00555 - Ancient Christian Literature

Academic Year 2022/2023

Learning outcomes

The course leads the student to know ancient Christian Literature in its historical development, and in its connection with jewish and graeco-roman tradition and with literary genres. The student will learn how to read and analyze ancient Christian texts.

Course contents

Few characters have left their mark on Western 'eschatological' imaginary as the 'Antichrist': from Alexander the Great to Nero, from Irenaeus to Iron Maiden, many have been fascinated by or have alternatively become an incarnation of this 'myth'. The course aims to expose and explore the literary and historical roots of the figure of the Antichrist, as well as the developments and the re-inventions that it underwent through the first centuries of early Christian literary production and reflections on the end of times.

The first module (Module 1; 30h; D. Tripaldi) will focus on Jewish literature of Graeco-Roman times, New Testament texts of any relevances, and 2nd century authors (Polycarp of Smyrne; Irenaeus of Lyons).
The second module (Module 2; 30h; A. Villani) will be devoted to 3rd-5th century literary production (Hippolytus; Tertullian; Origen; Victorinus of Pettau; Jerome; Augustine).

Readings/Bibliography

a) Anthology of texts

 

– G.L. Potestà-M. Rizzi, L’Anticristo, vol. I: Il nemico dei tempi finali. Testi dal II al IV secolo, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Mondadori, Milano 2005;

vol. II: Il figlio della perdizione. Testi dal IV al XII secolo, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Mondadori, Milano 2012 [limitatamente alla Parte prima, su Girolamo ed Agostino].

 

b) Literary Outline

 

– C. Moreschini-E. Norelli, Storia della Letteratura Cristiana Antica Greca e Latina, Morcelliana, Brescia 1995-1996 (Vol. 1: §§ VII [Disciplina ecclestiastica - Omelie: da Didaché a Melitone] pp. 193-210, X [Gli apologisti greci: da Giustino Martire in avanti] pp. 291-310, XIII-XV [Ireneo e Ippolito; Alessandria - Clemente; Origene] pp. 325-431, XVIII [La letteratura cristiana d'Africa: solo Tertulliano e Cipriano] pp. 473-541, XIX [L'età dei tetrarchi e di Costantino: solo Eusebio di Cesarea] pp. 583-605; Vol. 2 [N.B. in due tomi]: §§ IV [I Padri Cappadoci] pp. 126-189, V [La scuola Antiochena: fino a Teodoreto di Cirro] pp. 195-247, X [L'ambiente Romano: solo Gerolamo e Rufino] pp. 414-451, XIII [Agostino] pp. 509-571);

Nuova edizione 2019-2020 (Vol.1: VII [Disciplina ecclestiastica - Omelie: da Didaché a Melitone], X [Gli apologisti greci: da Giustino Martire in avanti], XIII-XV [Ireneo e Ippolito; Alessandria - Clemente; Origene], XIII-XV [Ireneo e Ippolito; Alessandria - Clemente; Origene], XVIII [La letteratura cristiana d'Africa: solo Tertulliano e Cipriano], XIX [L'età dei tetrarchi e di Costantino: solo Eusebio di Cesarea]; Vol. 2: [N.B. in due tomi]: Tomo I: V [I Padri Cappadoci], XI [L'ambiente romano: solo Rufino di Aquileia]; XVI [Gerolamo]; Tomo II: I [Agostino], VII [La scuola antiochena: fino a Teodoreto di Cirro]).

 

c) Essays

 

– Ch. Badilita, Métamorphoses de l’Antichrist chez les Pères de l’Église, Théologie historique 116, Beauchesne, Paris 2005;

– A. D'Anna-E. Valeriani, L'ultimo nemico di Dio: il ruolo dell’Anticristo nel cristianesimo antico e tardoantico, Edizioni Dehoniane, Bologna 2013;

– K.L. Hughes, Constructing Antichrist: Paul, Biblical Commentary, and the Development of Doctrine in Early Middle Ages, The Catholic University of America Press, Washington D.C. 2005;

– M. Kusio, The Antichrist Tradition in Antiquity: Antimessianism in Second Temple and early Christian Literature, WUNT II/532, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2020;

– L.J. Lietaert Peerbolte, The Antecedents of Antichrist: A Traditio-Historical Study of the Earliest Christian Views on Eschatological Opponents, SJSJ 49, Brill, Leiden 1996;

– B. McGinn, Antichrist: Two Thousand Years of the Human Fascination with Evil, Columbia University Press, New York 2000 [19941] (tr. it.: L’Anticristo: 2000 anni di fascinazione del male, tr. di Elena Campominosi, Corbaccio, Milano 1996); 

– M. Rizzi, Anticristo: L’inizio della fine del mondo, Il Mulino, Bologna 2015.

Teaching methods

Lectures; use of bibliographic and electronic databases.

Assessment methods

Oral exam. Students will have to prove

  • to have read and be able to interpret early Christian literary production, supplementing and integrating class notes with the anthology of texts quoted supra in Bibliography, point a);
  • to be able to discuss the main problems arising from a critical reading of the works of early Christian literature, with the help of the critical introduction quoted supra in Bibliography, point b);

Additionally, students who cannot attend the lessons will substitute class notes with two (6 CFU) or four (12 CFU) chapters of their choice from the books listed supra in Bibliography, point c).

More to the point, skills will be assessed according to the following guidelines:
- failing grade (< 18): lack of knowledge of early Christian literature; inability to provide a correct interpretation of texts; lacking notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.
- passing grade (between 18 and 24): elementary knowledge of early Christian literature; interpretation of texts is partially correct, but lacks accuracy and autonomy; schematic knowledge of the notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.
- positive grade (between 24 and 30): good knowledge of early Christian literature; interpretation of texts is correct, but mostly superficial and not entirely autonomous; good knowledge of the notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.
- excellent grade (30L): in-depth knowledge of early Christian literature; ability to interpret, contextualize and critically compare texts in detail and in full autonomy; full acquaintance with the notions of literary history and the exegetical approaches relevant for the understanding and contextualization of the works under scrutiny.

Teaching tools

Computer and projector; bibliographic and electronic databases; fotocopies; texts and segments of texts in PDF format uploaded by the teacher as teaching materials (downloadable from https://iol.unibo.it).

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Tripaldi

See the website of Andrea Villani

SDGs

Good health and well-being Quality education Gender equality Reduced inequalities

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.