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The Apocriticus purports to be the record of a four-day public debate between a pagan philosopher, whom the text calls simply the “Hellene,” and the author, Macarius, a Christian rhetor. The text is a rich, though often neglected, source for the history of intellectual and cultural conflict between Christian and Hellene intellectuals in the fourth century CE.
While the Apocriticus has frequently attracted the attention of scholars as a possible source of fragments from Porphyry’s Against the Christians, the text as a whole is significant in its own right. Macarius defends the allegorical reading of scripture and presents interesting discussions concerning ascetic practice and the cult of the martyrs.
The philosophical and theological eclecticism of the text should also be of interests to scholars of early Christianity and later ancient philosophy. The fictitious dialogue weaves together philosophical and theological arguments, often in a “popularized” form. The text thus represents an interesting contrast to more formal “high” philosophical and theological texts of the period.
As well as a new English translation of an important text, this volume includes notes and introductory essays setting the work in its historical and intellectual contexts.
The Apocriticus purports to be the record of a four-day public debate between a pagan philosopher, whom the text calls simply the “Hellene,” and the author, Macarius, a Christian rhetor. The text is a rich, though often neglected, source for the history of intellectual and cultural conflict between Christian and Hellene intellectuals in the fourth century CE.
While the Apocriticus has frequently attracted the attention of scholars as a possible source of fragments from Porphyry’s Against the Christians, the text as a whole is significant in its own right. Macarius defends the allegorical reading of scripture and presents interesting discussions concerning ascetic practice and the cult of the martyrs.
The philosophical and theological eclecticism of the text should also be of interests to scholars of early Christianity and later ancient philosophy. The fictitious dialogue weaves together philosophical and theological arguments, often in a “popularized” form. The text thus represents an interesting contrast to more formal “high” philosophical and theological texts of the period.
As well as a new English translation of an important text, this volume includes notes and introductory essays setting the work in its historical and intellectual contexts.
Preface
Introductory Essays
I. Macarius and the Christian Tradition (Mark J. Edwards)
II. The Hellene (Jeremy M. Schott)
A.Macarius’ Use of a Source or Sources
B.Identifying the Hellene?
i.Celsus
ii.Sossianus Hierocles
iii.Julian
iv.Porphyry
C.Conclusions
III. Macarius and the Apocriticus (Jeremy M. Schott)
A. The Text
B. Author, Provenance, and Date
C. A Literary Assessment
Abbreviations and Sigla
Macarius, Apocriticus, or Monogenes
1. Book 1
2. Book 2
3. Book 3
4. Book 4
5. Fragments
Bibliography
Index
Jeremy M. Schott is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. His previous publications include Eusebius of Caesarea: Tradition and Innovation (with Aaron Johnson, 2013) and Christianity, Empire and the Making of Religion in Late Antiquity (2008) Professor Mark J. Edwards is Tutor in Theology at Christ Church College, Oxford. His previous publications include Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church (2009), Image, Word and God in the Early Christian Centuries (2012) and Christians, Gnostics and Philosophers in Late Antiquity (2012)
'This affordable book is undoubtedly enlightening and enjoyable,
and will lead to widespread use of this vast ancient text.'
(Translated from German)Ulrich Volp, Zeitschrift für Antikes
Christentum
'Such use of this affordable book is undoubtedly illuminating and
enjoyable and will lead to the widespread distribution of this
extensive ancient text, especially since the English-speaking
readership far outnumber those of the readers who are fluent in
Greek, French and / or German.'
Ulrich Volp, Zeitschift für antikes Christentum (Translated from
German)
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