Saturday, October 24, 2009
I spent the past three days working on another project, entirely disregarding review of the material below. Over the next couple of days, I have tasked myself to pump out some thoughts on these topics. Schade, daß ich im Augenblick keine Gedanken darüber habe.
HIS 613/CLA 695, Fall 2009
Study Guide for Midterm Exam
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Below you will find 8 essay topics based on chapters 1-13 and the new introduction of Peter Brown, The Body and Society, chapter 3 of Hunter, Marriage, Celibacy, and Heresy, and the primary sources we have studied thus far. For the exam you will write on 3 of these topics; a limited choice will be given. I’ve also given a “bonus question” for extra credit.
1. A) In the new introduction to his book, Brown speaks about his task as a historian as one of “defamiliarizing” the past. What does this mean in regard to the subject matter of this book? B) Discuss an example from material covered thus far in class that has caused “defamiliarization” for you? C) What social theorists have most influenced Brown’s book, according to his own account? Give an example from some primary source material that illustrates this theoretical approach.
2. A) According to Brown, ch. 1 (“Body and City”), what were some of the social meanings attributed to the body and sexuality in Greco-Roman society? B) What were some common medical understandings of the body and sex in Greco-Roman antiquity? C) What does Brown mean by the term “benevolent dualism”? Please illustrate this concept with some material from the Coniugalia praecepta (Advice to the Bride and Groom) by Plutarch.
3. A) What were some of the main point made by the Apostle Paul regarding sex, marriage and celibacy in 1 Corinthians 7? B) How did Paul’s view compare with what we know of Jesus’ teaching or that of other Palestinian Jews (note that on p. 44 Brown says that Paul did not have much in common with Palestinian Judaism). C) What shifts are evident in the later New Testament documents that are usually considered Pseudo-Pauline (e.g., Ephesians 5, 1 Timothy, and Colossians)?
4. A) In ch. 3 Brown discusses the relation between prophecy and sexual continence in some Christian writings of the second and third centuries. What sort of examples does he give? B) Where do the writings of Tertullian stand on the question of prophecy and continence? C) Describe the development of Tertullian’s thought on marriage and remarriage, based on the three writings we discussed in class. What use does Tertullian make of Paul’s discussion in 1 Corinthians 7?
5. A) In the second and third centuries a powerful current of thought arises in Christianity that is often called “Encratism,” evident in the writings of Tatian and the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. What are the main themes of Encratite theology (see Brown, ch. 4 and Hunter, ch. 3). B) How did Tatian’s vision of sex and the human person differ from that of other “radicals,” such as Marcion? C) Clement of Alexandria’s Stromateis 3, was largely an attempt to refute Marcion and the Encratites. What are some of the arguments used by Clement? What earlier traditions does Clement’s thought most resemble?
6. In the third century Origen and Methodius were two significant Eastern Christian writers who were both strongly influenced by Platonic philosophy. A) Sketch the main features of Origen’s theological system and show its impact on his thinking about the body and sexuality. B) Do the same for Methodius. C) What are the main differences between the thought of Origen and Methodius on these topics?
7. A) The opening word of Cyprian’s treatise De habitu virginum (both in the Latin original and in our English translation) is disciplina or “discipline.” What does Brown say about this idea that sheds light on the purpose of De habitu virginum? B) What does Cyprian’s book tell us about the new place of consecrated virgins in the third-century Church and about the bishop’s role in directing them? (Brown’s ch. 7 may be helpful here.) C) Do you think Cyprian’s views are “misogynistic”? Why or why not?
8. A) According to Brown, ch. 11, what was the aim of ascetic practices among the monks in the Egyptian desert tradition? B) What do you think Brown means when he says (p. 230) that sexuality in the monastic tradition became “an ideogram of the unopened heart”? C) Using Cassian, Conference 12 (“On Chastity”), discuss how Cassian’s teaching could be seen as an illustration of Brown’s idea of the sexual desire as an “ideogram” of the heart.
BONUS QUESTION (optional)
Using one of the 3 articles I distributed on Gregory of Nyssa’s Life of Macrina, explain what insights the author contributed to your reading of Gregory’s book.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 6:25 PM]
I Have Been Tasked To Translate Forty Pages (One Chapter) From A Book...
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
...von Deutsch to English. With the exception of Biblical quotes and citations from other persons, translating this text has been straightforward relatively. The following is an example of the book's author quoting someone else (Petrus Damiani, an apparently inflammatory fellow):
Und nicht ohne Schadenfreude fährt er fort: "Ich habe mich neulich mit einigen Bischöfen unterhalten. Dabei wollte ich ihren heiligen Oberschenkeln einen Riegel vorschieben. Ich versuchte, den Genitalien der Priester sozusagen Keuschheitsschnallen anzupassen." Da nicht wenige Priester erst nach der Weihe geheiratet haben, belehrte sie der Mönch, ihre Ehen seien ungültig und ihre Ehefrauen deshalb nichts als Konkubinen oder Huren.
I want to render "belehrte sie der Mönch" as "the monk schooled them", but "taught", "instructed", "informed", or "advised" are the more appropriately sedate options.
Labels: Bible, bishops, books, chastity belts, citations, concubines, genitalia, German, holiness, matrimony, monk, Petrus Damiani, priests, quotes, Schadenfreude, thighs, whores
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 5:39 PM]