Vox Patrum

XIX International Conference on Patristic Studies, Oxford, Great Britain, 5-9 August 2024)

Marcin Wysocki — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Report of the Nineteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies, held August 5-9, 2024, in Oxford, United Kingdom.

“He created man and woman” (Gen 1:27). Anthropology of Early Christian Writers (Polish Patristic Section, Kamień Śląski, September 23‑25, 2024)

Michał Jan Ludewicz — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The text contains a report from the meeting of the Polish Patristic Section, which took place on September 23-25, 2024 in Kamień Śląski.

Meetings of the Byzantine Commission of the Polish Historical Society in the Academic Year 2023/2024

Piotr Kochanek — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Meetings of the Byzantine Commission of the Polish Historical Society in the Academic Year 2023/2024

“Everyday Life in Byzantium” – VII Byzantine Conference from the series “Selected Aspects of Byzantine Culture”, Lublin, Poland, November 14‑15, 2024

Piotr Kochanek — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Report from the conference: “Everyday Life in Byzantium” – VII Byzantine Conference from the series “Selected Aspects of Byzantine Culture”, Lublin, Poland, November 14‑15, 2024.

Activity of the Committee for Research on the Christian Antiquity of the Learned Society KUL in the Academic Year 2023/2024

Anna Głowa, Marek Szynkowski, Maciej Szkopiński, Paweł Głowacki — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Activity of the Committee for Research on the Christian Antiquity of the Learned Society KUL in the Academic Year 2023/2024

Prof. dr hab. Mirosław Jerzy Leszka RIP (1963–2024)

Sławomir Bralewski — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Prof. dr hab. Marek Wilczyński RIP (1959-2023)

Adrian Szopa — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The Peace of the Universe and Peace among People according to the "Letter to the Church in Corinth" by Saint Clement of Rome

Waldemar Jan Turek — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Opracowanie dotyczy zagadnienia pokoju wszechświata i pokoju między ludźmi według Listu do Kościoła w Koryncie św. Klemensa Rzymskiego, zwłaszcza jego części od rozdziału 19,2 do 23,5. Ukazany jest najpierw główny cel Listu; następnie przedstawiona jest idea pokoju stworzonego świata z odniesieniem do niektórych elementów filozofii greckiej i ich rzeczywistej obecności i roli w myśli autora Listu; z kolei przeprowadzona jest analiza argumentacji biblijnej, zasadniczej dla Biskupa Rzymu; wreszcie, na zakończenie, zostaje podjęty temat pokoju wszechświata jako wzoru dla wspólnoty korynckiej i, w jakiejś mierze, dla wszystkich chrześcijan. Opracowanie ukazuje Autor Listu jako człowieka znającego solidnie filozofię grecką, tradycję żydowską, ale przede wszystkim doktrynę chrześcijańską. Stąd w jego argumentacji pojawiają się przede wszystkim elementy biblijne, wzięte ze Starego Testamentu, które zdecydowanie przeważają nad elementami filozofii greckiej.

Interpretation of the Biblical Description of the Creation of the World in "Ad Autolycum" by Theophilus of Antioch

Leszek Misiarczyk — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In his analysis of the biblical description of the creation of the world in Genesis 1, Theophilus emphasizes at the starting point that God created everything that exists from nothing through his Logos, excluding as erroneous all theories about the eternal existence of matter. In the perspective of the creation of the world, God gave birth (ἐγέννησεν) to Logos and Wisdom primarily as a beginning (ἀρχή). In the beginning, God creates light that shows things ordered by Him. In the interpretation of individual days of creation, he uses typology, seeing in individual elements of the created world an announcement of future life and resurrection of man and the activities of Christian churches. Therefore, the first three days of creation are the type of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son-Logos and the Spirit-Wisdom, i.e. existence without light, and the fourth day is the type of man for whom God created the sun and the moon. Finally, he adds that man's sin has caused animals that were naturally good and gentle to become evil and poisonous, but as man returns to life κατὰ φύσιν, animals will also regain their original gentleness.

