Sacred Violence: African Christians and Sectarian Hatred in the Age of AugustineOne route to understanding the nature of specifically religious violence is the study of past conflicts. Distinguished ancient historian Brent D. Shaw provides a new analysis of the intense sectarian battles between the Catholic and Donatist churches of North Africa in late antiquity, in which Augustine played a central role as Bishop of Hippo. The development and deployment of images of hatred, including that of the heretic, the pagan, and the Jew, and the modes by which these were most effectively employed, including the oral world of the sermon, were critical to promoting acts of violence. Shaw explores how the emerging ecclesiastical structures of the Christian church, on one side, and those of the Roman imperial state, on the other, interacted to repress or excite violent action. Finally, the meaning and construction of the acts themselves, including the Western idea of suicide, are shown to emerge from the conflict itself. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Chapter 1 This terrible custom | 10 |
Chapter 2 Church of the traitors | 66 |
Chapter 3 A poisonous brood of vipers | 107 |
Chapter 4 Archives of memory | 146 |
Chapter 5 The city of denial | 195 |
Chapter 6 Ravens feeding on death | 260 |
Chapter 7 Little foxes evil women | 307 |
Chapter 15 Men of blood | 675 |
Chapter 16 Divine winds | 721 |
Chapter 17 So what? | 771 |
the numbers | 807 |
chronology | 812 |
Appendix C The Catholic conference of 348 | 820 |
Appendix D The Edict of Unity and the Persecution of 347 | 822 |
Appendix B The mission of Paul and Macarius | 825 |
Chapter 8 Guardians of the people | 348 |
Chapter 9 In the house of discipline | 409 |
Chapter 10 Sing a new song | 441 |
Chapter 11 Kings of this world | 490 |
Chapter 12 We choose to stand | 544 |
Chapter 13 Athletes of death | 587 |
Chapter 14 Bad boys | 630 |
Other editions - View all
Sacred Violence: African Christians and Sectarian Hatred in the Age of Augustine Brent D. Shaw No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
actions acts Africa agonistici apud attacks Augustine Augustine of Hippo Augustine’s basilica behavior betrayal Byzacena Caesarea Calama Carth Carthage Catholic Catholic bishops Catholic Church CCL 31B century chanting Christ circumcellions Cirta claim clergy condemned congregation Contra council CSEL 52 death decree diocese dissident bishop dissident Christians dissident church dixit Dolbeau Donatists Donatus Dossier ecclesiae emperor enemies enforcement enim eorum episcopus etiam example Firmus force gangs governor heretics Hippo Hippo Regius holy involved Jews kill Lancel large numbers later litt Manichees Marcellinus Marculus martyrdom martyrs Maximian MiAg Milevis normal Nova Petra Numidia official Optatus pagan parishioners Parm Parmenian Passio persecution persons Petil Petilian Possidius preacher priest Primian problem proconsul province provoked quae quam quia quod religious rhetoric Roman sectarian violence secular self-killing Serm sermons side song specific suicide sunt Tipasa town traitors words