On the Church: Select Treatises

Popular Patristics Series #32

by Cyprian, Allen Brent (Editor)

St Cyprian, third-century bishop of Carthage, developed a theory of church unity almost universally accepted up to the European to be a member of the Body of Christ you needed to be in communion with a priest who was in communion with a bishop who in turn was in communion with all other bishops in the world. But, how could you discern who was a legitimate bishop? And, on what kind of issue would it be right to break off communion? Additionally, could self-authenticating ministries, like those of martyrs and confessors who had suffered for the faith, supersede this order? Finally, did the Church need, and in what form, a universal bishop who could guarantee the integrity of the network of bishops? St Cyprian wrestled with these questions in his letters and treatises, selected and translated in these companion volumes. Each volume contains an introduction to the two principal controversies that spurred St Cyprian to write his defense on church first, the readmission to the Eucharist of those Christians who had lapsed or fallen in the persecution under Emperor Decius; and second, the sacramental validity of baptism in heretical and schismatic communities.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, History, Ecclesiology, Religion

186 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Cyprian (Latin: Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) was bishop of Carthage and an important Early Christian writer, many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received a classical education. After converting to Christianity, he became a bishop in 249 and eventually died a martyr at Carthage.

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potent Quotables:

He cannot have God as his Father who does not have the Church as his Mother.

The tunic of our Lord Jesus Christ was not divided at all nor torn in half while they were casting lots for Christ’s tunic… He who rends and splits Christ’s Church cannot possess Christ’s robe.

Those who are unwilling to be of one mind in the Church of God are unable to abide with God.

God is one and Christ is one, and his Church and faith are one.


1 Cor 1.10: Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you but that you be knit together in the same mind and the same purpose.

2 Thess 3.6: Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister living irresponsibly and not according to the tradition that they received from us.

Acts 4.32: Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…

1 Jn 2.19: They went out from us, but they did not belong to us, for if they had belonged to us they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us.

2 Tim 3.1-9: You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. For people will be… holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! For among them are those who… are always studying yet never able to recognize truth. As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people, of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith, also oppose the truth. But they will not make much progress because, as in the case of those two men, their folly will become plain to everyone.

Eph 4.2-3: …with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…

Josh 2.17-19: … We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you if we invade the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you let us down and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your family. If any of you go out of the doors of your house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we shall be innocent, but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house, we shall bear the responsibility for their death.

Ex 12.46: It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the animal outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.

Jer 23.21-22: I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyprian's argumentation depends on apostolic succession through the Apostle Peter and the idea that there is only one true, unified, expression of the church in the world. However, "There was no claim before Callistus [Bishop of Rome from 218-222/3] that only one figure had authority to do so within a defined geographical space. There is, therefore, an unexplained spatial and geographical dimension to Cyprian’s argument that cannot be derived from his New Testament texts. The real determinant of the shape of his argument is the cultural background of Roman Carthage and its principles of polity and governance." (p. 23 Kindle version)

[Evan Leister · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the weakest of the popular patristics I've read so far, but I think that's only because it's stacked up against the massive and great texts from Athanasius and Basil and Gregory of Nazianzius. This edition is characteristically excellent and has a nice feature where the commentary is peppered into the book's sections rather than in a giant text at the beginning or end. I think I might have preferred a double bookmark code-commentary reading but oh well.

Content wise it's always great to peer through time and see what the church has considered and struggled with, if incompletely.

[Aid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyprian gives a lot of insight into the ecclesiology of the early Church, he believes there to be one, indivisible Church, outside of which there is no salvation, even for martyrs. This seems contrary to the branch theory of the Anglicans who like to cite him in support of their position.

Allen Brent's translation was fine, so far as I could tell, and his commentary was useful and gave context to the various letters. It was especially helpful in commenting on the disputed Papal text, which I believe to be genuine.

[Tyrporter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was surprising how harsh this work seems in comparison to contemporary Protestant ecclesiology.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some really important material here, but I have to admit I didn’t enjoy most of it.

[Josh Kannard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyprian isn't as cool as I hoped he would be, but On the Unity of the Church saved it for me. Nevertheless, he was too steeped in a Roman hierarchical framework, and that allowed his work to shape the malformed defective papal institution of the Roman See. After reading this, I'm shocked that Calvin begins Book IV of the Institutes with a quote from Cyprian. I'm curious to go back and trace his use of this Father now that I'm slightly more informed on what he taught.

[Joshua Bremerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some points, these works are difficult to read. At others, I was incredibly engaged. Overall, I would be quite interested in a distinctively Baptist retrieval project on the unity of the church, autonomy, and associationalism in conversation with Cyprian. I would also be interested in modern applications of his ideas related to public failure and penitence.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stimulating, and extremely edifying. Cyprian’s letter “To Demetrian” on calamity and Christian persecution was inspiring, and his letter “The Unity of the Catholic Church” was surprisingly relevant to many of the issues that exist today with “Churchless Christians”.

[Ephrem Arcement · Rating 4 out of 5]

These treatises are a significant and influential testament to the struggle of faith and unity in the second half of the second century Christian church.

[Brady Graves]

Read for PhD seminar

[Alex Burlingame · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He cannot have God as his Father who has not the Church as his mother"

[Nathanael Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

he was based

[Andrew Youssef · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dry read. The book provides good info on ecclesiology yet it is incredibly western in thought. Elements of wrath of God, penance, theology of fear and Judicial theology are prominent throughout the book.

[Christian Proano · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction, and foot notes does not necessarily satisfies, the actual text is good.