The Letters of Jerome: Asceticism, Biblical Exegesis, and the Construction of Christian Authority in Late Antiquity (Oxford Early Christian Studies)

301 Pages·2009·2.81 MB·English

by  Andrew Cain

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The Letters of Jerome
Asceticism, Biblical Exegesis, and the
Construction of Christian Authority
in Late Antiquity
ANDREW CAIN
1
3
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Cain,Andrew.
ThelettersofJerome:asceticism,biblicalexegesis,andtheconstruction
ofChristianauthorityinlateantiquity/AndrewCain.
p. cm.–(OxfordearlyChristianstudies)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-19-956355-5(alk.paper)
1.Jerome,Saint,d.419or20–Correspondence.
2.Christiansaints–Correspondence. I.Title.
BR1720.J5C25 2009 270.2092–dc22
2008046067
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ISBN 978–0–19–956355–5
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Foreword
This book offers a fresh interpretation of Jerome’s letters and uses
themasthepointofreferenceforunravellingsomeintriguingprob-
lemsaboutthenatureoftheirauthor’sself-constructedspiritualand
intellectual authority. My hope is that it will be of use not only to
HieronymistsandscholarsoftheLatinepistolographictraditionbut
alsotothosewhocultivateinterestsbroadlyintheliterature,religion,
history,culture,andlawofthelateantiqueworld.
This study traces its roots back to my 2003 Cornell University
doctoraldissertation,whichwasdirectedbyDanutaShanzer.Several
chapters of the dissertation have since been extensively revised and
publishedasarticles.Thisbook,partsofwhichnaturallydrawfrom
andbuildontheresearchpresentedintheseandotherrelatedpapers,
hasbeenwrittenentirelydenovo.
I have benefited richly from exchanges with a number of friends
andcolleagues,manyofwhomwerekindenoughtoreadandcom-
ment on various aspects of my work: Neil Adkin, Charles Brittain,
GillianClark,CatherineConybeare,FlorinCurta,Yves-MarieDuval,
JenniferEbbeler,AlfonsFürst,RichardGoodrich,DavidHunter,Paul
Hyams,BenoîtJeanjean,AdamKamesar,PeterKnox,ClaudiaRapp,
Stefan Rebenich, Philip Rousseau, Michele Salzman, David Scour-
field,CristianaSogno,DennisTrout,andMarkVessey.NoelLenski,
myClassicscolleagueandfellowlateantiquarianattheUniversityof
Colorado, was a sounding board for the seminal ideas presented in
thisbook.Hisencouragementofthisprojectfromitsinception,and
his advice along the way, enabled this book to see the light of day
sooner. My trans-oceanic collaboration with Josef Lössl on multiple
frontshasbeenthesourceofmuchpersonalandprofessionalsatisfac-
tionandhasenhancedmyresearchinmanyintangibleways.Iwishto
thank Richard Goodrich, David Hunter, and Sophie Lunn-Rockliffe
for graciously providing me with the proofs of their books on John
Cassian,Jovinian,andAmbrosiaster,respectively,wellinadvanceof
theirappearanceinprintintheOxfordEarlyChristianStudiesseries.
I am grateful, above all, to Danuta Shanzer and Ralph Mathisen for
vi Foreword
theirbountyofgood-humouredadviceovertheyears,withoutwhich
thedissertationanditsensuingbookwouldneverhavematerialized.
TheyaloneknowhowmuchIowethem.
Oneofthegreatestboonstomyresearchcameattheinternational
conference ‘Jerome of Stridon: Religion, Culture, Society and Liter-
atureinLateAntiquity’(CardiffUniversity,13–16July2006),which
Ico-organizedwithJosefLössl.Thespiritofintellectualexploration
andcamaraderiethatpermeatedthisgatheringstandsasareminder
thatthestudyofJeromeisaliveandwelllikeneverbefore.Itsproceed-
ings,currentlyinpresswithAshgatePublishingandentitledJeromeof
Stridon:HisLife,WritingsandLegacy,willappearataboutthesame
timeasthepresentbook.Aswillbeevidentfromthefootnotesherein,
Iamgreatlyindebtedtothemanylearnedcontributionscontainedin
thatvolume.IwishtothankmyeditoratAshgate,JohnSmedley,for
kindlyallowingmetoincorporateintoChapter3asmallportionof
