Christianity’s Quiet Success: The Eusebius Gallicanus Sermon Collection and the Power of the Church in Late Antique Gaul

289 Pages·2010·1.36 MB·English

by  Lisa Bailey

“Christianity’s Quiet Success makes an original contribution to the field that
significantly improves our understanding of the complexity of Christian belief and l i s a k a a r e n b a i l e y
practice in late antique Gaul. The book brings a little-known collection of texts to
the forefront and offers a series of important insights into their composition and
function, which dispel previous scholarly confusion about them.”
—George Demacopoulos, Fordham University
“This is a model study. With a deft survey of the evidence and an eye for telling
detail, Lisa Bailey has substantially added to our understanding of preaching,
modes of persuasion, and everyday religious practice in late antique Gaul. Sins
and sinners, problems of faith, the troubling facts of injustice, the shared work of
salvation—all are illuminated in this penetrating analysis.”
—William E. Klingshirn, The Catholic University of America
“A thorough study of the Eusebius Gallicanus collection was long due, in
particular a study that is not focused only on the question of authorship. Lisa Christianity’s
Bailey convincingly shows that the collection was made for the average Gallic
preacher and that it can therefore provide a picture of late antique Christianity Quiet Success
that significantly differs from the one we get through the sermons of figures like
Augustine or Caesarius of Arles.”
The Eusebius Gallicanus Sermon Collection
—Eric Rebillard, Cornell University
and the Power of the Church in Late Antique Gaul
LISA KAAREN BAILEY is a senior lecturer in the Departments of
Classics and Ancient History and of History at the University of Auckland.
The Eusebius Gallicanus Sermon Collection
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME PRESS an d the Power of the
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 • undpress.nd.edu
Church in Late Antique Gaul
COVER DESIGN: FACEOUT STUDIO, NATE SALCICCIOLI
COVER IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
Christianity’s Quiet Success

£
l i s a k a a r e n b a i l e y
Christianity’s
Quiet Success
The Eusebius Gallicanus Sermon Collection
and the Power of the Church in Late Antique Gaul
University of Notre Dame Press
Notre Dame, Indiana
Copyright © 2010 by the University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
www.undpress.nd.edu
All Rights Reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bailey, Lisa Kaaren, 1974–
Christianity’s quiet success : the Eusebius Gallicanus sermon
collection and the power of the church in late antique Gaul /
Lisa Kaaren Bailey.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-268-02224-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-268-02224-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Eusebius Gallicanus collectio homiliarum. 2. Preaching—
Gaul—History—Early church, ca. 30–600. 3. Sermons, Early
Christian—Gaul—History and criticism. 4. Pastoral care—
Gaul—History. 5. Gaul—Church history. I. Title.
BV4208.G26B35 2010
251.00944'09021—dc22
2010033410
∞ The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence
and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for
Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
c o n t e n t s
Abbreviations and Note on Translations vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
one Preaching in Late Antique Gaul 16
two The Eusebius Gallicanus Sermon Collection 29
three Building Community 39
four Explaining the Faith 60
five Dealing with Sin 82
six Sermons to Monks 105
Conclusion 127
Epilogue 131
Appendix: Eusebius Gallicanus Manuscripts and Their Sigla 144
Notes 146
Bibliography 215
Index 255

a b b r e v i a t i o n s a n d
n o t e o n t r a n s l a t i o n s
CCSL Corpus Christianorum series latina
CSEL Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum latinorum
FC Fathers of the Church
GC Liber in gloria confessorum
GM Liber in gloria martyrum
LH Libri historiarum X
MA Miscellanea agostiniana
MGH AA Monumenta Germaniae historica: auctores antiquissimi
MGH SRM Monumenta Germaniae historica: scriptores rerum
Merovingicarum
PL Patrologiae cursus completus series latina
SC Sources chrétiennes
VJ Liber de passione et virtutibus sancti Iuliani martyris
VM Libri de virtutibus sancti Martini episcopi
VP Liber vitae patrum
vii
viii Abbreviations and Note on Translations
For the reader’s convenience I have referred to published translations
wherever these are available. Any alterations have been noted in the
references. Scriptural translations are those of the Revised Standard
Version unless the primary source departs substantially from that
text. All other translations are my own. Names of authors are given
in Latin versions except where there is a widely accepted Anglicised
alternative.
a c k n o w l e d g m e n t s
I owe thanks to more people than I can possibly name and to those
I do name, I owe more than I can possibly say. My advisor, Peter
Brown, displayed all the qualities of the best pastor, bestowing kind-
ness and encouragement when he perceived it was necessary, but al-
ways pushing me to think harder and do more. He is a leader by
example in his dedication and excitement. William Jordan chal-
lenged, provoked and inspired me. He is a model of scholarship. I
count myself extremely fortunate to have spent time working with
such great historians.
Many people have aided, over the many years, in making this a
much better project. For their patience, their ideas, their corrections,
their generosity in sharing work and their willingness to read drafts,
I particularly wish to thank: Kutlu Akalin, Rob Bailey, Angela Bell,
Scott Bruce, Malcolm Choat, James Cunningham, George Dema-
copoulos, François Dolbeau, Deanna Forsman, Campbell Grey,
Holly Grieco, Yitzhak Hen, Chris Hilliard, Robert Kaster, William
Klingshirn, Anne Lester, Emily Mackil, Jaclyn Maxwell, Volker
Menze, Kim Phillips and Kevin Uhalde. Zoë Smith provided
ix