Patronage in Early Christianity
Alan B. Wheatley
Number of quotes: 35
Book ID: 396 Page: 19
Section: 4B
1. The practice of patronage was not forbidden; in fact, it can be seen to underlie the mission of Jesus and to be practiced by him, both as patron and as friend. The God called Father is the Supreme Patron. The benefaction of the Kingdom flows from him in both substance and method.
Quote ID: 8421
Time Periods: 1
Book ID: 396 Page: 19
Section: 4B
2. The way in which patronage operates is redefined in a radical way. The intentional pursuit of honor,…is not a part of the new Kingdom. Neither public recognition nor the granting of honorifics is in order.
Quote ID: 8422
Time Periods: 1
Book ID: 396 Page: 83
Section: 4B
Some of the language used by Irenaeus and the community at Lyons may have unwittingly been contradictory to the ideals we have just described. Irenaeus used some rather traditional honorific language to describe both the church at Rome and its putative founders, Peter and Paul. That church was “very great” and “very ancient’ and its founders were “most glorious.” In that very same context, the bishops of Rome were denoted as the successors of those “blessed apostles” (III,3,2-3).
Quote ID: 8423
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 396 Page: 99
Section: 4B
1. A growing use of honorific language with regard to the leaders within the church can be seen in the words of Polycrates, Dionysius of Corinth, and especially in the martyrdom account of the death of Polycarp.
Quote ID: 8425
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 396 Page: 100
Section: 4B,2D3A
6. The Montanist phenomenon points strongly to a reaction increasing clerical dominance….
Quote ID: 8426
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 396 Page: 116
Section: 2D3B
Marcion of Sinope, in Syria
Quote ID: 8427
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 396 Page: 116
Section: 2D3B
None of his works have survived, but from the attacks of his opponents, we may be able to see why he was so successful in creating communities and being viewed as a serious opponent.
Quote ID: 8428
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 396 Page: 117/118
Section: 2D3B
“…The requirement of the undue is an augmentation of the due benevolence” (Adv. Marc. I,23,3 & 5).{31} Here Tertullian clearly identifies the controlling principle of Marcion’s movement, and it is at the heart of the revised paradigm! This God has “blessing for the poor” (Adv. Marc. IV,15), and the manner of life of the members of this community would reflect that agenda. It cannot be a coincidence that the two Scriptural references used by Marcion to argue for a radical goodness in this Kingdom of God come from Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, where precisely this openhanded flow of resources is commanded (633-38).
Quote ID: 8429
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 396 Page: 118
Section: 2D3B
I would argue that Marcion embodied a most powerful principle of early Christianity—namely, its radical goodness. When one combines Marcion’s concept of God as peaceful and ultimately generous, his affinity for the most radical teachings of Christ and Paul, his personal ascetic lifestyle and the enormous growth, it seems very probable that he invested his resources in the manner that Jesus had taught.
Quote ID: 8430
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 396 Page: 128
Section: 2D3B
…in some very important areas, moral and social issues quite close to the everyday life of “folks,” Marcion was clearly closer to the original vision we see in the New Testament than was the institution which was developing in Syria. The attempt of Edessene leaders to claim roots in Rome and Antioch were countered by Marcion’s claim to be rooted in Jesus, at his most radical.
Quote ID: 8431
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 396 Page: 150
Section: 2C,4B
Origen clearly saw a problem developing in his own day and addressed it in his last work (Com.Matt.XI,15). He identified leaders at several levels in the church as working with the hope of praise and both expecting and responding to flattery.
Quote ID: 8432
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 155
Section: 4B
On July 17, 180, a group of twelve Christians were examined and executed in Carthage. From Scilli, whose location is uncertain, the accused found a spokesperson in Speratus.….
…Speratus referred to the Christian way as the “mystery of simplicity,” and the anonymous editor confirmed that description by applying no rhetorical or honorific language in the composition of the narrative obviously connected to the record.
Quote ID: 8434
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 396 Page: 156
Section: 2D3B
In contrast to the short and simple transcript of the martyrs of Scilli, the Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitasis longer and more beautifully crafted….….
“Let those men who would restrict the power of the one Spirit to times and seasons look to this: the more recent events should be considered the greater…and this is a consequence of the extraordinary graces promised for the last stage of time…So too we hold in honor and knowledge not only new prophecies but new visions as well, according to the promise” (1.3; 1.5).
Quote ID: 8435
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 157
Section: 2D3A
Both enigmatic and highly influential, the leader and writer Tertullian flourished in the community at Carthage during a forty year period which closed the second century and opened the third.{3}….