mypaper‘RethinkingJerome’sPortraitsofHolyWomen’.
SomeofthecodicologicalresearchthatinformsChapters1and3
and Appendix III was conducted at the Bibliothèque nationale de
FranceinParisduringthemonthofAprilin2006.Fortheduration
of my month-long stay I was fortunate to have lodged with Yves-
Marie Duval and his wife Ginette at their home in Meudon. I am
enormously grateful for their invitation and generous hospitality.
Yves-Marie’spassingon12March2007wasablowtotheworldwide
community of Hieronymists. He was as humane as his scholarship
was impeccable. I learned much from him and shall always treasure
ourfriendship.
Thisbookwasreadandcommentedonatdifferentstagesbymany
scholarswhomitisanimmensepleasuretorecognizeherebyname:
Charles Brittain, Gillian Clark, Yves-Marie Duval, David Hunter,
Noel Lenski, Josef Lössl, Stefan Rebenich, and Danuta Shanzer.
Gerard O’Daly, who has consented to be revealed as the external
readeratOxfordUniversityPress,deliveredacomprehensive,timely,
and helpful review. Words cannot express my gratitude to all of the
readers for their judicious criticisms and suggestions. I have tried
meticulously to address each and every point brought up by them.
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatanyremainingfaultsaremyown.
The staff at Oxford University Press could not have guided this
book to publication any more smoothly or efficiently. For all of
Foreword vii
their assistance I offer my heart-felt thanks, in particular to Tom
Perridge, Lizzie Robottom, Charlotte Green, Jenny Wagstaffe, and
KartigaRamalingam.IalsowishtoacknowledgeDrPaulSmithand
Dr Michael Janes for their expert copy-editing and proofreading.
WarmthanksareduetoGillianClarkandAndrewLouth,editorsof
theOxfordEarlyChristianStudiesseries,foracceptingthisbookinto
their series. The cover image, which captures part of an illuminated
pagefroma1470editionofJerome’scorrespondenceprintedbyPeter
Schöffer,wasgraciouslyprovidedbyDrUeliDill,curatorofmedieval
manuscriptsattheUniversityofBasellibrary.
AttheUniversityofColoradoIthankmycolleaguesintheClassics
Department,aswellasDeansGrahamOddieandToddGleeson,for
theirunfailingsupportonmanylevelssincemyarrivalinBoulderin
2003. Grants from the Council on Research and Creative Work and
from the Graduate Committee on the Arts and Humanities at the
University of Colorado facilitated my research, as did funding from
theLoebClassicalLibraryFoundationatHarvardUniversity.
Finally, I must thank my parents, Susan and Cecil Cain, and my
grandparents, Lenora and James Russell, for all that they have done
for me over the years to contribute to my formation; words cannot
adequatelyexpressmyprofoundsenseofgratitude.Iammostimme-
diately thankful to my wife Anna for always keeping me grounded,
andtoourtwoyoungboys,TommyandJames,forneverlettingme
forgetthatthereisfarmoretolifethanlong-deadchurchwriters.
Boulder,Colorado a.j.c.
2008
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Contents
ListofAbbreviations xi
Introduction 1
1. ‘TheVoiceofOneCallingintheDesert’ 13
Epistularumaddiversosliber:StructureandContents 13
Hieronymuseremita:TheTextualized‘Saint’ 20
RhetoricandReproach 25
AnAsceticConversionStoryinLetters 30
Introducing...Jerome 33
2. APopeandHisScholar 43
JeromeonDamasusonJerome:RevisionistReminiscences 43
TheGreatCommission 48
TheCorrespondence:‘HebrewVerity’andAmbrosiaster 53
3. ClaimingMarcella 68
AdMarcellamepistularumliber:StructureandContents 68
Hagiography,Hermeneutics,Hebrew,andHeretics 71
SealingaSpiritualandScholarlyLegacy 89
4. ExpulsionfromRome 99
TheologicalControversy 100
TheGatheringStorm:Blesilla’sDeath 102
TheBeginningoftheEnd 105
The‘DisgraceofaFalseCharge’ 106
Paula’sSeducer? 110
TheCaseagainstJerome:TrialandConviction 114
Exileofa‘Prophet’ 124
5. TheEmbattledAsceticSage 129
Jerome’sPersonal,Theological,andEcclesiasticalProfiles 130
Jerome’sSpiritualAdvice 144
Legitimization 166