This dissertation examines continuity and change in norms and practices related to children and childhood in the early Byzantine Empire from the 4th to 7th centuries. It analyzes how Christian thought and theology began to influence perceptions of children and impact daily family life. While Roman law gave fathers great authority over their households, Christianity sought to regulate private family matters and introduced new marital norms. Over time, Byzantine family law and social practices incorporated more explicitly Christian influences, though change was gradual. Christianity taught that all people, including children, were created in God's image and had inherent worth, shifting views away from seeing childhood as merely a transitional phase before adulthood.
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST and the Initiatic Visionary ExperienceWilliam John Meegan
Part 1 of this paper is a detail analysis of the Birth of Christ as outlined in the New Testament and its supporting sources. It analyzes the three nativity account in Matthew, Luke and John. John gospel refers to the first word of Genesis and PART 2 of this paper analyzes the first word of GENESIS: BERESHITH, which leads to a further discussion of the Initiatic Visionary Experience as outline in the BIRTH OF CHRIST.
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST and the Initiatic Visionary ExperienceWilliam John Meegan
Part 1 of this paper is a detail analysis of the Birth of Christ as outlined in the New Testament and its supporting sources. It analyzes the three nativity account in Matthew, Luke and John. John gospel refers to the first word of Genesis and PART 2 of this paper analyzes the first word of GENESIS: BERESHITH, which leads to a further discussion of the Initiatic Visionary Experience as outline in the BIRTH OF CHRIST.
Historical evidence for the authenticity of the BibleSarah Salviander
Evidence is presented to support the New Testament as a reliable record of the ministry of Jesus and of the early Christian church. The means by which the New Testament has been preserved are also examined. Presentation by John Darms.
Let us vote on each of the sayings on Jesus, a red bead for each truly authentic saying of Jesus, a pink bead when the saying sure sounds like Jesus, gray, maybe, a black bead for a saying Jesus could not have said, although centuries of biblical scholars thought and taught otherwise.
Using this voting method, the self-appointed members of the Jesus Seminar in 1985 pronounced that only fifteen sayings were truly said by Jesus, while another seventy-five sayings were probably words of Jesus. There were a few eminent scholars in the group, most were middling academics, none were from the most eminent theological universities. But it was great television, great headlines, great press, controversial conspiracies, grabbing ten minutes of fame for this or that ignorant expert.
The original attendees of the Jesus Seminar have mostly been forgotten, with only a spare mention by Dr Wikipedia, but unfortunately the historical Jesus baton was passed to Bart Ehrman, one of the foremost textual critics of the New Testament, which means his specialty is examining the ancient Greek manuscript texts for variants. Dr Timothy Johnson wrote a book disputing the claims of the historical Jesus, The Real Jesus, which will be our main source. This book first looks back to the history of the church since the Reformation, and in the United States since World War II and the GI Bill, to understand how such beliefs can become widespread.
In addition to Professor Johnson's book, The Real Jesus, we will be consulting other works. If you wish to purchase these books, these links will help support our channel with a small affiliate commission:
The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels, by Luke Timothy Johnson
https://amzn.to/3b0f77J
The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth, by Ben Witherington III
https://amzn.to/3C82S4O
Scripture in Tradition: The Bible and Its Interpretation in the Orthodox Church, by John Breck
https://amzn.to/3E5Kmuh
The History of Christian Theology, Audiobook, by Phillip Cary, The Great Courses
https://amzn.to/3m3l8qu
The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, by John Dominic Crossan
https://amzn.to/3CaZaYi
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith, by Marcus Borg
https://amzn.to/3puaHyk
The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon, Audiobook, by Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
https://amzn.to/3C6zQT2
The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History, Audiobook, by Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
https://amzn.to/2Zgcps4
These are my blogs on this topic:
https://wp.me/pachSU-5Z
https://wp.me/pachSU-63
https://wp.me/pachSU-7O
https://wp.me/pachSU-97
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
“Scripture Alone” was one of Luther’s slogans, the Luther who excelled at reducing complex theological arguments to simple slogans, the Luther who started the debate of Scripture vs. Tradition. Not all Reformation debates were new, but the debate of Scripture v. Tradition was a new debate, before the Reformation theologians had never debated whether Tradition was equal to Scriptures. Luther was the reformer who coined the phrase, Scripture Alone, and also, Faith Alone. As we see in our videos on Luther’s Catechism, Luther was a genius at coining memorable phrases and slogans.