Creation of the World of Flora (Gen 1:11‑12) in the Exegesis of Selected Early Christian Greek Writers (up to the End of the Third Century)

Piotr Szczur — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The research purpose of this article is to present and analyze the patristic interpretation of the creation of the world of flora (Gen 1:11-12) in order to show how early Christian writers understood the biblical description. The research was limited to Greek writers active until the end of the third century. First, it was shown how early Christian writers understood the biblical account of the six days of creation. Then the statements on the biblical description of the creation of flora by four early Christian writers were analyzed in detail: Theophilus of Antioch, the anonymous author of the Gnostic treatise De origine mundi, Origen and Pseudo-Clemens. The analysis shows that these thinkers wanted to present a Christian vision of the creation of the world. They emphasized that God is the sole causal cause of the creation of the world, and that He gave the created world a certain shape and purpose for existence. The whole world was brought into existence by God for man’s sake, so that people could use all that had been created and so that they could read the traces of God’s presence in the world. These thinkers showed the richness of God-created elements of the flora world, their order, complexity and beauty. In their view, the world of flora created by God is a kind of „mediator” in the communication between God and man. The analyzed statements of Greek thinkers indicate the anthropocentric orientation of their reflections on the creation of the world, although the biblical text itself is cosmocentric.

Elementa as a Subject of Discussion with Heresies in Philastrius of Brescia’s "Diversarum hereseon liber"

Mariusz Szram — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The aim of the research is to determine the semantic field of the term elementa in one of the oldest Latin catalogs of heresies – Philastrius’ Diversarum hereseon liber (after 381), and to display the philosophical and theological issues linked with this concept, discussed about in early Christianity, which was reflected in the work of the Bishop of Brescia. Analysis of the source text leads to the following conclusions: 1) the term elementum occurs in the treatise in the plural in a cosmological context, both in the general sense of the components of the world and in the specific sense of the four elements; 2) the views of heretics are dominated by meanings inspired by various currents of ancient philosophy, while for Philastrius, the main determinant of the content of the term elementa is the biblical message; 3) the main topics addressed by the term oscillate around protology and eschatology, and are triggered by ideas that Philastrius considers heretical, such as views that regard the elements as rational entities, or beliefs in the immutability and eternal persistence of the elements or in their ultimate disappearance; 4) among the cosmological heresies criticized by Philastrius, Gnostic movements dominate, as well as unnamed groups that give the divine worship to particular elements; 5) the position of the Bishop of Brescia, which is opposed to these views, is characterized by: faithfulness to the descriptions of creation from the Book of Genesis, comprehended literally; the conviction that the elements pertain exclusively to material reality and have a connection with the created world; an approach to the fate of the elements after the end of the present world that is devoid of spiritualistic extreme, assuming their continued existence, but in an altered form.

The World Created as a Sign of God and Human’s Solitude in the Tenth Book of "The Confessions" of Saint Augustine – Attempt at Interpretation

Mariusz Terka — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

This article is an attempt to answer the question about the world created, which pointing to God also becomes a sign of the loneliness of man seeking Him. The reflections were based on the analysis of Book X of the Confessions of St. Augustine. The article is divided into four parts. In the first, the theory of the sign was shown, which refers to the thing it signifies, but assumes knowledge of it. Without knowledge of things, the sign is incomprehensible. The second part describes the beginning of the journey of seeking God, which is the question of love for Him. Man seeks God as the object of his love and turns to creatures. He receives two answers: “We are not your God” and “He created us”. The third part presents the world as a sign that speaks through the beauty of the world and points to the Creator, and the man who admires the beauty of creatures becomes a lover of God. The fourth part shows that the world is a sign that prevents us from meeting God and satisfying the thirst for love. The created world becomes a sign of man’s loneliness, awakening in the encounter of love seeking God with the world’s negative response.

The Beauty of the World Created according to St. Augustine

Sylwester Jaśkiewicz — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The beauty of the world created, by Saint Augustine has been significantly enhanced, especially through inspiration coming from philosophy and biblical exegesis. The Bishop of Hippo was deeply convinced of the beauty (pulchritudo, pulchrum, species) of the visible world. The basic elements of the structure of every being, and therefore also of its beauty, include: number (numerus), measure (mensura), weight (pondus) and order (ordo). The beauty of the created world is the beauty that includes the visible world, man and angels. Both all creatures and each of them individually and in all their diversity are a song of praise to God the Creator, the Supreme Good and Beauty, who is a great Artist (artifex magnus).

