Between Discipline and Doctrine: Augustine's Response to Clerical Misconduct
This article explores a possible tension in Augustine's thought between his response to the misconduct of clergy, which stressed swift discipline, and his anti-Donatist theology of sacraments, which emphasized the efficacy of sacraments apart from the moral worthiness of the clergy. I identify...
| Subtitles: | St. Augustine Lecture - 2018 |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2020]
|
| In: |
Augustinian studies
Year: 2020, Volume: 51, Issue: 1, Pages: 3-22 |
| IxTheo Classification: | KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity NBN Ecclesiology NBP Sacramentology; sacraments RB Church office; congregation |
| Further subjects: | B
Church
B DOCTRINAL theology B AUGUSTINE, Saint, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 B Bishops B Clergy |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This article explores a possible tension in Augustine's thought between his response to the misconduct of clergy, which stressed swift discipline, and his anti-Donatist theology of sacraments, which emphasized the efficacy of sacraments apart from the moral worthiness of the clergy. I identify five principles that Augustine followed in his handling of clerical misconduct: 1) Decisive action that usually resulted in removal of the offenders from ministry; 2) concern for the rights of the victim over clerical privilege; 3) a just hearing for the accused clergyman; 4) concern for transparency in all proceedings; 5) personal accountability of the bishop for the behavior of his clergy. I conclude by noting several aspects of Augustine's anti-Donatist ecclesiology and sacramental theology that help to resolve the apparent tension. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2153-7917 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Augustinian studies
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5840/augstudies202011756 |