The decrees of Vatican II no longer strive to be confrontational with the Protestant Churches but rather seeks dialogue with them as separated brethren. No longer does the official Catholic Church seek polemic arguments on topics such as Scripture vs. Tradition. One of the clerics whose writings most influenced the decrees of Vatican II was Yves Congar, including his work on the Meaning of Tradition.
We also discuss:
• How Yves Congar was one of the leading theologians of the Second Vatican Council.
• References to tradition in the Gospels and Pauline Epistles, and the dangers of proof-texting.
• References to Scripture and Tradition in the Council and Decrees of Trent, and Vatican II.
• Examples of Catholic Tradition in the Ecumenical Councils, the Didache, and St Augustine’s Confessions.
• Yves Congar’s reservations on the Protestant Theory of the Sufficiency of Scripture, and how Catholics believe in our personal relationship with Jesus, and the question, Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?
• How the release of the proceedings of the Council of Trent led to the publication of Herbert Jedine’s history of Trent and was the main source for John O’Malley’s excellent history of Vatican II.
• How Yves Congar’s book, Meaning of Tradition, is reflected in the Dogmatic Constitution covering Tradition and Scripture, Dei Verbum.
• Jedine’s history is the main source for John O’Malley’s book below.
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/tlTymS2Bxxo
This video is derived from our blogs:
https://wp.me/pachSU-ls
https://wp.me/pachSU-lC
Please support our channel, if you wish to purchase these Amazon books we receive a small affiliate commission:
The Meaning of Tradition, by Yves Congar
https://amzn.to/2ZfgHQ9
What Happened at Vatican II, by John W. O'Malley
https://amzn.to/3lY5xJb
What Happened at Vatican II, by John W. O'Malley, Kindle Edition
https://amzn.to/3sJa97e
A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II, by Edward P. Hahnenberg
https://amzn.to/3miAZ39
Historical evidence for the authenticity of the BibleSarah Salviander
Evidence is presented to support the New Testament as a reliable record of the ministry of Jesus and of the early Christian church. The means by which the New Testament has been preserved are also examined. Presentation by John Darms.
Let us vote on each of the sayings on Jesus, a red bead for each truly authentic saying of Jesus, a pink bead when the saying sure sounds like Jesus, gray, maybe, a black bead for a saying Jesus could not have said, although centuries of biblical scholars thought and taught otherwise.
Using this voting method, the self-appointed members of the Jesus Seminar in 1985 pronounced that only fifteen sayings were truly said by Jesus, while another seventy-five sayings were probably words of Jesus. There were a few eminent scholars in the group, most were middling academics, none were from the most eminent theological universities. But it was great television, great headlines, great press, controversial conspiracies, grabbing ten minutes of fame for this or that ignorant expert.
The original attendees of the Jesus Seminar have mostly been forgotten, with only a spare mention by Dr Wikipedia, but unfortunately the historical Jesus baton was passed to Bart Ehrman, one of the foremost textual critics of the New Testament, which means his specialty is examining the ancient Greek manuscript texts for variants. Dr Timothy Johnson wrote a book disputing the claims of the historical Jesus, The Real Jesus, which will be our main source. This book first looks back to the history of the church since the Reformation, and in the United States since World War II and the GI Bill, to understand how such beliefs can become widespread.
In addition to Professor Johnson's book, The Real Jesus, we will be consulting other works. If you wish to purchase these books, these links will help support our channel with a small affiliate commission:
The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels, by Luke Timothy Johnson
https://amzn.to/3b0f77J
The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth, by Ben Witherington III
https://amzn.to/3C82S4O
Scripture in Tradition: The Bible and Its Interpretation in the Orthodox Church, by John Breck
https://amzn.to/3E5Kmuh
The History of Christian Theology, Audiobook, by Phillip Cary, The Great Courses
https://amzn.to/3m3l8qu
The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, by John Dominic Crossan
https://amzn.to/3CaZaYi
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith, by Marcus Borg
https://amzn.to/3puaHyk
The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon, Audiobook, by Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
https://amzn.to/3C6zQT2
The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History, Audiobook, by Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
https://amzn.to/2Zgcps4
These are my blogs on this topic:
https://wp.me/pachSU-5Z
https://wp.me/pachSU-63
https://wp.me/pachSU-7O
https://wp.me/pachSU-97
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
“Scripture Alone” was one of Luther’s slogans, the Luther who excelled at reducing complex theological arguments to simple slogans, the Luther who started the debate of Scripture vs. Tradition. Not all Reformation debates were new, but the debate of Scripture v. Tradition was a new debate, before the Reformation theologians had never debated whether Tradition was equal to Scriptures. Luther was the reformer who coined the phrase, Scripture Alone, and also, Faith Alone. As we see in our videos on Luther’s Catechism, Luther was a genius at coining memorable phrases and slogans.
