Ambrose: Church and Society in the Late Roman World

by John Moorhead

Overview

An account, and assessment, of the career of St Ambrose (339-397), from 374 bishop of Milan and one of the four Doctors of the Christian Church (with Sts. Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great). A key figure in the transition of the later Roman Empire into its medieval successor, Western Christendom, Ambrose was deeply involved in the political, social and religious issues of his day: struggles between church and state (especially with Emperor Theodosius), the fight against heresy, but he also had a deep influence on Church thought such as the role and status of women. John Moorhead considers all these dimensions in a book that will be of compelling interest to historians of the Church and the late classical world and classical studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317891017
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/11/2014
Series:	The Medieval World
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	246
File size:	510 KB

About the Author

John Moorhead

Table of Contents

Editor's Preface and Acknowledgements viii
Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
CHAPTER 1 Beginnings 15
A new bishop 15
Ambrose 19
Taking office 22
Background and experience 25
The office of bishop 30
Death of a brother 36
CHAPTER 2 Women 40
The two sexes 41
The wife 43
The virgin 51
The senses 54
The body 56
Sweetness tempting men 59
Masculinity 60
Women pleasing themselves 62
Virginity and society 63
Women in private and public 68
CHAPTER 3 The Bible 71
Ambrose's writing on the Bible 72
Ambrose's approach to the Bible 75
Literal interpretation 77
Allegorical interpretation 79
The case of David 82

AMBROSE
The Bible 84
Christ in the Bible 86
Two miracles 88
Coming down and going up 92
A parable 94
Ambrose's piety 96
Structural coherence: the case
of Shechem 98
Allegory across the centuries 100
CHAPTER 4 Church, State, Heretics and Pagans 102
The success of the church 102
The state 104
The church as female 106
Polemic against anti-Nicaeans III
Persecution of anti-Nicaeans 118
Pagans 122
CHAPTER 5 The Bishop and the City 129
Milan, sinful or Christian? 129
A skirmish over churches 132
Martyrdom 134
Easter 386 137
Music and hymns 140
The significance of Easter 143
Controversy with anti-Nicaeans 147
The discovery of relics 150
Ambrose victorious 154
The city and its bishop 156
CHAPTER 6 On Duties 157
The De Officiis 158
The clergy 161
Ambrose and classical thought 164
Neoplatonism 169
Synthesis 177
Conclusion 180
CHAPTER 7 The Elderly Bishop 182
The Jews 182
Callinicum 185
Repression at Thessaloniki 192
Church affairs 196
vi
AMBROSE
The Bible 84
Christ in the Bible 86
Two miracles 88
Coming down and going up 92
A parable 94
Ambrose's piety 96
Structural coherence: the case
of Shechem 98
Allegory across the centuries 100
CHAPTER 4 Church, State, Heretics and Pagans 102
The success of the church 102
The state 104
The church as female 106
Polemic against anti-Nicaeans 111
Persecution of anti-Nicaeans 118
Pagans 122
CHAPTER 5 The Bishop and the City 129
Milan, sinful or Christian? 129
A skirmish over churches 132
Martyrdom 134
Easter 386 137
Music and hymns 140
The significance of Easter 143
Controversy with anti-Nicaeans 147
The discovery of relics 150
Ambrose victorious 154
The city and its bishop 156
CHAPTER 6 On Duties 157
The De Officiis 158
The clergy 161
Ambrose and classical thought 164
Neoplatonism 169
Synthesis 177
Conclusion 180
CHAPTER 7 The Elderly Bishop 182
The Jews 182
Callinicum 185
Repression at Thessaloniki 192
Church affairs 196


The death of Valentinian 197
The death of Theodosius 202
Last years 206
CHAPTER 8 Nachleben 210
Bibliography 219
Map: The late Roman world of Ambrose 228
Index