Nature at the Service of the Saints: the Example of St Felix of Nola in "Natalicia" by Paulinus of Nola

Marcin Wysocki — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

After his conversion, every year on the feast of St Felix, which is celebrated on January 14, Paulinus of Nola wrote a work of praise in honour of his patron – the Natalicium. In the extant Natalicia (14 or 15), the miracles performed by Felix assume a significant position. Many of them are related to nature. The aim of this article is to show, through an analysis of the Natalicia, how nature is subjected to the miraculous actions of the saints, using St Felix as an example. From the presentation in this article of the miracles and extraordinary events that took place during the life of St Felix or after his death at his tomb, it is evident that Paulinus held the figure of St Felix in particularly high regard, referring to him as his father, protector and patron. Paulinus sets out to demonstrate the greatness of St Felix and his special place in the pantheon of saints by describing the miracles. Nevertheless, Paulinus consistently emphasises that the saint is merely an intermediary, and that the capacity to perform miracles ultimately resides with God, who is the Lord and Creator of all creation. Therefore, if Felix is depicted as governing over nature, which he does in a manner contrary to natural order, this is a consequence of Felix’s proximity to God. It is notable that Paulinus introduces a unique perspective in this regard, as there existed a precedent in pagan poetry for portraying miracles associated with animals. Nevertheless, Paulinus, while adhering to the literary tradition and language of Virgil, establishes a distinct tone and character. Natalicia exemplify Paulinus’ profound convictions, unwavering faith, and profound devotion to Felix.

Animals in the Symbolic Interpretation of the Eucherius of Lyon’s "Formulae spiritalis intellegentiae"

Tomasz Skibiński — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The subject of this article is the analysis of the symbolic interpretation of animals as presented by Eucherius of Lyon in his work Formulae spiritalis intellegenatiae. The article examines Eucherius’s interests and knowledge in the field of symbolic interpretation of animals, the sources he used, and the content of his interpretation. The primary source of the research are Formulae spiritalis intellegentiae, which is compared primarily with another exegetical work, Instructiones. The research reveals that Eucherius possesses a fundamentally good knowledge of biblical animals, largely indebted to the sources he utilized. His interpretation addresses several fundamental themes: theological issues, where the author interprets animals as symbols of Christ, the Holy Spirit, or, in opposition, the devil (demons, idols). Anthropological interpretations are also frequent, wherein animals symbolize people judged positively or negatively for moral or doctrinal reasons. Animals can also symbolize Scripture and types of its interpretation. Eucherius’s works are addressed to his sons, Salonius and Veranius, who later became bishops. The works were also intended for a wider audience, and it is evident that Eucherius assumed a certain level of proficiency and familiarity with the Holy Scripture and its interpretation among his readers, hence he did not see the need to provide overly detailed or fundamental explanations.

Serpents-Sirens in St Isidore of Seville. The Question of Name Attribution

Krzysztof Morta — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The topic of the article is the question of the name of Arabia’s flying serpents that, according to Isidore of Seville’s account, were to be called by the name of sirens. Tales about winged serpents had had a centuries-old tradition even before Isidore, in the Greek and Latin literatures. They appeared for the first time in the 5^th century BC thanks to Herodotus and his Histories II 75-76. However, not until Isidore of Seville and his Etymologiae XIV 3,7 were those serpents specifically referred to as sirens. The author of the article traces back the surviving texts by both the pagan and Christian authors. He tries to find out what the Isidore’s source of this piece of information was. As a result of his research, the author points to a mysterious mention found in St. Jerome’s Commentary on Isaiah. After its thorough analysis, based on other texts by Jerome, the author explains how the name of sirens – previously not related to the tale about Arabia’s winged serpents – has been incorporated into their description created by Isidore.

Anastasius the Sinaite’s Theology of Climate

Marek Gilski, Damian Wąsek — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

This article aims to answer the question of what place the climate issue has in Anastasius Sinaita's theological reflection. It consists of two parts: the first presents the image of God emerging from the Sinaita's analyses, while the second focuses on man's responsibility, whose decisions are conditioned by many factors, including climate. The main conclusions include: 1. In his work Quaestiones et responsiones, Anastasius refers to climate-related issues more than twenty times. He mentions climate change, the characteristics of climates, the different types of climates and their effects on humans. 2. Life expectancy, diseases, and epidemics in the vast majority of cases are, in the view of Anastasius the Sinaite, related to climate and diet and not to morality or adherence to the correct religion. 3 Sinaitic theological reflection can be developed in at least three directions. First, it allows linking ecological issues to construct a correct image of God. Second, it sensitizes the connection between environmental devastation and human suffering, an essential area of mercy theology understood as "healing wounds." Third, it builds a broad context for the inculturation of the Church's teaching, as it points out the role of various climatic factors on human attitudes and behaviour. Anastasius' thought also seems to provide serious arguments for modern evolutionary theology. This is because it makes it possible to locate its crucial claim about the autonomy of the laws of nature in the ancient tradition.

The Miracles Regarding Plants and Animals in the Late Antique Collections of Miracles: An Attempt of Systematization

Stanisław Adamiak — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The article tries to present and systematize the Late Antique miracles with the participation of plants and animals. The main source material is drawn from the collections of miracles such as the works of Gregory of Tours and Gregory the Great. The distinction will be made between the miracles that happened during the lifetime of a saint or after their death and between the miracles in which the plants and animals are objects or subjects of a miracle, or both at the same time.

