Cyprian’s Applications
Before his conversion Thascius Caecilianus Cyprianus, better known as Cyprian, was a wealthy, unmarried, aristocrat and rhetorician born sometime around A.D. 200. As a result of knowing a Carthaginian pastor, Caecilius, he became a Christian in 246. Two years later he was elected bishop of the church in Carthage and remained in his post until his martyrdom in 258.
While Cyprian inherited much of the theological and moral outlook of Tertullian, his spirit is perhaps closer to that of Ignatius. His was a wartime bishopric, for in A.D. 250, the Decian persecution began and the government attempted to force Christians to sacrifice or be severely punished. As though that wasn’t enough, a plague broke out in Carthage and there was schism in the Church of Rome. Through these trials, Cyprian remained committed to defending the faith and purity of the Church, holding steady in his conviction and steering the faithful through difficult moral and theological issues.
This episode contains two works by Cyprian, both of which contain practical applications for Christian living. The first, on the dress of virgins, is an exhortation for the virgins of the Church to remain chaste and holy. More broadly, Cyprian also explores the ways in which an individual’s actions can tempt others along with reminding his readers that wealth and decadence often serve to distract one from Christ. In general, the arguments and prescriptions put forward by Cyprian are similar to those of Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian, serving as a reminder that many of the traditions and ecclesiastical norms, including how the Early Church recognized the distinctiveness of men and women, remain largely consistent through this period.
The second text is a short exhortation from Cyprian for the rich to give generously to the poor. He recalls the faith of the earliest believers and laments how far the Church of his day had fallen. Drawing upon holy writings and scripture, Cyprian argues that giving to the needy is one of the greatest acts of sacrifice and righteousness that pleases God. In making this claim, however, Cyprian appears to rely on a problematic soteriology. He articulates the idea that humans must propitiate God for their sins after Baptism. While this idea is present in other works, this example is particularly clear as Cyprian appears to teach that almsgiving is one of the best ways to accomplish such payment.
While I certainly agree that generous giving is a righteous act that Christians ought to perform, writing after the Reformation it is clear that such works cannot cleanse the believer. Our actions cannot propitiate God in any real sense, as Christ on the cross atoned for our sins once for all. Rather, they stem from rejoicing in the great salvation given to us by God through Christ. This highlights how the Church Fathers, who boldly and faithfully proclaimed Christ and shepherded the Church through trials and tribulations, did not have centuries of reflection and thought that Christians today have to guide their understanding of the doctrines of God.
If you would like to read more of the writings of the Early Christian Fathers, please visit ccel.org to view the full collection.
