medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
"Phyllis G. Jestice" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Maybe I have too simple a notion of Christian worship before Constantine
legalized Christianity. I tend to think, in the Roman context, of Christian
congregations down in the catacombs, or in house churches, rather than in
buildings whose sole purpose is Christian celebrations.
well, i happen to be totally unencumbered by any knowledge whatever --simple
or otherwise-- of the subject, and am thus free to speculate without hindrance
or reservation.
of course, the secondary (tertiary at best, really) sources which you use to
put together your very welcome daily epistles informing us all of the Acta
Sanctorum are simply too far removed from the primary sources (themselves, in
the case of a 4th century pope, presumably secondary) for us to begin to say
what "restored" might mean in the context of this pope's life.
however, even "house churches" were "churches", or could have become
"churches", after Constantine's time, i should think.
ditto, catacomb chapels.
by D.'s accession in 366 there were certainly quite a few churches, great (the
Constantinian basilicas in Rome, Jerusalem, etc.) and small, many or all of
which might have been in need of "restoration" after the passing of Julian
(died 363) --i'm assuming that they don't call him "The Apostate" for
nothing.
i wonder if the "original" sources which purport to inform us of D.'s reign
are not speaking of his "restoration" of the Church --after Julian's
ministrations-- as much as of the actual fabric of churches.
of course, the mention of "catacombs" in your text suggests the material
plane...
the only "Damasus" i can find in my on-line AASS is a guy in February,
"martyred in Africa".
i'll have a look elsewhere.
best,
c
"What about the older ones [Indians] ?"
"Well, we can't seem to cure them of the idea that our Everyday Life is only
an Illusion, behind which is the Reality of Dreams"
--Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo"
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0083946
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