The decrees of Vatican II no longer strive to be confrontational with the Protestant Churches but rather seeks dialogue with them as separated brethren. No longer does the official Catholic Church seek polemic arguments on topics such as Scripture vs. Tradition. One of the clerics whose writings most influenced the decrees of Vatican II was Yves Congar, including his work on the Meaning of Tradition.
We also discuss:
• How Yves Congar was one of the leading theologians of the Second Vatican Council.
• References to tradition in the Gospels and Pauline Epistles, and the dangers of proof-texting.
• References to Scripture and Tradition in the Council and Decrees of Trent, and Vatican II.
• Examples of Catholic Tradition in the Ecumenical Councils, the Didache, and St Augustine’s Confessions.
• Yves Congar’s reservations on the Protestant Theory of the Sufficiency of Scripture, and how Catholics believe in our personal relationship with Jesus, and the question, Do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?
• How the release of the proceedings of the Council of Trent led to the publication of Herbert Jedine’s history of Trent and was the main source for John O’Malley’s excellent history of Vatican II.
• How Yves Congar’s book, Meaning of Tradition, is reflected in the Dogmatic Constitution covering Tradition and Scripture, Dei Verbum.
• Jedine’s history is the main source for John O’Malley’s book below.
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/tlTymS2Bxxo
This video is derived from our blogs:
https://wp.me/pachSU-ls
https://wp.me/pachSU-lC
Please support our channel, if you wish to purchase these Amazon books we receive a small affiliate commission:
The Meaning of Tradition, by Yves Congar
https://amzn.to/2ZfgHQ9
What Happened at Vatican II, by John W. O'Malley
https://amzn.to/3lY5xJb
What Happened at Vatican II, by John W. O'Malley, Kindle Edition
https://amzn.to/3sJa97e
A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II, by Edward P. Hahnenberg
https://amzn.to/3miAZ39
GNOSTICISM and HERESY Proportional to the Teachings of the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHWilliam John Meegan
I advise those that don’t know my research to get acquainted with it otherwise much of what will be discussed in this paper will make little or no sense at all.
Throughout my life I considered myself an initiate and devoted believer in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church; though, I surpassed its rudimentary teachings some time ago I am still amazed at its incredible artistic and mystical structure and how the Church is fulfilling the mission that Christ entrusted to its care since the dawn of Christianity. Everything about the Roman Catholic Church and its mythoi (historicity) informs the soul as to the WHYS and WHEREFORES of it trials and tribulations in its quest for knowledge of the WORD OF GOD. Such research on the mythoi of Christianity explains what life is all about. In a very real sense my studies into the literature, artworks and monuments of Christianity is my personal prayer to God.
It can be said, truthfully, without prejudice that Gnosticism and Heresy collectively symbolize the myriad forms of belief systems that spring out of the psyche: i.e. ego-consciousness and the unconscious mind of individual initiates meditating on the original narratives of Christianity; because, modernity is led to believe that initially there was, at the time, no standardized religious educational system that informed the vast majority of the populace (laity) as to what the standardized Christian belief system entailed. Or let us say this is the mythoi vis-à-vis the dawn of Christianity that has been past down to posterity by those that wrote the sacred scriptures.
Personally, I beg to differ that this is what Gnosticism and Heresy is all about; however, I do believe that Gnosticism and Heresy were conceived and written by highly knowledgeable orthodox Catholics theologians. One of the most glaring truths about Gnosticism and Heresy in contrast to the Catholic Church is that the narrative structure and demeanor of the four gospels of the New Testament in contrast to the Gnostic Gospels and those of the heretics is that the literary ambiance of the New Testament has far more sophistication to its storyline and content as to what a historical document should look like. It is as if the Gnostic and Heretical writings were conceived as cat’s paws to teach the esotericism of the New Testament. I do not deny the true and valid spiritual teachings of the Gnostic and Heretical texts; however, these were only conceived as cat’s paws by the authors of the Old and New Testaments in order to fine-tune those texts as Christian historicity and to validate the reasons for them to be writing esoterically in the manner in which they were. Gnostic and Heretical texts never claim a historicity in fact they claim the extreme opposite of that mode of thought. Another very important clue that Gnosticism and Heresies were conceived by the early Christian theologians is the fact that esotericism is NEVER DISCUSSED. Now isn’t that an eye-opener.
