The Angels are among us. A Study of the Writings of Paulinus of Nola

Marcin Wysocki

The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland , Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5448-5566


Abstract

Paulinus of Nola (c. 355-431) is undoubtedly one of the most interesting yet least known figures of early Christianity. Born into a wealthy senatorial family from Bordeaux, Paulinus gave up wealth, a career as a civil servant and the practice of secular poetry to follow St Felix on the path of Christian faith. One of its elements was the belief in the existence of angels. In the case of Paulinus of Nola, this belief took on a very concrete expression. The aim of this article is to show, on the basis of an analysis of the surviving letters and songs, the angelology of St Paulinus, which took on above all a pastoral aspect and showed very concrete manifestations of the action of angels for the benefit of the human beings.

Keywords:

Paulinus of Nola, angel, letter, poem, care

Paulinus Nolanus, Carmina, ed. A. Ruggiero: Paolino di Nola, I Carmi, Testo latino con traduzione italiana a cura di A. Ruggiero, vol. 1-2, Nola-Roma 1996, English trans. by P.G. Walsh: The Poems of St. Paulinus of Nola, Ancient Christian Writers 40, New York-Ramsey 1975.

Paulinus Nolanus, Epistulae, ed. G. Santaniello: Paolino di Nola, Le lettere, Testo latino con traduzione italiana a cura di G. Santaniello, vol. 1-2, Nola 1992, English trans. by P.G. Walsh: Letters of St. Paulinus of Nola, vol. I-II, Ancient Christian Writers 35-36, New York-Ramsey 1966-1967.

Angeli e demoni nella Bibbia, ed. P.G. Bortone, L’Aquila 1998.

Basson A., Felix, the ascetic hero in Paulinus of Nola’s Carmen 15, in: Studies on Classical Antiquity and Tradition in Honour of W. J. Henderson, eds. F. Basson – W.J. Dominik, Frankfurt-am-Main – New York 2002, p. 133-149.

Courcelle P.M., Correspondance entre saint Augustin et saint Paulin de Nole, „Bulletin de la Société Nationale des Antiquaires de France” 1950-1951 (1954) p. 204-205. (Crossref)

Daniélou J., The Angels and their Mission According to the Fathers of the Church, tr. D. Heimann, Allen 1957.

Desmulliez J., Les lacunes de la correspondance entre Saint Augustin et Paulin de Nole, „Revue des Études Anciennes” 53/3-4 (1951) p. 253-300. (Crossref)

Di Palma G., Paolino di fronte alla Bibbia, in: Mia sola arte è la fede: Paolino di Nola teologo sapienziale, eds. L. Longobardo – D. Sorrentino, Biblioteca Teologica Napoletana 21, Napoli 2000, p. 151-166.

Duval Y.–M., L’entrée en relations épistolaires d’Augustin d’Hippone et de Paulin de Nole, in: Epistulae antiquae: III, Actes du IIIe Colloque international „L’épistolaire antique et ses prolongements européens Université François-Rabelais”, Tours, 25-27 septembre 2002, eds. L. Nadjo – E. Gavoilles, Louvain – Paris – Dudley 2004, p. 397-419.

Foerster F. – Pascual R., El naufragio de Valgius. Estracto comentado de la epistola 49 de San Paulino de Nola. Con aportaciones de Olimpio Musso y Marcos Mayer, Barcelona 1985.

Gattiglia A., Paulin de Nole et Nicéta de Rémésiana: voyages et pélerinages de rang élevé, in: Atti del Congresso Internazionale di Archeologia Cristiana (ACIAC), Bonn 22-28 Settembre 1991, vol. 12, Città del Vaticano 1995, p. 805-814.

Grzywaczewski J., Związki Nicetasa z Paulinem z Noli, „e-Patrologos” 1/3 (2015) p. 14-27.

Heidt W.G., Angelology of the Old Testament. A Study in Biblical Theology, Washington 1949.

