Title

Scripture and a Christian Empire

Department/School

Theology

Date

2019

Document Type

Book Chapter

Keywords

prophecy, Eusebius, Augustine, Donatism, military service, Judaism, empire, apocalyptic

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198718390.013.30

Abstract

The chapter examines the role of scriptural interpretation in both rationalizing and criticizing the rise of a Christian empire. Special attention is given to Eusebius of Caesarea and his grand vision of the providential union of Church and empire, key biblical elements of which are the discrediting of apocalyptic, the historical fulfilment of prophecy, and the supersession of Judaism. A ‘Eusebius consensus’ became widespread, even on the empire’s periphery, as shown in Syriac authors like Aphrahat and Ephrem. Augustine of Hippo created an alternative version that criticized key aspects of the consensus but retained the assumption of a religio-political establishment. Even the conspicuous dissent of Donatism is shown to have been reluctant to imagine a clean break with the empire. The last section of the chapter considers how the fourth-century legitimization of military service was justified on biblical grounds.

Published in

The Oxford Handbook on Early Christian Biblical Interpretation

Citation/Other Information

Michael Hollerich. “Scripture and a Christian Empire.” In The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Biblical Interpretation, 473-91, 2019.

COinS