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[German Version] was appointed bishop of Antioch after his predecessor Paul of Samosata was deposed by two Antiochene synods (264 and 268 ce). His episcopate was probably brief (268–271?). Since Paul was unwilling to step down, Domnus was able to occupy the church building only after Emperor Aurelian, who had been asked for a ruling, decreed that those who were in epistolary contact with the bishops in Rome and Italy were legally entitled to it (Eus. Hist. eccl. VII 30.18–19). Winrich Löhr Bibliography E. Venables, DCB I, 1877, 878 E. Prinzivalli, EEC I, 1992, 246f.

[German Version] (died after 575 in Alexandria), important Christian philosopher and exegete in Alexandria. A student of the Neoplatonic philosopher Ammonius Hermeiou, inter aliahe wrote commentaries on the writings of Aristotle and Porphyry of Gaza, and worked in the fields of grammar, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. In his commentary on Aristotle’s Physica he developed the so-called theory of impetus, according to which, for example, someone throwing a stone transmits power to it directly. Theologically important are his polemics against…

[German Version] On Jul 3, 529, on the occasion of a church dedication, Caesarius of Arles convoked a synod in the southern French city of Orange to consider the controversial doctrine of grace (Grace, Doctrine of) espoused by Augustine of Hippo. Not long before, a synod in Valence, in the diocese of Vienne, then a rival see to Arles, had dealt with the same topic. The Synod of Orange approved a document, presumably edited by Caesarius, comprising 25 canons framed by an introduction and a credal s…

[German Version] (died after 431), a disciple of Pelagius, was born into an aristocratic family and became a public advocate. It was in Rome, c. 399, that he met the Syrian priest Rufinus, who denied the existence of original sin (Aug. Pecc. orig. III, 3). Pelagius and Celestius left ¶ Rome c. 410 in the face of the Gothic invasion (Goths). They fled to Carthage, where Celestius was condemned by synodal decree (c. 411/412), inter alia on account of his rejection of the doctrine of original sin. Though Celestius appealed to Rome, his sentence was confirmed …

[German Version] Priscillian was of noble descent. From 370 ce, he led a devotional movement that spread rapidly in Spain and southern Gaul, advocating asceticism (stricter fasting, poverty, celibacy), charisma (Spirit/Holy Spirit), and intensive private study of the Bible and the Apocrypha as the true form of Christianity for clergy and laity. The Priscillianists were soon suspected of Gnostic/Manichaean heresy (Gnosis, Manichaeism), also of superstition and magic. At the Synod of Saragossa (380), sharp criti-…

[German Version] (c. 385 – before 455), the son of a bishop and married, was consecrated bishop of Aeclanum prior to 417. In 418, Julian and 18 other bishops refused to sign the Epistola tractoria of the bishop of Rome Zosimus, which condemned Pelagianism (Pelagius), and called for a revision of the proceedings against Pelagius and Celestius. Deposed by Zosimus and banished from their sees by the emperor in 419, Julian and his companions trave…

[German Version] held office at the time of Roman bishop Soter (166?–175?). Eusebius of Caesarea discusses his correspondence ( Hist. eccl. IV 23) and mentions eight letters to the churches or bishops of Lacedaemonia, Athens (reference t…

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[German Version] In his Historia ecclesiastica (V 1), Eusebius of Caesarea includes fragments of a letter written by the churches of Lyon and Vienne in Gaul to the Christians in Asia and Phrygia during the episcopate of Bishop Eleutherus of Rome, with a hagiographically stylized account of a contemporary persecution of Christians. Clearly the Christians were initially detained on the basis of accusations; in conformity with the edict of Emperor Trajan, those who confessed their faith were imprisoned and those who denied being Christians were released. When pagan domestic servants who had also been detained accused the Christians of ritual killing, those who had denied being Christians were also arrested and questioned under torture. The emperor, asked for instructions, ordered that the charges be limited to the crime of being a Christian. Those who confessed their faith were condemned to death in the arena. The account of their martyrdom (Acts of the martyrs) in epistolary form emphasizes the impact of the martyrs in strengthening solidarity of the community. The extent to which this represents a pointed attack on Montanism r…

[German Version] I. Early Church – II. Middle Ages – III. Reformation – IV. Modern Period – V. Present – VI. Practical Theology I. Early Church The church polity projected and in part realized in early Christianity is one of the most significant institutional inventions of Late Antiquity. Since it has survived into the present, with many modifications and variations, it also represents an element of continuity between the ancient world and the modern world. Church polity as used here means all the institutions affecting the external organization of early Christianity (including “heretical” and “schismatic” groups), except those related to monasticism. The histo…

[German Version] I. Church History Pelagius was an ascetic and theological writer from Britain. Before 410 he taught in Rome, and in 411/412, following the capture of Rome by the Goths, went to Palestine after a short stay in North Africa. His teaching, according to which the possibility of sinlessness was an essential part of human nature, provoked the criticism of Augustine and Jerome. This teaching had its setting in the pastoral care of members of the Roman elite. Pelagius stated that when one re…

[German Version] (died before 450), early Christian writer who engaged in the conflict over the doctrine of grace and the debate over Christology. Around 418 ce in Rome he published works against the Pelagians (Pelagius), who had been condemned by the pope and emperor. In 429, now a monk in a Thracian monastery with ties to Constantinople, he addressed an attack on Pelagius's disciple Celestius to Emperor Theodosius II ( Commonitorium super nomine Caelestii). His theological position was dependent on Augus-¶ tine of Hippo, Jerome, and the party of Cyril of Alexandria. He col…