Write An Essay On The Importance Of Education - SHALOMEC.ORG. Short Essay on Education and Its Advantages | Literacy | Quality Of Life. Essay writing tips and examples. 24 Greatest College Essay Examples – RedlineSP. College Essay Format: Simple Steps to Be Followed. ️ International education essay. Short Essay on the Importance of .... Essays on Educat
Adam and Eve asHistorical People, andWhy It MattersC. J.docxdaniahendric
Adam and Eve as
Historical People, and
Why It Matters*
C. John Collins
The best way to account for both the biblical presentation of human life and our own
experience in the world is to suppose that Adam and Eve were real persons, and the
forebears of all other human beings. The biblical presentation concerns not simply
the story in Genesis and the biblical passages that refer to it, but also the larger
biblical storyline, which deals with God’s good creation invaded by sin, for which
God has a redemptive plan; Israel’s calling to be a light to the nations; and the
church’s prospect of successfully bringing God’s light to the whole world. The biblical
presentation further concerns the unique role and dignity of the human race, which
is a matter of daily experience for everyone: all people yearn for God and need him,
depend on him to deal with their sinfulness, and crave a wholesome community
for their lives to flourish.
T
hroughout most of the church’s
history, Christians, like the Jews
from whom they sprang, have
believed that the biblical Adam and Eve
were actual persons, from whom all
other human beings are descended, and
whose disobedience to God brought sin
into human experience. Educated west-
ern Christians today probably do not
grant much weight to this historical con-
sensus. After all, they reason, for much
of the church’s history, most Christians
thought that creation took place in the
recent past over the course of six calen-
dar days, and even that the earth was the
physical center of the universe. We are
right to argue that we do not change the
basic content of Christianity if we revise
these views, even drastically. Effective
revisions are the ones that result from
a closer reading of the Bible itself—when,
after further review, we no longer think
that the Bible “teaches” such things.
Well, then, may we not study the Bible
more closely and revise the traditional
understanding of Adam and Eve as well,
without a threat to the faith?
Some of the factors that lead to ques-
tioning a real Adam and Eve include the
perceived impossibility that we could be
affected at our deepest level by anything
done long ago; the parallels between the
themes in Genesis and what we find in
stories from other Ancient Near Eastern
cultures (which lead some to conclude
that Genesis is just as “mythical” as
these other stories are); and advances
in biology that seem to push us further
away from any idea of an original hu-
man couple through whom sin and
Volume 62, Number 3, September 2010 147
Article
Jack Collins is professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary
in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a teen-aged herpetologist, and went to MIT
for his SB and SM (computer science and systems engineering, 1978), to Faith
Lutheran Seminary for his MDiv (1985), and to the University of Liverpool
for his PhD (Hebrew linguistics, 1989). He has been a research engineer,
a church-planter, and, since 1993, a teacher. His early work focused on the
gramm ...
THE PLATONIC AND NEOPLATONIC TRADITIONS AND ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITYDr Ian Ellis-Jones
Excerpts from a major thesis written by Dr Ian Ellis-Jones - copyright Ian Ellis-Jones - all rights reserved - for information only - commercial use (except by copyright holder) prohibited
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1. Childhood in the Early Byzantine Empire: Continuity and Change
Abstract
This dissertation studies continuity and change in selected norms and practices related
to children and childhood in the early Byzantine Empire. In correlation with the
prevalent ancient "schemes" of life, it focuses on the so-called "first stage" of
childhood, from birth until the age of seven. This is supplemented by an examination
of theories and practices concerning the child in utero, deemed necessary for a
comprehensive understanding of the child's place in thought and society. The study
begins with the reign of Constantine the Great (306-337), the first emperor who
actively favored Christianity, and concludes with the canons of the council In Trullo
(Constantinople, 691), which have much to say about family, children and other social
issues. The geographical scope of this study covers the territories of the Eastern
Roman Empire, with occasional references to its Western counterpart.
The first two chapters deal with methodological issues, and constitute the
theoretical part of this dissertation. The first, Historiography, Theory and Method,
maps the theories which lay in the base of the research. The development of research
in social history dealing with family and childhood is outlined in conjunction with its
theoretical framework. Against this background, the theoretical and critical notions
underlining the present study are presented. The second chapter, Primary Sources –
Methodology and Relevance, offers an overview of the relevant types of sources used
here, and highlights their value as well as their pitfalls for the present research. In
addition, the relevance of each type of source is demonstrated by some examples
illustrating the various contexts and circumstances which refer to children.
