurs chretiens aux philosophes neo-platoniciens, ont largement reflete ce questionnement. La notion de « conversion » est ainsi abondamment utilisee au sein de differentes doctrines, a travers une communaute de vocabulaire qui sous-tend cependant des ressemblances mais aussi des differences. Quelle est alors l’originalite de la « conversion » chretienne parmi tant d’autres ? A travers l’analyse exhaustive de la terminologie utilisee par les maitres de la vie spirituelle au cours des trois premiers siecles, cette etude se propose de repondre a cette question linguistique mais egalement a une autre interrogation fondamentale : celle des differences entre les conceptions chretienne et philosophique de la « conversion ». Pour tous, cette notion est l’une des bases essentielles de la vie spirituelle mais les uns et les autres ne la puisent pas du tout aux memes sources : pour les premiers, elle n’acquiert son plein sens que dans le mystere du Christ ; pour les seconds elle constitue le devoir de realiser ce que l’on porte en soi. Deux attitudes opposees devant l’existence qui font, elles aussi, echo a des problematiques contemporaines. Le theme de la « conversion » rejoint en effet la recherche catechetique et theologique d’aujourd’hui dans ce qu’elle a de plus profond. Il exprime en effet la decouverte de Dieu au niveau non pas simplement d’une demonstration abstraite, mais d’un retournement de tout l’etre. Car c’est bien un bouleversement total que l’authentique conversion a Dieu. Elle est d’ailleurs une attitude permanente puisqu’on ne cesse jamais de se convertir : tout l’itineraire de l’âme est conversion. C’est donc finalement une des composantes essentielles de l’existence religieuse que cet ouvrage nous permet de decouvrir, du questionnement autour des rencontres linguistiques de l’Antiquite a l’authentique spiritualite chretienne.

The Apocryphal Correspondence Between Paul and the Corinthians

Abstract: Apart from the well known epistles to the Laodiceans and the Alexandrians which go under Paul's name, but which were written by the Marcionites according to Canon Muratori, we possess an equally apocryphal correspondence between Paul and the Corinthians. This correspondence consists of three parts: I. a letter written by the Corinthians to Paul with a number of questions, II. a story about those taking the message and its receipt by Paul who is in prison at that time, and III, a letter written by Paul with the answers on the questions raised by those in Corinth. Up to a few years ago this correspondence was only known in Latin, Armenian and Coptic. Since, however, a text of this correspondence has been published in its original Greek form in 1959, we may re-open the discussion with regard to the many questions raised by it.

The Date of the Dream of Jerome

Abstract: It is hardly possible to indicate a second passage in the Letters of Jerome which has drawn so much attention as the one in Epistula XXTT in which he relates his famous dream. The question, in how far he has kept his oath that he would not read the pagan authors any more, will not occupy us here. About this Courcelle and Hagendahl have said all that is necessary.1 Nor do I intend to enter into the question if the author tells us something he has really experienced, or if the account of the dream is only a rhetorical form modelled on literary examples.2 This question is of no importance for the dating of the dream. For it is with this subject the present article is concerned. What has been written about the date of the dream up till now seems to me scarcely satisfactory. On this point more than one pronouncement has been made that was insufficiently substantiated. There are two opposite views. Some writers refer the dream to the period in which Jerome lived as a hermit in the desert of Chalcis; others think of the preceding period, when Jerome was continually troubled by illness in Antioch. This latter view is taken by G. Griitzmacher, who merely says: "dieses Erlebnis, das ihn zum Eremitenleben fiihrte".3 This opinion is also held by F. Cavallera, who touches briefly on the question in a footnote: "Ce songe est souvent rapporte & l'epoque de la vie au desert, mais il n'y a aucun detail qui ne cadre avec ce que nous savons sur le sejour a Antioche auquel nous renvoie naturellement la mention de la maladie".4 On the other hand C. Becker speaks of

The Background of St. Ignatius of Antioch

Abstract: Ignatius of Antioch is one of the key figures of the Church of the early second century. Unlike the other Apostolic Fathers he lays bare his innermost thoughts and feelings. In the seven genuine Ignatian Epistles, written or dictated while on his last journey to Rome, there is revealed a person passionately devoted to his faith-one who strongly desires martyrdom-yet one who is concerned with the practical details of Church life and order and especially with the problem of heresy and schism. Ignatius cannot wholly be explained in terms of modern psychology although his language sometimes betrays an exuberance and wildness which could be interpreted as neurotic. However we must never forget that Ignatius was a condemned prisoner who was being transported across Asia Minor in the custody of Roman soldiers whom he calls "ten leopards" 1-"who become worse for kind treatment" (ad Rom. v. 1). Letters quickly dictated 2 in such circumstances are likely to deal with a few main topice and to lack a developed presentation of ideas. The fact that the Ignatian letters strongly resemble one another in subject matter should cause no surprise. Ignatius was not writing in the leisurely manner of the academic scholar. This fact accounts for the re-iteration of his views on episcopacy and his horror of separation from the Church. The saint already lives in the supernatural world in his desire to be with Christ and everywhere he sees indications of this world impinging on the everyday world of space and time. The Bishops, presbyters and deacons on earth not only resemble-they are God and Jesus Christ. Such mysticism, which seems so lofty and exalted in comparison with the struggling conditions of the Church in the early second century, cannot but move us to admiration.