Fulgentius: Selected Works (fathers Of The Church)

Fulgentius, bishop of Ruspe (c.467-532), is considered the greatest North African theologian after the time of St. Augustine. When Fulgentius was born, North Africa had been under the rule of Germanic Vandals for several decades. His family was repeatedly victimised by Vandal persecutions, and Fulgentius himself suffered persecution and exile. While in exile, he continued his pastoral labours and became the theological spokesman of the displaced. Though he was not an original thinker, he propagated the Augustian heritage and defended it against its adversaries, notably the Arians and Pelagians (or semi-Pelagians). With thorough understanding and conviction, Fulgentius promoted the Trinitarian theology of Augustine. He also defended and explained Augustine's difficult and controversial stance on the question of predestination. Fulgentius contributed greatly to the transmission and interpretation of a theological heritage that would dominate and shape the Church in the West for hundreds of years to come. Unfortunately, many writings of Fulgentius have been lost. Of those that survived, the most important are dated to the period of his second exile and the sixteen years from his return to North Africa from Sardinia until his death. In this volume, Fulgentius's most significant writings are translated into English for the first time. The selections presented here provide readers a unique opportunity to study the thinking of this important church father. CONTENTS 6 Acknowledgments 8 Abbreviations 10 Select Bibliography 12 Introduction 16 Selected Works 20 The Life of the Blessed Bishop Fulgentius 20 To Peter on the Faith 76 On the Forgiveness of Sins 128 To Monimus 204 The Letters of Fulgentius 296 Indices 586 General Index 588 Index of Holy Scripture 595 This volume gives English readers for the first time an opportunity to study a representative selection of the writings of this early sixth-century author. It also presents Fulgentius's biography, the Life, for the first time in English. Translated By Robert B. Eno. Includes Bibliographical References (p. Xi-xiii) And Indexes.