Parrot Motif in the Mosaic Decoration of the Church of the Apostles in Madaba (578‑579)

Anna Głowa — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

A parrot is one of the most frequently depicted birds in Roman and Late Antique art and it becomes particularly popular in the fifth to sixth centuries in the area of Syro-Palestine. In the Church of the Holy Apostles in Madaba from 578-579, dozens of representations of parrots create a pattern covering the surface of the mosaic floor in the nave, with a medallion depicting the personification of the sea, Thalassa, in the centre. The article attempts to answer the question of the significance of the parrot motif in this particular church and the reason for its popularity in Late Antique art in general. The first part of the article presents parallels for a composition based on the recurring parrot motif found in houses, synagogues and churches in the period under discussion. The second part of the article analyses the written sources relating to this bird, as well as its earlier representations in Greco-Roman art, which allows to understand the network of associations that the parrot evoked. On this basis, it is possible to conclude that the parrot was an integral part of a visual language expressing concepts related to prosperity, the richness of nature and its cyclical rebirth, 'paradisiacal' gardens, and bliss. The contexts in which the parrot is mentioned in Christian texts suggest that it may have been part of iconographic programmes proclaiming the praise of the created world and the power of the Creator.

The Meaning of Selected Animal Symbolism in Dhuoda of Septimania’s Parenetic Homiletics (c. 803-843)

Małgorzata Chudzikowska-Wołoszyn — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The main purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader with the stock of animal symbols used in parenetic reflections of the Carolingian intellectual Dhuoda of Septimania, the authoress of the mirror manual (Liber manualis), addressed to her teenage son Wilhelm. The presented analysis will focus on discussing the provenance of the symbolic signatures used in the work. An attempt will also be made to characterize their role in Dhuoda,s rhetoric and teaching. At this point, it will be important to expose the individual interpretation and reflections of the mother-authoress in relation to the animalistic symbols drawn in Wilhelm’s memory. Dhuoda’s interpretation will also be set in a broader theological and exegetical context. It should be emphasized that for the Duchess of Septimania – as for all her contemporaries – the key to interpreting the world and its details was found in the mystery of Christ. Sorrounding nature was treated like a book, which was written with mystical allegories of the Creator. A skillful reading of the symbols given to men could lead him to ultimate wisdom, help him understand the mystery of the invisible God and, finally, also the essence of humanity. The exemplification of the symbols used in the Liber manualis, made for the purpose of this article, will also allow conclusions to be drawn about the intellectual formation of the Carolingian authoress, her literary technique, degree of the orginality, and rhetorical competence.

Święty Ambroży z Mediolanu, O dziewictwie, przekład i wstęp Adam Wilczyński, Źródła Monastyczne 102 (Starożytność 56), Tyniec Wydawnictwo Benedyktynów, Kraków 2023, pp. 216

Łukasz Libowski — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Review of the book: Święty Ambroży z Mediolanu, O dziewictwie, przekład i wstęp Adam Wilczyński, Źródła Monastyczne 102 (Starożytność 56), Tyniec Wydawnictwo Benedyktynów, Kraków 2023.

Jan Chryzostom, O niepoznawalności Boga, O Opatrzności, wprowadzenie, tł. z języka greckiego, opracowanie naukowe i indeksy Karolina Kochańczyk-Bonińska, Pisma Starochrześcijańskich Pisarzy 89, Warszawa 2023, pp. 169.

Piotr Szczur — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Review of the book: Jan Chryzostom, O niepoznawalności Boga, O Opatrzności, wprowadzenie, tł. z języka greckiego, opracowanie naukowe i indeksy Karolina Kochańczyk-Bonińska, Pisma Starochrześcijańskich Pisarzy 89, Warszawa 2023, pp. 169.

Izydor z Sewilli, Etymologie, ks. 11-20, przekład z języka łacińskiego Tatiana Krynicka, Maciej Jońca, Ewa Matczuk, Ireneusz Mikołajczyk, Wydawnictwo Marek Derewecki, Kęty 2024, pp. 560.

Dominika Łucja Budzanowska-Weglenda — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Review of the book: Izydor z Sewilli, Etymologie, ks. 11-20, przekład z języka łacińskiego Tatiana Krynicka, Maciej Jońca, Ewa Matczuk, Ireneusz Mikołajczyk, Wydawnictwo Marek Derewecki, Kęty 2024, pp. 560.