The Virtues in Late Antique Sermons
Introduction
This page collects notes for commentary on Prudentius' Psychomachia by Marc Mastrangelo and Christopher Francese.
We are looking for significant discussions of the virtues and vices in (more or less) contemporary sermons, esp. those virtues and vices dealt with by Prudentius. In addition it would be helpful to know to what extent Prudentius' choice of virtues and vices corresponds to those normally dealt with in sermons. The notes consists of a sentence or two description of what each sermon is about, then notes with the exact references to discussions of the virtues and vices that appear in the Psychomachia:
1. FIDES (as a virtue, personified, if possible) 2. VETERUM CULTURA DEORUM (i.e. IDOLATRIA) 3. PUDICITIA 4. LIBIDO 5. IRA 6. HUMILITAS 7. SUPERBIA 8. SOBRIETAS 9. LUXURIA 10. OPERATIO 11. AVARITIA
The content was created in the summer of 2008 by Lauren McGowan.
Augustine, Sermons
"Almost one-third of Augustine's surviving works consists of sermons—more than 1.5 million words, most of them taken down by shorthand scribes as he spoke extemporaneously. They cover a wide range. Many are simple expositions of scripture read aloud at a particular service according to church rules, but Augustine followed certain programs as well. There are sermons on all 150 Psalms, deliberately gathered by him in a separate collection, Enarrationes in Psalmos (392–418; Enarrations on the Psalms). These are perhaps his best work as a homilist, for he finds in the uplifting spiritual poetry of the Hebrews messages that he can apply consistently to his view of austere, hopeful, realistic Christianity; his ordinary congregation in Hippo would have drawn sustenance from them. At a higher intellectual level are his Tractatus in evangelium Iohannis CXXIV (413–418?; Tractates on the Gospel of John), amounting to a full commentary on the most philosophical of the Gospel texts. Other sermons range over much of scripture, but it is worth noting that Augustine had little to say about the prophets of the Old Testament, and what he did have to say about Paul appeared in his written works rather than in his public sermons." (Source: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-24820/Saint-Augustine)
Sermons on Christmas and Epiphany
Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany, translated and commentated by Thomas Comerford Lawler. General remarks: The style of the sermons is rhetorical and formulaic: Augustine repeats his key points in almost identical language in each sermon. Augustine is speaking to a mixed audience of “true Christians” and others. His Christmas sermons focus on the paradoxes presented by the Incarnation: e.g. Christ was born of Mary and yet had created Mary; Christ was born a speechless infant, but was still the Word of God, Christ is born of the Father with no mother and born of a mother by no father. He often explains that Christ, becoming human, remained divine (perhaps an allusion to heretics who thought that Christ lost his divinity) and that Mary, giving birth, did not lose her virginity. The Epiphany sermons focus on the Gentile (Magi) reaction to Christ’s birth versus the Jewish reaction.
References to virtues/vices: The language of the Christmas sermons often pits chastity against lust; Mary, in her chaste marriage to Joseph, is the supreme example of chastity/virginity. Christ himself is a paragon of humility, exemplified by his desire to become a lowly, speechless infant even though he was the Creator of the universe. In the Epiphany sermons, Augustine frequently contrasts Christ’s (and the Christians’) humility with the pride of others: those who do not believe, Herod, etc. The New Year’s sermons address the pagan practices of idolatry and gluttony on Jan. 1 and advise the Christians against it. Virtues are not personified but are sometimes mentioned in conjunction with a specific example.
Sermons are labeled by the number and title given in Lawler with the Benedictine number in parentheses. Mentions of virtues/vices (if any) are below the summary.
1 (Ben. No. 51) Agreement of the Evangelists Matthew and Luke in the Lord’s Genealogy
Although discrepancies exist between Matthew and Luke’s genealogies for Christ, they are easily explained. Joseph is Christ’s father as all adoptive parents are fathers; chaste conjugal love is more important in a marriage than lust. Mary provides a model of humility (Sect. 18, pp. 44-45). It is chastity and conjugal love that makes a marriage, not lust (Sect. 21, pp. 48-49). Augustine condemns those who live to eat and praises those who eat to live: he references Elias’ food of water and bread (Kings 19:6-8) as a positive example.
2 (Ben. No. 184) The Birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ
The “wise and prudent” of the world are really foolish because they refuse to believe in the Virgin Birth and in Mary’s perpetual virginity. All should rejoice on Christmas.
3 (Ben. No. 185) Christmas
With Christ’s birth, “truth is sprung out of the earth” (Ps. 84:12); Christ assumes sinful flesh to free man’s sinful flesh. God’s justification comes freely; we should glory in God alone, not in ourselves.
