The Origin of Zealous Intolerance: Paulus Orosius and Violent Religious Conflict in the Early Fifth Century

This article explores the origins of religious intolerance in two episodes from the early fifth century ad: the forcible conversion of 540 Jews in Minorca by Bishop Severus, and the failed attempt by the monk Fronto to uncover heterodox belief in Tarragona, north-east Hispania. With the newly discov...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Leonard, Victoria (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2017
In: Vigiliae Christianae
Year: 2017, Volume: 71, Issue: 3, Pages: 261-284
RelBib Classification:BH Judaism
CC Christianity and Non-Christian religion; Inter-religious relations
KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
KCD Hagiography; saints
Further subjects:B Christian relics Orosius Jew St Stephen heterodoxy networks zeal intolerance
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Description
Summary:This article explores the origins of religious intolerance in two episodes from the early fifth century ad: the forcible conversion of 540 Jews in Minorca by Bishop Severus, and the failed attempt by the monk Fronto to uncover heterodox belief in Tarragona, north-east Hispania. With the newly discovered relics of St Stephen, the presbyter Paulus Orosius brought a peculiarly vehement and absolute intolerance of non-orthodox Christianity to Minorca. Intolerance was facilitated and communicated through a trans-Mediterranean network of Christians connected through letter-writing and the exchange of visitors, of which Orosius was a particularly mobile and dynamic participant. In contrast to previous criticism, this article identifies Orosius as a point of intersection within the controversies, and, in the dissemination of his ideology of intolerance, as a catalyst for conflict.
ISSN:1570-0720
Contains:In: Vigiliae Christianae
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700720-12341304