Donatist

(52) For Constantine, the thwarting of sectarian groups of Christians such as the Donatists was an example of how a mere idea about a religion, about which no one had any evidence other than the fact that the belief was widespread and adopted by the state, resulted in people being killed.

examines homilies on liturgical feasts from the entire span of Augustine's preaching career and some 40 homilies preached during the time of the Donatist controversy, prior to the emergence of the Pelagian controversy.

We too may be suspicious of the younger Augustine's unproblematic legitimation of means by reference to their ends (certainly my sympathies lie with the Donatists), but it seems to me that even the later Augustine was not critical enough in distinguishing between what is and what is not the power of God.

In pagan milieux too suicide was most often regarded as honourable (63) and the view on suicide thus aligns the novels with the Donatist passions.

(7) See, for instance, "The Donatist Controversy: Sacramental Efficacy" in Alister McGrath's Christian Theology: An Introduction.

185-206; William Hugh Clifford FREND y Kurt CLANCY, When did the Donatist Schism Begin?, en Journal of Theological Studies, 28 (1979), pp.

At the beginning of the fifth century in Christian North Africa St Augustine eventually invoked the power of the Roman Empire in order to suppress the Donatist church which had, in his view, broken and separated itself from the communion of love.

These homilies are the only commentary on John from the Latin patristic tradition; they are of immense interest, therefore, informed by the Donatist heresy that Augustine opposes.

Even though every denomination considers itself theologically "orthodox", my contention is that we are all ecclesiastically heterodox--all of Christendom today suffers from the Donatist heresy, considering other Christians outside the bounds of the true church.

Upon hearing of the Donatist dissention from the Catholic Church, Augustine, who admits that he once believed "that no one should be compelled into the unity of Christ," (25) had come to realize that there is advantage in compelling people "by fear or pain, so that they might afterword be influenced by teaching." (26) Similarly, Thomas Aquinas thought it fitting that "unbelievers who at some time have accepted the faith, and professed it, such as heretics and all apostates: such should be submitted even to bodily compulsion, that they may fulfil what they have promised, and hold what they, at one time, received." (27) The Muslims were no more merciful on the question of apostasy: "If a Muslim apostatizes (irtadda) from Islam ...

As Tuberville notes in reference to the Donatist heretics, Augustine "strongly reprobated" the use of the death penalty (1964: 127).

Norman even likens the relative youth of his former Church to the length of time the now largely forgotten Donatist heresy, bete noire of St Augustine of Hippo, managed to survive (p.24).

On the historical acceptance of suicide, most notable were his references to Socrates and the Athenian state support for the practice, Stoic endorsement of suicide as a rational ideal, early Christian glorification of martyrdom (especially within the heretical Donatist sect), the lenient attitude assumed toward suicide as a result of insufferable pain in English common law, and the rejection of the traditional condemnation of suicide found in the work of various modern philosophers, especially that of David Hume.

The donatist heresy claimed that sacraments were impaired if the person performing them was heretical or unorthodox.