Power and Rhetoric in the Ecclesiastical Correspondence of Constantine the Great PDF
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Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies POWER AND RHETORIC IN THE ECCLESIASTICAL CORRESPONDENCE OF CONSTANTINE THE GREAT Andrew J. Pottenger Power and Rhetoric in the Ecclesiastical Correspondence of Constantine the Great This volume closely examines patterns of rhetoric in surviving correspondence by the Roman emperor Constantine on conflicts among Christians that occurred during his reign, primarily the ‘Donatist schism’ and ‘Arian controversy’. Commonly remembered as the ‘first Christian emperor’ of the Roman Empire, Constantine’s rule sealed a momentous alliance between church and state for more than a millennium. His well-known involvement with Christianity led him to engage with two major disputes that divided his Christian subjects: the ‘Donatist schism’ centred, from the emperor’s perspective, on determining the rightful bishop of Carthage, and the so-called ‘Arian controversy’, a theological conflict about the proper understanding of the Son’s divine nature in relation to that of the Father. This book examines a number of letters associated with Constantine that directly address both of these disagreements, exploring his point of view and motivations to better understand how and why this emperor applied his power to internal church divisions. Based on a close analysis of prominent themes and their functions in the rhetoric of his correspondence, Pottenger argues that three ‘doctrines of power’ served to inform and direct Constantine’s use of power as he engaged with these problems of schism and heresy. Power and Rhetoric in the Ecclesiastical Correspondence of Constantine the Great is of interest to students and scholars of early Christianity and the history of the later Roman Empire. Andrew J. Pottenger graduated with a PhD in Church History from the University of Manchester in 2019. Andrew has presented papers on subjects con- cerning power and rhetoric in Constantine’s correspondence at various confer- ences and research seminars in the United Kingdom and the United States. He has taught in courses related to the history of Christianity in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Bulgaria, and the United States. He is currently an adjunct instructor in church history at Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs, Colorado (United States), where he lives with his wife, Gina. Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies Recent titles include: The Aeneid and the Modern World Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Vergil’s Epic in the 20th and 21st Centuries Edited by J.R. 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Power and Rhetoric in the Ecclesiastical Correspondence of Constantine the Great Andrew J. Pottenger First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Andrew J. Pottenger The right of Andrew J. Pottenger to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-1-032-10515-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-10517-8 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-21567-7 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003215677 Typeset in Times New Roman by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India To my wife, Gina Home will always be where you are In loving memory of Mary ‘Nona’ Rotz who passed away as research for this book was completed Contents Acknowledgements viii Abbreviations x Introduction 1 1 The Constantinian correspondence on ecclesiastical conflicts 23 2 The doctrine of divine favour and agency 62 3 The doctrine of ecclesiastical unity 97 4 The doctrine of resistance and compromise: The Donatist schism 129 5 The doctrine of resistance and compromise: The ‘Arian controversy’ 156 6 Projecting imperial power in ecclesiastical affairs (325–337) 187 Conclusion 225 Appendix: List of analysed imperial documents 233 Bibliography 236 Index 258 Acknowledgements This book is a revised version of a doctoral thesis completed at the University of Manchester. I would like to thank Dr Geordan Hammond and Dr Andrew T. Fear: I could not have asked for a better team to supervise the thesis, and I am grate- ful for their time and effort in helping me see it through to completion. Special thanks are also due to Professor Mark Humphries and Dr Thomas A. Noble, who served as my examiners: for their kind words and helpful suggestions during a truly pleasurable experience discussing that work with both of them. The initial research was completed in partnership with Nazarene Theological College (NTC) in Manchester, and I am grateful to them for the years of personal investment and scholarly support. I also thank the University, NTC, and the Ecclesiastical History Society for providing opportunities to present some of these ideas in various forms at research seminars and conferences. The encouragement and challenging criticism received in the collegial environment of British academia contributed significantly to the dedication and joy with which I pursued the thesis to success- ful completion. The present study benefited from the support offered by staff at the University Library and the library at NTC. I would like to thank Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, United Kingdom, for providing a perfect environment for study and reflection away from other pressing concerns and distractions. Thanks are also due to NTC for the gift of a small scholarship that allowed me to enjoy an addi- tional week of study at Gladstone’s Library. I am deeply grateful to Harold A. Drake, professor emeritus at the University of California in Santa Barbara, and Professor Clifford Ando from the University of Chicago, both of whom have pro- vided valuable encouragement via e-mail at various points throughout the pro- cess of seeing this work through to publication. Both of them provided articles or chapters of their own research that I found helpful. I would like to thank James Corke-Webster, Barbara Saylor Rodgers, and Simon Corcoran for also gener- ously providing me with published materials from their work at my request. No one named is in any way responsible for what errors or faults are in this book. Portions of the book’s second chapter appeared in the following publication under my authorship and are used by permission here: ‘The “Servant of God”: Divine Favour and Instrumentality under Constantine the Great, 318-25’, Studies in Church History, Vol. 54: Church and Empire (Stewart J. Brown, Charlotte Acknowledgements ix Methuen, and Andrew Spicer, eds.; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018), 31–45. No work of this kind is ever completed without the support and contributions of many other colleagues, students, friends, and family members. Writing down everyone’s name along with stories of how each contributed to this work might have turned into its own book-length project, but each one of you are remembered with heartfelt gratitude. I would like to thank the editorial team at Routledge, particularly Marcia Adams, for guidance and support throughout the publication process. Thanks are also due to the anonymous reviewers whose critique and sug- gestions helped make this a better work. I am grateful beyond words to my par- ents and parents-in-law for their unwavering love, example, and generosity from which I have drawn so much of the necessary motivation and persistence in get- ting this work done. Finally, I leave the place of greatest honour in offering loving gratitude to my wife, Gina, who has without hesitation sacrificed far more than we both expected so that this project could see the light of day.
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