medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
You're right, I was skipping a link in the chain of ideas. Hope is a
theological virtue because it amounts to absolute belief in one's personal
salvation through God's mercy, Despair is a sin because it is an absolute
lack belief in this outcome, and suicide its (Despair's) consequence and
proof. Seems more than a touch harsh.
Laura
----- Original Message -----
From: jlkerbau <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 10:22 PM
Subject: Re: [M-R] suicide
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Suicide, as a consequence of despair, was/is also regarded as a sin
against
> hope.
>
> Regards,
> Jim Kerbaugh
>
>
> >===== Original Message From Scholarly discussions of medieval religion
and
> culture <[log in to unmask]> =====
> >medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> >
> >Alexander Murray's work on medieval suicides would doubtless be a good
place
> >to look for an answer, but my understanding is that suicide is a mortal
sin
> >where it indicates lack of faith in God's infinite mercy ie the person
> >considers themselves beyond redemption, and thereby places themselves
beyond
> >redemption. It might then be that Pelegia avoided this Catch 22 since she
> >killed herself out of personal faith, rather than due to the lack of it.
> >The Al-Quaida suicide bombers seem to have followed a similar logic of
> >martyrdom.
> >
> >Laura
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Rosine <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 10:20 PM
> >Subject: Re: [M-R] saints of the day 8. October
> >
> >
> >> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
culture
> >>
> >> > > Pelagia of Antioch (c. 283 or perhaps c. 300) Also commemorated on
9.
> >> > > June. Pelagia was a fifteen-year-old girl of Antioch, caught up in
> >> either
> >> > > Numerian's or Diocletian's persecution. The prefect sent soldiers
to
> >> > > arrest her, upon which she asked for a few minutes to put on her
best
> >> > > clothes. She then when upstairs and threw herself to her death.
John
> >> > > Chrysostom praised her courage and faith.
> >> >
> >> > How does *this* square with the usual prohibition on suicide and its
> >> > definition as a mortal sin ?
> >> >
> >> > Brenda M. C.
> >>
> >> It was my understanding that by Roman law, no "innocent" could be
> >guilty
> >> of a death-worthy lawbreaking. Any virgin was considered "innocent
before
> >> the law", so it was a common practise to make condemned women (I don't
> >know
> >> about young boys) and girls available for the sexual pleasure of guards
> >and
> >> gladiators, in order to insure that the condemned were no longer in a
> >state
> >> of innocence. Given the choice between loss of virginity followed by
loss
> >of
> >> life, or simply loss of life, the church (I believe) took the stand
that
> >> staying pure was sufficient reason for self-murder if death was a
> >certainty
> >> in any case. Later virgin saints did not face death following rape
> >(usually
> >> they just wished to avoid marriage), and so they were stuck taking such
> >> measures as self-mutilation or starvation, which, when it resulted in
> >death,
> >> usually did not count as suicide.
> >>
> >> This is a quickie armchair scholar answer. True scholars will soon
read
> >> my words and issue much for authoritative and documentably supported
> >views.
> >> Right, Oh Academians?
> >>
> >>
> >> Terri Morgan
> >>
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