The Challenge of Homer: School, Pagan Poets and Early Christianity

The Challenge of Homer:
School, Pagan Poets and Early Christianity......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Abbreviations......Page 11
Note on Sources......Page 16
Preface......Page 17
Part 1: School, Homer and Encyclical Education in Antiquity......Page 18
1.1 A Young Boy’s Textbook and a Big Challenge......Page 20
1.2 Literacy and Education among the Christians......Page 22
1.3 Is Greek Education Mentioned in the New Testament?......Page 25
1.4 The Aim of this Study......Page 26
1.5 Method......Page 28
2.1 Introductory Comments......Page 33
2.2 Sources......Page 35
2.3 The Marrou Tradition: A Tripartite Educational Pattern......Page 37
2.3.1 Criticism of Marrou......Page 43
2.3.1.1 Quintilian......Page 45
2.4 Teaching Methods and Discipline......Page 48
2.5 Looking for a Teacher – Starting a Climb to the Top......Page 50
2.6 Girls Participating as Well?......Page 53
3. The Pivotal Role of Homer......Page 57
3.1 Homer: the Omniscient......Page 61
3.2 Homer: the Inspired......Page 62
3.3 Homer: Forming the Identity of a Culture......Page 64
3.4 Homer: Interpreted and Criticized......Page 66
4. Knowledge and Formation: The Insuffiency of Encyclical Education......Page 76
4.1 Teachers as Artisans: An Aristocratic Tradition......Page 78
4.2 What Does Teaching Do to the Students? Some Illustrations......Page 79
4.3 Propaideutic......Page 81
4.4 Penelope and her Maidservants......Page 82
4.5 Becoming a Good Man (vir bonus)......Page 83
5. Philo of Alexandria: A Hellenistic Jew on Greek Education......Page 85
5.1 Sarah and Hagar......Page 86
5.2 ‘Pre-school’......Page 88
5.3 Why Encyclical Studies?......Page 91
5.4 Real Paideia: The Law of Moses......Page 94
6. Summary of Part 1......Page 96
Part 2: The Christian Agôn over Encyclical Studies in the first Centuries C.E.......Page 98
7.1 Justin Martyr......Page 101
7.2 Tatian: A Student of Justin......Page 104
7.3 Two Ps.Justins......Page 109
8. The Apostolic Tradition: Prohibited Occupations......Page 114
9. The Teaching of the Apostles (Didaskalia Apostolorum) and Syriac tradition: "Avoid all the Books of the Gentiles"......Page 119
10.1 A Pattern of Insurmountable Contrasts......Page 128
10.2 On Idolatry......Page 131
11.1 Clement of Alexandria: Propaideia Protects Faith......Page 141
11.1.1 Adversaries......Page 142
11.1.2 Encyclical Studies are Conducive to Faith......Page 143
11.1.3 Useful or Faith Alone?......Page 146
11.1.4 Supportive Evidence......Page 149
11.1.5 Acting Like Odysseus’ Crew or Like Odysseus Himself......Page 151
11.2.1 Origen According to Eusebius......Page 157
11.2.2 A Student Praising his Teacher: Being Trained in Distinctio......Page 159
11.2.3 Origen to His Student Gregory: Plundering the Egyptians......Page 161
11.2.4 The Threefold Wisdom of the Greeks Borrowed from Solomon......Page 164
11.3 Origen and Celsos: Christian faith for the Unlearned?......Page 166
11.3.1 Celsus’ Critique Drawn from Christian New Testament
Interpretation......Page 169
11.3.2 Private and Unskilled......Page 174
11.4 The Alexandrian ‘Summary’......Page 175
12. Flavius Claudius Julianus - Emperor and Apostate: Christian Teachers are Immoral......Page 177
12.1 A Law Concerning Christian Teachers......Page 178
12.2 Imperial Rhetoric Inspired by Aristotle and the Bible......Page 186
13.1 Basil of Caesarea/Basil the Great: Ad adolescentes......Page 190
13.1.2 Preparation......Page 191
13.1.3 Learning from Pagan Poets: The Sirens and the Bees......Page 194
13.1.4 Separating Virtue from Vice......Page 197
13.1.5 Mastering the Desires......Page 199
13.1.6 Basil Summarizes......Page 200
13.2 Gregory of Nazianzus’ Encomium for Basil......Page 202
13.3 Gregory of Nyssa’s Life of Moses......Page 205
14.1 Renunciation......Page 213
14.2 Greek Education and the Wisdom of Christ (1 Cor. 1–2)......Page 217
14.3 Jerome Ambivalent......Page 218
14.4 Jerome Defends Paul or Rather Vice Versa: Commentary on
Paul’s Letter to Titus......Page 222
14.5 Encyclical Studies Taught in a Christian Setting – Towards
Monastery Schools?......Page 225
15.1 Liberal Studies and Conversion......Page 231
15.2 De doctrina Christiana......Page 235
15.2.1 Uti and Frui......Page 237
15.2.2 Truth, Wherever Found, Belongs to God: The Gold of the Egyptians......Page 239
15.2.3 Knowledge Produced or Found......Page 244
16.1 Common Ground – Talking at Cross-Purposes......Page 248
16.3 Encyclical Studies Cannot Be Avoided......Page 251
16.4 Advocates of Encyclical Studies......Page 252
16.5 Arguments Employed in the Debate......Page 253
16.5.1 The Critics......Page 254
16.5.2 The Advocates......Page 255
16.5.3 Acting Like Bees......Page 258
16.5.4 All or Nothing?......Page 259
Part 3: Looking Back to the New Testament......Page 262
17.1 General Observations......Page 264
17.2 Paul on Encyclical Studies?......Page 267
17.2.1 Paul’s Greek Education......Page 268
17.2.2 ‘Gymnastics of the Soul’ – a Reversal of Values......Page 272
17.2.3 Robert S. Dutch......Page 274
17.2.4 A Propaideutic Logic in Galatians?......Page 276
17.2.5 ΠΡΟΚΟΠΗ and Usus in Philippians?......Page 280
17.2.5.1 Phil 4.8-9......Page 281
17.3 Summarizing Paul on Encyclical Studies......Page 286
18. Conclusion: Drawing the Findings Together......Page 289
Primary Sources, Texts and Translations......Page 296
Literature......Page 302
Index of References......Page 323
Index of Authors......Page 334