The main question underlining this research is "did Christianity matter?", to follow
the title of Ramsey MacMullan's famous article. Was Christian thought about
childhood distinctively different form Greek and Roman concepts? How, and to what
extent (if any) were children's' lives changed by the Christian appraisal of childhood?
As is well known, the Byzantines perceived themselves as Romans; to what extent,
then, was there continuity in family lives and values, and what was the influence of
Christianity? Such questions call for a comparative analysis. Thus, all chapters of the
second, thematic, part open with a consideration of the issues in question in the
Roman world. In some of them, Classical Greek thought will also be taken into
consideration due to its influence on subsequent philosophy and literature.
2. The third chapter, The Family, offers a comprehensive analysis of the immediate
framework of (most) children's' lives. It begins with the Roman family, and deals with
marriage, divorce, concubinage and celibacy, all of which have a major influence on
children's legal and social status. The chapter continues with an examination of early
Christian thought and practices. The reign of Constantine the Great is marked by
considerable legislative output on the family, traditionally ascribed to Christian
influence. The research of the last two decades has questioned the validity of this
assumption, yet there can be no doubt that, due to its bulk, Constantine's legislation on
the family deserves special treatment. The last and largest section of the chapter
explores both notions and practices related to family life in late antiquity and early
Byzantium. This comparative analysis concludes with some reflections about the role
played by Christianity in the evolution of the perception of the family and in quotidian
family life.
The fourth chapter, Images of Children and Childhood, traces the evolution of
thought about childhood and children. In this context, it is indispensable to define the
ancient terms denoting the different stages of life, and thus to create a common frame
of reference; it is equally important to explore changes in terminology and definitions.
Such semantic and theoretical discussions are highly philosophical (and later on also
theological), and thus the starting point must be Classical Greek thought, to be
followed by that of Rome, early Christianity and early Byzantium. The aim is to
assess the influence of Christianity on the evolution of thought about the nature of the
child.
The fifth chapter, The Unborn Child, deals with the child in utero, on the
theoretical as well as the practical levels. It starts with Greek physicians and
philosophers, who had a lasting influence on late antique and medieval thought and
medical practice. As for the Roman world, practices such as abortion and the use of
contraceptives are considered as much as theory. Another important dimension is the
legal one, which raises questions such as the status of the fetus and the legality of
abortion. Next I assay early Christian thought about the nature of the fetus, as well as
the evolution of theory and practice in late antiquity and early Byzantium.
The sixth chapter, Aspects of Children's Lives, focuses on the quotidian lives of
children, and follows, as before, a comparative approach. I chose to focus on some
central subjects, such as birth and the care of the newborn, status, early education,
exposure, death and commemoration. Thus, for example, the philosophical and
3. theological discourse on the fate of deceased children, dealt with in the fourth chapter,
is completed here by a discussion of ways of commemorations and expressions of
grief in the Roman, early Christian and early Byzantine worlds. The dissertation ends
with some general conclusions highlighting changing moral perceptions and
subsequent evolution of quotidian practices.
The analysis of the legislation, customs and thought surrounding the family
revealed that, while Roman legislation and social norms respected the authority of the
paterfamilias over his household and rarely intervened with his patria potestas,
Christianity sought to regulate the private and familial lives of its adherents. New
marital norms were introduced, while marriage itself gained a spiritual meaning.
During the first centuries, these new morals had no legal legitimacy, but the secular
legislation of the 5th and 6th centuries started to show explicit Christian character.
Moreover, Christianity created an ambivalent image of the family, highlighting, on
the one hand, the classical hierarchy and stressing the importance of obedience, while
creating, on the other hand, a potential threat to family ties and obligations. Thus,
Christianity offered, for the first time, an alternative style of life outside the family,
open to women and children. By choosing celibacy, a child could disobey his
paterfamilias’ wishes and create his own destiny. This choice, of course, was not
available to everybody at every point in time. Moreover, a child could be consecrated
to a life of asceticism against his will. But a new possibility now existed, and some
could benefit from it.