Ho-Lun Wong D., The Emergence and Implication of the Role of Angels in Augustine’s Understanding of Creation: The Extension and Mirroring of Christ, “Religions” 14 (2023), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030322 (access: 15.10.2023). (Crossref)

Jenik A., Martyrium oder Askese? Felix und Maximus im 4. „Natalicium” (= „carm.” 15) des Paulinus von Nola, „Philologus. Zeitschrift für antike Literatur und ihre Rezeption” 160/1 (2016) p. 84-132. (Crossref)

Kirsch W., Paulinus von Nola und Nicetas von Remesiana: Zur Literaturauffassung zweier Coriste des 4 Jahrhunderts, in: Late Antiquity to Early Byzantium: Proceedings of the Byzantinogical Simposium in the 16th International Eirene Conference, ed. V. Vavřínek, Prague 1985, p. 189-193.

Klein E., Augustine’s Theology of Angels, Cambridge 2018. (Crossref)

Langton E., The Ministries of the Angelic Powers According to the Old Testament and Later Jewish Literature, London 1936.

Leanza S., Aspetti esegetici dell’opera di Paolino di Nola, in: Atti del Convegno. XXXI Cinquantenario della morte di S. Paolino di Nola, Roma 1983, p. 67-91.

Lechner O., Zu Augustins Metaphysik der Engel, in: Studia patristica. Papers presented to the Fourth International Conference on Patristic Studies held at Christ Church, Oxford, 1963, vol. IX: Classica. Philosophica et ethica. Theologica Augustiniana. Post-patristica, ed. F.L. Cross, Berlin 1966, p. 422-450.

Lefebvre-Bocage D., Les rapports entre saint Félix et Paulin de Nole, in: Paulin de Nole et l’amitié chrétienne, Paulin de Nole et l’amitié chrétienne. Actes de la quatrième Petite Journée de Patristique, ed. P.-G. Delage, Royan 2012, p. 69-87.

Lohse B., Zu Augustins Engellehre, ZKG 70 (1959) p. 278-291.

Longosz S., Opiekuńcza funkcja aniołów w nauce Ojców Kościoła (zarys problemu), in: Księga o aniołach, ed. H. Oleschko, Kraków 2002, p. 151-205.

McCann C.,‘You know better than I do’. The dynamics of transformative knowledge in the relationship of Augustine of Hippo and Paulinus of Nola, in: Studia Patristica. Papers Presented at the Fourteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies Held in Oxford 2003, vol. 43: Augustine, Other Latin Writers, eds. F. Young - M. Edwards - P. Parvis, Leuven – Paris – Dudley 2006, p. 191-194 = ‘Tú conoces mejor que yo’: el dinamismo del conocimiento transformador, en la relación de Agustín con Paulino de Nola, „Augustinus. Revista trimestral” 52 (2007) p. 133-137. (Crossref)

Mussfeldt S., Bleibende Fragen. Zu Adressat und Datierung von Epistel 49 des Paulinus von Nola, „Hermes: Zeitschrift für klassische Philologie” 135 (2007) p. 206-215. (Crossref)

Nazzaro A.V., L’Annunzio dell’Angelo a Zaccaria (Lc 1, 5-25) nelle parafrasi di Giovenco (1, 1-51) e Paolino di Nola (carm. 6, 27-107), in: „Munera amicitiae”. Studi di storia e cultura sulla Tarda Antichità offerti a Salvatore Pricoco, eds. R. Barcellona – T. Sardella, Soveria Mannelli 2003, p. 283-306.

Nazzaro A.V., La „Laus Sancti Johannis” di Paolino di Nola: tra parafrasi ed esegesi, „Impegno e Dialogo” 13 (2001) p. 343-357.

Nazzaro A.V., La nascita di Giovanni Battista (Lc 1,57-80) nelle riscritture metriche di Giovenco (1,105-132) e Paolino di Nola (C. 6,179-228), „Impegno e Dialogo” 15 (2006) p. 133-146.

