Ritual Boundaries, Magic and Differentiation in Late Antique Christianity

Author

Sanzo; Joseph E.

Year

2024

Publisher

University of California Press

Language

English

Pages

ISBN

978-0-52039-919-8

Link

Last Update

09-Feb-2026

Keywords

Religion ; History ; Classical Studies

Description

At the turn of the fifth century CE, Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) delivered a sermon on John 1:34–51, the seventh in his homiletical series on the fourth gospel.¹ In this sermon, the bishop of Hippo directed his ire against a now unknown local blood festival that had apparently piqued the interest of some of his North African congregants.² Augustine responded in kind to this ostensible threat to Christian purity, constructing a complex argument that highlighted through various examples the demonically inspired tactic of blending heathenism with Christianity. Among the examples he noted was the deceptive use of...