Basilides was a Christian teacher in Alexandria during the time of Hadrian (Clem. Strom. 7.106.4). Irenaeus of Lyon claims that Basilides was inspired by Simon Magus and a certain Menander (Iren. Haer. 1.24.1). However, since Irenaeus credits Basilides with a doctrine that probably reflects the views of later Basilideans (see below), his doxographical construction is very doubtful. We know very little about the life of Basilides or his school: he had a son and pupil called Isidore ( Strom. 2.113.3).Eus. Hist. eccl. 4.7.5–8 cites a certain Agrippa Castor with additional info…

The date of Alexander’s accession to the bishopric of the predecessor town of Constantinople, Byzantium, is as unclear as the date of his death. According to Socrates Scholasticus, Alexander died in 340 CE, after a tenure of office of 23 years, at age 98, his predecessor being a certain Metrophanes (Socr. Hist. Eccl. 1.37.3; 2.6.2). Theodoret of Cyrrhus, however, seems to date the death of Alexander around the time of the foundation of Constantinople, that is, to 330 CE ( Hist. Eccl. 1.19.1). Both dates are likely to be wrong: modern scholarship agrees that the correct dating of the death of Alexander depends on determining the date of the accession of his successor Paul. Athanasius of Alexandria claims to have met with Paul and his priest Makedonios in Constantinople when Paul was under accusation (Athan. Hist. Ar. 7.1). This episode seems to be conceivable only after the controversial accession of Paul to his offic…

[English Version] . Priscillianus (P.), von vornehmer Herkunft, führte nach 370 eine sich rasch in Spanien und Südgallien ausbreitende Frömmigkeitsbewegun…

[English Version] I. Kirchengeschichtlich Pelagius (P.) war ein aus Britannien stammender Asket und theol. Autor, der vor 410 in Rom lehrte und sich 411/12 anläßlich der Einnahme Roms durch die Goten nach kurzem Aufenthalt in Nordafrika nach Palästina begab. Seine Lehre, nach der die Möglichkeit zur Sündlosigkeit unverfügbar zum Wesen des Menschen gehört, provozierte die Kritik von Augustin und Hieronymus. Kontext dieser Lehre ist die Seelsorge an Angehörigen der röm. Elite: Wenn man den Klienten immer wieder ermahne, daß die Würde seiner rationalen Natur in der Wahlfreiheit (Willensfreiheit) bestehe, so werde dieser zum ethischen Fortschritt befreit. P. wandte sich gegen jegliche Theorie eines substanziellen Übels (Manichäismus) oder einer von Adam her allen Menschen übertragenen Erbsünde oder eines Erbschadens. Die Gnade Gottes bestehe in ihren verschiedenen Formen in der Konstituierung und Wiedergewinnung der die Natur des Menschen definierenden Wahlfreiheit. Nach einem ersten Kolloquium in Jerusalem Ende Juli 415 wurde P. im Dezember 415 auf der paläst. Synode von Diospolis freigesprochen. Durch seine Publizistik konstruierte Augustin seit 412, intensiviert seit dem Freispruch von 415, höchst wirkungsvoll die Lehre des P. als Häresie. Im Sommer 416 verurteilten die Synoden von Karthago und Mileve die pelagianische Lehre (vgl. DH 219). Am 27.1.417 schloß sich der röm. Bf. Innozenz I. den afrikanischen Urteilen an und exkommunizierte P. und dessen Schüler Caelestius bis zu einem Widerruf. P. erlangte im September 417 eine Revision dieses Urteils durch den Nachfolger Zosimus. Die Afrikaner erreichten jedoch am 30.4.418 ein Reskript des Kaisers Honorius, welches die Lehre des P. zum Frevel erklärte und P. und seinen Anhängern strafrechtliche Verfolgung androhte. Am 1.5.418 verdammte ein afrikanisches Konzil die Lehre des P., die in neun Kanones als Häresie definiert wurde (Karthago, Synode von 418). Zosimus formulierte dann im Juni/Juli 418 mit eigener Akzentuierung die Verdammung von P. und Caelestius. P. selbst wurde aus Palästina ausgewiesen. Sein Todesdatum ist unbekannt. Von seinen Schriften sind ein bemerkenswerter Paulusbriefekomm. (CPL 728) sowie einige z.T. nur frgm. erhaltene Traktate …

[English Version] . Am 3.7.529 versammelte Caesarius von Arles anläßlich einer Kirchweihe eine Synode in Orange (Südfrankreich), die sich mit der kontroversen GnadenlehreAugustins beschäftigte. Kurz zuvor hatte sich eine Synode in Valence in der Diözese des mit Arles rivalisierenden Bischofssitzes Vienne mit dem gleichen Thema befaßt. Die Synode …

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[English Version] von Mileve. O. schrieb als afrikanischer Bischof zw. 364 und 367 einen Traktat gegen die schismatischen Donatisten (Donatismus), die infolge der Religionspolitik des Kaisers Julian Apostata wieder erstarkt waren. Dieses Werk umfaßte zunächst sechs Bücher samt einem angehängten Dossier von einschlägigen Dokumenten und war gegen eine Schrift des donatistischen Bf. Parmenianus von Karthago gerichtet. Z.Z. des Papstes Siricius wurde es um ein siebtes Buch erweitert. O. argumentiert so…