Arguably the most important of Lactantius's works, the Divinae institutiones—the title of which was meant to correspond to the institutiones that expressed the workings of civil law—is both a systematic as well as apologetic work that, as Patrick Healy argues, "point out the futility of pagan beliefs and to establish the reasonableness and truth of Christianity."[1][2] The work was the first full attempt to defend Christian theology in Latin, and it was likely written to appeal to and convince educated pagans.[1][3] While Lactantius focused much of Divinae institutiones on combating the claims of pagan writers (who at the time were aiding the persecutors of Christianity by writing specialized attack pamphlets), the author also sought to make his work "sufficiently broad" so that it might stem criticisms from all directions.[1]
Sourcesedit
Book VII of the work indicates a familiarity with Jewish, Christian, Egyptian and Iranian apocalyptic material, and alludes to the (now-lost) Oracle of Hystaspes.[4] The work also makes use of Sibylline sources as well as the Hermetica of Hermes Trismegistus.[4][5] Included in this treatise is also a quote from the nineteenth of the Odes of Solomon, one of only two known texts of the Odes until the early twentieth century.[6]
Receptionedit
Patrick Healy notes, "The strengths and the weakness of Lactantius are nowhere better shown than in his work. The beauty of the style, the choice and aptness of the terminology, cannot hide the author's lack of grasp on Christian principles and his almost utter ignorance of Scripture."[1] Lactantius's mockery of the idea of a round earth[7] was criticized by Copernicus in the preface to his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, in which the author writes, "Lactantius, the writer celebrated in other ways but very little in mathematics, spoke somewhat childishly of the shape of the earth when he derided those who declared the earth had the shape of a ball" (Lactantium, celebrem alioqui scriptorem, sed Mathematicum parum, admodum pueriliter de forma terræ loqui, cum deridet eos, qui terram globi formam habere prodiderunt).[8][9]
According to the World Digital Library, Divinae institutiones was one of the first books to be printed in Italy, as well as the first Italian imprint to be dated.[10]
^"The Rubrics of the First Book of Lactantius Firmianus's On the Divine Institutes Against the Pagans Begin". World Digital Library. September 18, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2014 – via University Library of Naples.
divine, institutes, institutiones, divinae, classical, latin, ĩːstɪtuːtiˈoːneːs, diːˈwiːnae, ecclesiastical, latin, institutsiˈones, diˈvine, name, theological, work, christian, roman, philosopher, lactantius, written, between, beginning, lactantius, divinae, . Institutiones Divinae Classical Latin ĩːstɪtuːtiˈoːneːs diːˈwiːnae Ecclesiastical Latin institutsiˈones diˈvine The Divine Institutes is the name of a theological work by the Christian Roman philosopher Lactantius written between AD 303 and 311 Beginning of Lactantius Divinae institutiones in a Renaissance manuscript written in Florence ca 1420 30 by Guglielmino Tanaglia Contents 1 Contents 1 1 Sources 2 Reception 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External linksContents editArguably the most important of Lactantius s works the Divinae institutiones the title of which was meant to correspond to the institutiones that expressed the workings of civil law is both a systematic as well as apologetic work that as Patrick Healy argues point out the futility of pagan beliefs and to establish the reasonableness and truth of Christianity 1 2 The work was the first full attempt to defend Christian theology in Latin and it was likely written to appeal to and convince educated pagans 1 3 While Lactantius focused much of Divinae institutiones on combating the claims of pagan writers who at the time were aiding the persecutors of Christianity by writing specialized attack pamphlets the author also sought to make his work sufficiently broad so that it might stem criticisms from all directions 1 Sources edit Book VII of the work indicates a familiarity with Jewish Christian Egyptian and Iranian apocalyptic material and alludes to the now lost Oracle of Hystaspes 4 The work also makes use of Sibylline sources as well as the Hermetica of Hermes Trismegistus 4 5 Included in this treatise is also a quote from the nineteenth of the Odes of Solomon one of only two known texts of the Odes until the early twentieth century 6 Reception editPatrick Healy notes The strengths and the weakness of Lactantius are nowhere better shown than in his work The beauty of the style the choice and aptness of the terminology cannot hide the author s lack of grasp on Christian principles and his almost utter ignorance of Scripture 1 Lactantius s mockery of the idea of a round earth 7 was criticized by Copernicus in the preface to his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium in which the author writes Lactantius the writer celebrated in other ways but very little in mathematics spoke somewhat childishly of the shape of the earth when he derided those who declared the earth had the shape of a ball Lactantium celebrem alioqui scriptorem sed Mathematicum parum admodum pueriliter de forma terrae loqui cum deridet eos qui terram globi formam habere prodiderunt 8 9 According to the World Digital Library Divinae institutiones was one of the first books to be printed in Italy as well as the first Italian imprint to be dated 10 References edit a b c d Healy 2012 1910 McDonald 1964a p xiv McDonald 1964b p 3 a b McGinn 1998 p 24 McDonald 1964a p xix Charlesworth 1973 pp 1 82 Lactantius The Divine Institutes 3 24 Stimson 2009 1917 p 113 Copernicus De revolutionibus orbium coelestium preface The Rubrics of the First Book of Lactantius Firmianus s On the Divine Institutes Against the Pagans Begin World Digital Library September 18 2015 Retrieved March 1 2014 via University Library of Naples Bibliography editCharlesworth James Hamilton 1973 The Odes of Solomon Oxford UK Oxford University Press ISBN 9780891302025 Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica April 22 2009 Lucretius Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved June 29 2017 Healy Patrick 2012 1910 Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol 8 New York City NY Robert Appleton Company Retrieved February 26 2016 Lactantius 1964 The Divine Institutes Books I VII Translated by Mary Francis McDonald Washington D C Catholic University of America Press pp 15 544 ISBN 9780813211497 McDonald Mary Francis 1964a General Introduction The Divine Institutes Books I VII Washington D C Catholic University of America Press pp ixx xv ISBN 9780813211497 McDonald Mary Francis 1964b Introduction The Divine Institutes Books I VII Washington D C Catholic University of America Press pp 3 14 ISBN 9780813211497 McGinn Bernard 1998 Visions of the End New York City NY Columbia University Press ISBN 9780231112574 Stimson Dorothy 2009 1917 The Gradual Acceptance of the Copernican Theory of the Universe Whitefish MT Kessinger Publishing ISBN 9781104423483 External links edit nbsp Works related to The Divine Institutes at Wikisource Full text at New Advent Scanned full text images of a 1465 CE Latin incunable at World Digital Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Divine Institutes amp oldid 1188299185, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
