| The project's aim is to compare five important saint's lives from both the eastern (Greek) and the western (Latin) traditions within early Christianity in order to assess the use of scripture in popular ascetic literature from the fourth to sixth centuries C.E. The following works will be studied: the Greek Life of Antony, written by Athanasius in fourth century Egypt; the Greek Life of Macrina, written by Gregory of Nyssa in Asia Minor; the Latin Life of Paul, written by Jerome in Syria; the Latin Life of Martin, written by Sulpicius Severus in fourth century Gaul, and the Latin life of Saint Benedict, written by Gregory the Great in Rome, sixth century C.E. This project wants to reflect upon the inventory of biblical quotations and allusions. It also plans to probe deeper by describing the various ways in which the Bible influenced the form and contents of these early Christian bestsellers both directly and indirectly. Bringing into focus the hermeneutical presuppositions which determine the use of scripture by the different authors, the project aims at a theological evaluation of the hagiographical works concerned. Thus, the exegetical-theological structure of the Lives will be the object of research, while the various patterns found will be brought to bear on each other. |