The difference between the classical appraisal of children and the Christian one is
sharp. No classical writer had dedicated a treatise solely to the study of children's
attributes, and the scattered remarks on their nature in ancient texts bear evidence to
an essentially negative perception. Children were seen as deficient adults, as they had
yet to develop the logos of the adult male citizen. Thus, they were often classed with
other marginal members of society, such as women and slaves. Nevertheless,
philosophical comments about the low estate of children in the Greco-Roman world
must be tempered, as men and women sought children and wanted to become mothers
and fathers in order to perpetuate their family, to use them as a work force, and to
have someone to care for them in their old age. Since infant mortality, both at
childbirth and subsequently, was remarkably high (by modern standards), children
were a precious commodity. As far as we are able to tell from literary and
epigraphical evidence, children were cared for, loved, and mourned in death. Still,
4. childhood was seen as a phase of life lacking any independent and essential value, a
stage to pass through as quickly as possible.
With the rise of Christianity, philosophical attitude toward children began to
change: they were seen as valuable in themselves. As a consequence of the
understanding that all people are created in the image of God, that all people are His
children, including little ones and even fetuses, Christianity accepted children as
persons, not on the basis of their reception into the family or their usefulness to the
community but on the basis of their very existence. It is true that Judaism had the
same attitude toward children, and thus one cannot argue that the Christian attitude
was unprecedented. Still, as Christianity gradually increased its political and spiritual
prominence and claimed ever-widening circles of adherents, its influence on Greco-
Roman attitudes toward children became fundamental. Moreover, the words of Jesus
charged childhood, for the first time, with a spiritual and religious essence. His
disciples and, later on, the adherents of Christianity are encouraged to become "like
children" in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. This revolutionary message was
tempered, no doubt, by Paul and later Christian writers, but it still bore a positive
assessment of basic characteristics described as "childlike".
But what effect, if any, had this positive and spiritual assessment of childhood on
the everyday lives of children in early Byzantium? Obviously, this did not mean that
embryos were no longer aborted, or that children were no longer exposed or enslaved,
but it did mean that the Christian population was challenged in its practices and
attitudes concerning children. For Christians, engaging in such practices meant that
their own place in the church was threatened, as were their very souls. Ultimately this
lent itself to a change in practices which is gradually evidenced in the sources of the
5th and the 6th century. This tendency is in accord with the gradual interference of law
and social norms in the authority of the paterfamilias.
Along with these changes in attitude toward the family, Christianity developed an
ambivalent approach toward procreation. Within marriage, procreation was generally
seen as a good thing and children themselves as a blessing. Moreover, while classical
law and society tended to treat abortion and contraception as the sole concern of the
paterfamilias, the abortion of all children was explicitly condemned by the church
fathers. In addition, Christian writers explicitly condemned the abandonment of
children, while, especially from the 4th century onwards, they refrained from blaming
poor parents for such deeds. It is not easy to assess whether such admonitions had any
5. effect on abandonment rates. On the other hand, the creation of asylums for the care
of foundlings cannot be explained without the influence of Christian morals and
values. Unfortunately, what little evidence there is for those institutions is confined to
the 6th century.
Another important development was the importance placed on knowledge and
education. This is apparent from the education of small children within the household,
another instance in which theory and practice meet. The scattered classical references
paint a picture according to which most children were entrusted to the care of wet-
nurses and pedagogues; no classical writer seem to have offered a detailed program
for the moral and intellectual rearing of children. This stands in a sharp contrast with
classical emphasis on higher education. It should be noted, however, that our sources
for the subject in the ancient world are mostly restricted to the upper classes. Some
Christian writers, on the other hand, did offer a detailed program for the early
education of children. They did not condemn the use of nurses and tutors, but placed
the responsibility for the content and outcome of child-rearing solely on the shoulders
of parents. This call was not intended for the upper classes alone. Moreover, some
hagiographical sources reveal such emphasis on early learning in the lives of future
saints who did not belong to the upper classes. By choosing the path of Christian
education and asceticism, even children born to the lower classes of society could
make an eternal reputation for themselves.
The Christian perception of childhood, originating in the words of Jesus and
somewhat tempered by later church fathers, highlighted the spiritual and religious
essence of the child. This basic notion did not translate itself smoothly and rapidly
into children's lives. The interference of Christianity within the realm of the
paterfamilias did create some drawbacks for children (who could, for example, be
consecrated to virginity against their will), but also opened up new opportunities for
those who were traditionally classified among the marginal members of society. The
influence of Christian morals and practices on children's daily lives in early
Byzantium becomes more apparent, naturally, with time's progress, yet the
fundamental change had occurred with Jesus' words: "Suffer little children, and forbid
them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 19.14).