stephan huller

I am very uninformed about the history of the Church in the fourth century. I stumbled across this http://books.google.com/books?id=TPC...origin&f=false. I notice that he identifies Basil as his 'brother.' I know his father was from some strange sect near Sinope and he was an Origenist and teacher of Jerome. Any reason to think the 'brother' epithet might be an early example of adelphopoiia?

mountainman

It was utterly depraved. Prospective bishops of Rome openly fought with their personal armies in the streets of Rome for the right to operate the new and strange church business. None of the other cities fared any better. Every single Christian writer of the 4th century was an imperially inspired heresiologist.

The 4th century is rarely discussed. Everyone is full of the opinion that the saga of christian origins was all over and done with by the time the 4th century dawned, but the opposite may well be the case.


The rich and influential people had many important dreams in the year 325 CE.
Jesus's kingdom was coming to the East, and His servants were now fighting.
There were many new and strange business opportunities.
The time was right for a revolution.

They both loved basking in the light and tax exemptions of imperial power. These 4th century Christian heresiologists were all the same. Brothers in arms (mercaneries) might be more appropriate than adelphopoiia.

Toto

Your book is Greek Biography and Panegyric in Late Antiquity (The Transformation of the Classical Heritage) (or via: amazon.co.uk)

thief of fire

Probably for you, yes. From just a quick search through the forums here you seem to have a great interest in this topic, so to answer you question I think you seem to, for one reason or another, have some desire, to see it anywhere you can.
In other words you own interest and fascination with the subject is causing you to see it at any opportunity.
If you think this is unfair I'm happy to provide some evidence,

sotto voce

Like everyone else.

stephan huller

an important discovery was claimed to be a forgery mostly on the strength of the claim that homosexuality and christianity are incompatible

sotto voce

Pretty solid claim, then.

tanya

They obviously are not.

It is not clear to me, that the claim of forgery, (I believe you refer to the Mar Saba letter, ostensibly discovered by Morton Smith), was based on supposed incompatibility between Christianity and homosexuality.

To me, this letter is a forgery, until proven to the contrary.

The whole idea of Jesus inducting naked men into his gathering, in order to gain a brief glimpse of the kingdom of God, is preposterous.

Why not induct naked women at the same time? What is so special about male gender? No the whole thing is preposterous.

sotto voce

Isn't she nice, stephan. Saved you the embarrassment of getting blown out of the water a dozen times.

stephan huller

The authority of you and Tanya wouldn't be enough to establish that it was Thursday today.