Oleschko H., Angelologia augustyńska, „Topos” 5-6 (1999) p. 39-52.

Oleschko H., Angelologia św. Augustyna: zagadnienia metafizyczne, in: Księga o aniołach, ed. H. Oleschko, Kraków 2002, p. 206-220.

Pałucki J., Pismo Święte w pasterskiej posłudze Paulina z Noli, „Roczniki Teologiczne” 50/4 (2003) p. 139-147.

Pelz K., Die Engellehre des heiligen Augustinus, Münster 1912.

Pépin J., Influences paiennes sur l’angélologie et la démonologie de saint Augustin, in: Entretiens sur l’homme et le diable, ed. M. Milner, Paris - La Haye 1965, p. 51-74.

Pépin J., La doctrine platonicienne des anges et des démons. Influences sur l’angélologie et démonologie de saint Augustin, in: idem, Ex Platonicorum Persona. Études sur les lectures philosophiques de saint Augustin, Amsterdam 1977, p. 27-38.

Rallo Freni R.A., Il testo dei Salmi nell’utilizzazione dell’opera di Paolino di Nola, in: Atti del Convegno. XXXI Cinquantenario della morte di S. Paolino di Nola, Roma 1983, p. 231-252.

Rougé J., Periculum maris et transport de État: la lettre 49 de Paulin de Nole, in: Hestiasis. Studi di tarda antichità offerti a Salvatore Calderone, eds. M. Mazza et al., Studi Tardoantichi 2, Messina 1986, p. 119-136.

Ruggiero A., La luce della santità di Felice via all’amore di Cristo negli scritti di Paolino di Nola, in: Atti del Circolo culturale B. G. Duns Scoto di Roccarainola. Trentennale del Duns Scoto 1999.Venticinquennale degli Atti, Roccarainola 1999, p. 61-70.

Simut C.C., Angels: Augustine and the Patristic Tradition - The Reality, Ontology, and Morality of Angels in the Church Fathers and Augustine, “Southern Baptist Journal of Theology” 25/2 (2021) p. 57-74.

Stanula-Boroń M., Zagadnienia etyczne w angelologii św. Augustyna, in: Księga o aniołach, ed. H. Oleschko, Kraków 2002, p. 221-231.

Swoboda A., Egzegeza alegoryczna Pisma świętego w listach Paulina z Noli, „Vox Patrum” 32-33 (1997) p. 261-268. (Crossref)

Wiebe G.D., Fallen Angels in the Theology of St Augustine, Oxford 2021. (Crossref)

Wysocki M., Biblia i nadzieja na jej dobre tłumaczenie, „Vox Patrum” 69 (2018) p. 721-733. (Crossref)

Wysocki M., Letters as a School of the Christian Exegesis. A Study of the Selected Early Christian Latin Letters of the 4th and 5th Century (Augustine, Jerome, and Paulinus of Nola), “Verbum Vitae” 41/2 (2023) p. 339-351. (Crossref)

Wysocki M., The Symbolism of Biblical Birds in the Letters of Paulinus of Nola, w: The Bible in the Patristic Period, eds. M. Szram - M. Wysocki, Studia Patristica CIII, Leuven-Paris-Bristol 2021, p. 165-173. (Crossref)

Download

Published
2023-12-15


Wysocki, M. (2023). Anioły są wśród nas. Studium pism św. Paulina z Noli. Vox Patrum, 88, 149–162. https://doi.org/10.31743/vp.16830

Marcin Wysocki  mwysocki@kul.pl
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5448-5566



License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Papers published in Vox Patrum are covered by the Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) licence. Authors and users can use published works licensed under the CC-BY-ND since 2018. For earlier publications, copyrights are available under fair use rights in accordance with the Act of February 4, 1994 on copyrights and related rights.