group 4, donatism

8/9/2019 Group 4, Donatism

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/group-4-donatism 1/14

DONATISMGROUP 4 MLS3-E



∗ It was an early heresy and a schis atic !"e ent in the

N!rth A#rican ch$rch d$rin% the 4 th and & th cent$ries∗ Generally seen as the heirs !# 'y(rianic ecclesi!l!%y) the

re(resentati"es !# what c!$nted as !rth!d!*y in N!rthA#rica

∗ De"el!(ed as a res$lt !# (ersec$ti!n !# the 'hristians +ythe r! an e (er!r D!cletian in 3,3

∗ The !"e ent is na ed a#ter the Aeli$s D!nat$s) theGreat

∗ D!nat$s) Ma !rin$s. s$ccess!r) (re!cc$(ied A$%$stined$rin% $ch !# his e(isc!(ate

∗ D!natists li/e t! re(resent the sel"es as the ch$rch !# theartyrs) as the ser"ants !# G!d hated +y the w!ld0

DONATISM



D!natists where1Denied the "alidity !# +a(tis c!n#erred!$tside what they c!nsidered t! +e the tr$ech$rch'!nse2$ent insistence !# re+a(tis #!r th!se

wh! were t! enter their c! $nity #r!!$tsideRe ecti!n !# e(isc!(al c!nsecrati!n +ytraditores

DONATISM 'ONT.D



∗ Early in 3,&) !r s!!n a#ter) the (ersec$ti!n

initiated +y Di!cletian.s decree tw! years +e#!rewas called !#0 The ti e !# (ersec$ti!n +r!$%httensi!ns within 'hristian c! $nities0

∗ The schis ar!se when certain %r!$(s in thech$rch (r!tested a%ainst the electi!n !# the +ish!(!# cartha%e +y +ish!( eli* A(t$n%a

∗ This was +eca$se he +ish!( eli*5 was a tradit!r∗ A tradit!r is s! e!ne wh! %i"es $( the scri(t$res

and sacra ents in the #ace !# (ersec$ti!n0

6ISTOR7



∗ The s$rrender !# c!(ies !# the Scri(t$res t! the a$th!rities

traditio ) 8handin% !"er95 +y the cler%y was %enerallyre%arded as a(!stasy) +$t a wide ran%e !# attit$des e*istedt!ward 8c!lla+!rat!rs)9 !r th!se wh! had #ailed t! a/e as$:ciently deter ined stand in the resistance0

∗ In 'artha%e the c!n;ict +etween !((!sed %r!$(s was held inchec/ $nder the e(isc!(ate !# Mens$ri$s) wh! t!!/ a (r$dent

and c!nciliat!ry attit$de t!ward the sec$lar a$th!rities andatte (ted t! a"!id $nnecessary c!n#r!ntati!n0

∗ Mens$ri$s had t! de#end hi sel# a%ainst char%es !# traditio 0∗ 'aecilian) !ne !# his deac!ns) was elected t! <ll his "acancy

when Mens$ri$s died0

6ISTOR7 'ONT.D



∗ 'aecilian was then acc$sed +y his ene ies=Acc$sati!ns1

6e was c!nsecrated +y +ish!(s wh! were%$ilty !# traditioO# $ncan!nical (r!ced$re in +y(assin% the(ri ate !# N$ idia) wh!) in the a+sence !# the+ish!( !# 'artha%e) was the seni!r +ish!( inN!rth A#ricaUncan!nically ta/in% (!ssessi!n !# the

ch$rch.s (r!(erty

6ISTOR7 'ONT.D



∗ Sec$nd$s !# Ti%isi > re(resentati"e !# the l!cal

!((!siti!n at 'artha%e and s$ !ned 'aecilian t!a((ear t! the c!$ncil0

∗ 'aecilian re#$sed t! a((ear +e#!re a c!$ncil s$ !ned+y Sec$nd$s0 Then the c!$ncil c!nde ed hi as!rdained +y traditores 0 It then (r!ceeded t! elect an

adherent !# the dissentin% #acti!n) Ma !rin$s) as +ish!(0∗ Ma !rin$s was then s$cceeded +y D!nat$s0 6is na e

was ad!(ted +y his %r!$(.s !((!nents and +y thei (erial ad inistrati!n t! la+el the (arty !# Ma !rin$sth$s callin% the !"e ent 8D!natists9 n!w /n!wn asD!natis 0

6ISTOR7 'ONT.D



∗ In 4,&) the ?estern c!$rt iss$ed an 8Edict !# Unity)9

and schis atics +eca e lia+le t! the se"ere (enaltiesdecreed #!r heretics0 In 4@@ a h$%e c!n#erence called+y the i (erial a$th!rities #ailed t! +rin% a+!$t anys!l$ti!n0

∗ R! ani ati!n > atte (ts t! inter(ret D!natis as a

8nati!nal9 !r e%i!nal !"e ent) with Ber+er !r P$nic#eat$res) a%ainst the !re R! ani ed 'ath!lic 'h$rch∗ Later) A$%$stine descri+ed D!natis (ri arily as th

schis res$ltin% #r! the d!$+le electi!n at 'artha%e0∗ Tyc!ni$s was a d!natist thel!%ian

6ISTOR7 'ONT.D



∗ The 70 synods > !((!sed the c!nsecrati!n!# 'aecillian) +ish!( !# cartha%e) +y +ish!(

eli* A(t$n%a in 3@@) +eca$se eli* was atradit!r0

∗ Donatus, the great- ta$%ht a+!$t

d!natis

PROPONENTS O DONATISM



∗ The eCecti"eness !# the sacra entsde(ends !n the !ral character !# the

inister∗ They held that the ch$rch $st +e a ch$rch

!# 8saints9 n!t 8sinners90∗ They "al$ed artyd! and #!$nd la(ses !r

t$rn !"er !# #aith ine*c$sa+le0∗ Ba(tis ) c!nsecrati!n and inisterin%

d$rin% sacra ents +y a trait!r is c!nsidered

in"alid

TEA'6INGS O DONATISM



∗ The sacra ents sh!$ld +e d!ne +y a (riest!# !ral character and that !nly the ($resh!$ld +e all!wed in the ch$rch0

TEA'6INGS 'ONT.D



∗ A#ter his c!nsecrati!n he t!!/ (art directly !rindirectly in all the i (!rtant disc$ssi!ns !#the atter) s! e !# which ha"e +eenalready enti!ned) and de#ended the ca$se!# the 'h$rch in letters and ser !ns as well

as in his !re #!r al (!le ical writin%s0∗ 6e was c!nsidered as the d!natist.s chie#

anta%!nist0

'ONTRIBUTIONS O ST0AUGUSTINE



∗ 6is (!le ic writin%s which was directedt!wards t! d!natists incl$ded : Contraepistulam Parmeniani the D!natist +ish!( !#'artha%e5 and De baptismo contraDonatistas 0 These were called the tw!

c!%nates∗ Contra epistulam Petiliani ) and als! the

Epistula ad catholicos de unitate ecclesioe 0St0 A$%$stines re(ly t! the d!natist +ish!(

'ONTRIBUTIONS O STAUGUSTINE 'ONT.D



IS DONATISM A 6ERES7 OR AS'6ISM

AS A 6ERES7

∗ Their +elie#s werec!ntradict!ry t! thetraditi!nal 'hristian+elie#s

AS A S'6ISM

∗ They ca$sed s! anydis($tes and di"isi!n inthe ch$rch thr!$%h theirdisa%ree ent and +elie#s

group 4, donatism

Documents