…he rejected some of his contemporaries for not respecting the work of the Holy Spirit as he did, in what seems to have been Montanist view.
….
…his reputation seems solid in the ancient period until Gelasius ordered him declared a heretic in the fifth century.
Quote ID: 8437
Time Periods: 235
Book ID: 396 Page: 162
Section: 3A3B
Tertullian mentioned a “community chest,” to which each member made contributions voluntarily (Apol. 39,5). These “reverent trust funds”(deposita pietatis) were used to “feed the poor and bury them, [to provide] for boys and girls who lack property and parents, and then for slaves grown old and shipwrecked mariners; and any who may be in the mines” (39,6). Further, along with its communal focus, the common meal of the community was intended to meet the needs of the poor (39,16).
Quote ID: 8438
Time Periods: 23
Book ID: 396 Page: 163
Section: 3A3B
Citing Isa. 58:7, Tertullian taught that both gifts and loans should be given to those who are in need, not only without demanding repayment, but specifically given to those who obviously could never repay (Marc. IV,17, 32; Luke 6:35).
Quote ID: 8439
Time Periods: 23
Book ID: 396 Page: 165/166
Section: 3A1
Our picture of Cyprian is quite different from that of Tertullian. …He considered himself, as the bishop of Carthage, in authority over three areas: Africa Proconsularis, Numidia and Mauretania.
Quote ID: 8441
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 168
Section: 4B
…Cyprian well understood both the benefits and shortcomings of the traditional paradigm. He strongly emphasized its shortcomings and recognized that he did so (Don. 11). He insisted that even at its best, though profitable both financially and socially, it was based on abuse and contempt and granted no peace at any point in the process.
Quote ID: 8442
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 168
Section: 4B
He abandoned his estates and gave them to the church, reserving only his residence and a garden. Apparently, they were returned to him as bishop, for he seems to have had enormous resources available for that office.
Quote ID: 8443
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 170
Section: 3A3
PJ: Cyprian c. 205–258Wealth given by God should rather be used for the known purposes of God, that is, it should be given to those who are in need. To do so is to “feed Christ” Hab. 11; Opere 11).
Quote ID: 8444
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 171
Section: 3A3B
Citing the example of the widow’s mite (Mark 12:43), Cyprian both shamed the rich and challenged the poor to do all that they could see to do (15). He interpreted the parable of the Pearl of Great Price as meaning that one should “buy the kingdom” by dispersing one’s goods to the poor (7). After quoting Matt. 25:31-46, he drew two very important conclusions: (1) if giving to the poor is giving to Christ, one could not decline….
Quote ID: 8445
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 172
Section: 3A3B
He approached the matter in two ways. First, alms atone for or make up for previous sins. The giving of one’s resources made “reparation for the guilt of sin” (laps. 35), and atoned for one’s faults rather than increased them (Hab. 11). Sins were “washed away” or “ purged” Opere. 1, 5; Laps.5).
Quote ID: 8446
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 174
Section: 2A4
From the time of his withdrawal from the scene in the early phases of Decius’ persecution to his martyrdom in 258, Cypian’s letters reveal a growing concept of the dignity and authority of the clergy and of bishops in particular.….
However, he strongly denied the right of the confessors to forgive at all. Their forgiveness was null and void, a subtle evil. They had neither the position to make a sacrifice, nor the authority to impose their hands in forgiveness (Laps. 15; Letters 15), though they could if Cyprian gave his permission (Letters 18)!
Quote ID: 8447
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 175
Section: 3A1,4B
He had been a significant person, as he reminded his readers several times, and he continued to be one. It is not an accident that the Roman clergy, without a bishop for a while, addressed him as “honored papa Cyprian” (Letters 8: 30; 31; 36). His clergy received their monthly allotments from him and he could interrupt them at any point (34; 39).{20} In all these ways, Cyprian shaped the church of North Africa in a very traditional Roman way, with himself as the patron.
Quote ID: 8448
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 176/177
Section: 2C,3A1,4B
More serious still is the way in which Cyprian condemned the cursus honorum, yet in his language about the Episcopal office and in his manner of dealing with subordinates, he reinstated it in practical terms. The bishops owned the church and all its benefits, allegiance and honor from the dispensing of goods and spiritual benefits. The people performed essentially the same functions in this community as they did in the general Roman community. They were his clients and his clients’ clients.When Cyprian was gone, the African church continued with great tensions between those who wished to follow the revised paradigm and those who saw Cyprian’s reinstatement of the tradition one as the true model. It was a critical time when Cyprian, a man not steeped in the new paradigm, was forced to deal with the pressures of persecution, apostasy and opposition. He simply was not thoroughly prepared, so he returned to the default position, the traditional paradigm of greatness and leadership.
