“What Does Not Kill Me Makes Me Stronger”: Paul and Epictetus on the Correlation of Virtues and Suffering

Do Paul and Epictetus have a way to correlate suffering with the growth of virtues? This essay discusses passages in Epictetus’s Discourses, which speak of the moral ἀγών and Paul’s catena in Rom 5:3-5. While suffering does not have a direct formative influence on “virtues” for either thinker, it ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bertschmann, Dorothee (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Catholic Biblical Association of America 2020
In: The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2020, Volume: 82, Issue: 2, Pages: 256-275
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Epictetus 50-130, Dissertationes / Pauline letters / Suffering / Virtue
B Agōn / Hope
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
NBE Anthropology
NCB Personal ethics
TB Antiquity
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Dignity
B AGON (The Greek word)
B EPICTETUS, ca. 55-135
B agon
B Epictetus
B Suffering
B Paul
B Hope
B Virtues
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:Do Paul and Epictetus have a way to correlate suffering with the growth of virtues? This essay discusses passages in Epictetus’s Discourses, which speak of the moral ἀγών and Paul’s catena in Rom 5:3-5. While suffering does not have a direct formative influence on “virtues” for either thinker, it can be meaningfully inferred from the heart of their religious and philosophical convictions and used to provide further evidence for what each author sees as “happiness” or “salvation.” For Epictetus, this happens through the strengthening of rationality and virtues; for Paul, through the specific virtue of endurance in the service of hope. In Epictetus’s worldview, suffering and its assault on human dignity are powerfully countered by human beings’ inherent and God-given rationality. For Paul, suffering can be borne by those who anchor their existence in the love of God.
ISSN:2163-2529
Contains:Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2020.0048