Quote ID: 8449
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 178
Section: 4B
PATRONAGE WAS A VERY WELL ESTABLISHED PRACTICE AND ONE THAT had enormous influence on the shape of Roman society. Jesus and his followers critiqued that practice and challenged it with an alternative, a revised paradigm of greatness and benefaction. In its main lines, this revision placed God and Christ in the place of the class of “great men” who functioned as patrons. As the supreme patrons, they gave gifts to all and required two primary responses in gratitude, accompanying praise given verbally to them.
Quote ID: 8450
Time Periods: 014
Book ID: 396 Page: 179
Section: 3A1,4B
His defense of the order of leaders, based on an analogy from the Roman military and from the function of the Hebrew priesthood, is striking because it did not emerge from Christian roots. His letter was very influential in the future, alongside the writings which would become the New Testament, and his arguments for the authority of leaders would be used repeatedly.
Quote ID: 8451
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 184
Section: 3A1,3B,4B
The Revised Paradigm in a World of Confusion 220-290 CEAs the Severan dynasty struggled and fell, the empire entered a period with much political turmoil, economic decline and environmental difficulties such as plague and crop failure. Christian communities flourished in this period, however, in part because their benevolence made many friends. As it grew and garnered approval, the church became more visible and a more attractive place for a career. Origen complained about a growing ambition for offices within the community. That is indeed the major story of this period.
Quote ID: 8452
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 184
Section: 2C,3A1,4B
…ambition continued to play a role. Some reasons can be seen in the Apostolic Tradition, a Roman church order document attributed to Hippolytus. In it, a full hierarchy of church officers is apparent, and the workplace terms which once downplayed position now have distinct levels of honor and privilege. The people have once again become clients of a great man, the bishop. Benevolence continues, but it is clearly in the mold of the traditional patronage paradigm.
Quote ID: 8453
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 185
Section: 2C,3A1,4B
Meanwhile, the two major figures of Cappadocia and Pontus, Firmilian and Gregory Thaumaturgos, were of aristocratic families and continued to be aristocratic in their Episcopal offices.….
When the qualifications for a bishop in Pontus included a choice from “those who appeared to be outstanding in eloquence and family,{1} that then would not have been a surprise. These developments make the case of Paul of Samosata quite understandable.
Paul simply took to its logical conclusion what had become the standard model among urban clergy: he was a “great man.” That was now standard for bishops, especially in a major urban center like Antioch. As for becoming a procurator ducenarius by the patronage of the Palmyrene dynasty—why not? Other Christians held high imperial positions,{2} why not combine two great positions: bishop of Antioch and procurator of Syria?
Quote ID: 8454
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 186
Section: 3A1,4B
All of this third-century development demonstrates that the common understanding of the community and its leaders had moved, in the major centers of the empire, back toward the traditional Roman paradigm.
Quote ID: 8455
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 186
Section: 2C,4B
The movement of “significant people” into episcopal positions in this period [PJ: 3rd], in addition to the gathering of power and honor around the same led to increasing numbers of members from those classes. The same language which those classes would expect to be used of them in civil positions became normal for ecclesiastical positions as well.
Quote ID: 8456
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 186/187
Section: 4B
Jesus and his earliest followers posed a profound challenge to the practice of traditional patron/client relations, connected so deeply to honor and ambition. For the changes implied by that challenge to have succeeded would have required constant reaffirmation and thorough practice. That simply did not happen in the early Christian communities.Universal honor for all humanity was the first to go.
Quote ID: 8457
Time Periods: 1
Book ID: 396 Page: 187
Section: 3A1,4B
Finally the weight of the great urban centers prevailed over the great bulk of Christians. Cyprian enunciated the rights and privileges of the clergy in ways which became the norm for leaders and people.
Quote ID: 8458
Time Periods: 3
Book ID: 396 Page: 187
Section: 4B
By the year 290, the paradigm of patronage which operated in the churches was largely a religious form of the traditional Roman one. By claiming ownership of the gifts of God and of his people, the clergy operated as patrons of spiritual benefits, as well as material. By concentrating spiritual benefits in their positions and material resources in institutional chests, they restricted or eliminated individual initiative in doing good. Broad-scale benevolence, gratitude and honor became phenomena of the past. In an important sense, the community ceased to be Christian.
Quote ID: 8459
Time Periods: 3
End of quotes