Monastic Education in Late Antiquity : The Transformation of Classical Paideia

In re-examining the Christianization of the Roman Empire and subsequent transformation of Graeco-Roman Classical culture, this volume challenges conventional ways of understanding both the history of Christian monasticism and the history of education. The chapters interrogate assumptions that have framed monastic practice as pedagogically unprecedented, with few obvious precursors and/or parallels. A number explore how both teaching and practice merge Classical pedagogical structures with Christian sources and traditions. Others resituate monasticism within a longer trajectory of educational and institutional frameworks, elucidating models that remain central to the preservation of both Greek and Latin literary culture, and the skills of reading and writing. Through reexamination of archaeological evidence and critical rereading of signature monastic texts, each chapter documents the degree to which monastic structures emerged in close alignment with urban, literate society, and retained established affinity with Classical rhetorical and philosophical school traditions. In The Process Of The Christianization Of The Roman Empire And The Transformation Of Graeco-roman Classical Culture Into Established Christian Tradition, This Volume Considers The Rise Of Monasticism As One Of The Most Significant Developments. As Institutionalized Monasticism Emerged In The Fourth Century And Manifested Itself In A Variety Of Forms Over The Next Hundred Years, The Burgeoning Movement Increasingly Engaged The Attention Of Both Emperors And Bishops. By The Sixth Century, Monasteries, And Their Leaders, Were Important Actors In Imperial, State And Local Politics. Within The Christian Community Itself, Monasteries Rapidly Became Centers For The Transmission And Transformation Of Culture And Literature - A Role They Gradually Lost In The West In The Medieval Period, And In The East, Only In The Last Century-- Early Monasticism And The Concept Of A School / Samuel Rubenson -- Translating Paideia: Education In The Greek And Latin Versions Of The Life Of Anthony / Peter Gemeinhardt -- Paideia, Piety, And Power: Emperors And Monks In Socrates' Church History / Andreas Westergren -- The Educational And Cultural Background Of Egyptian Monks / Roger Bagnall -- Excavating The Excavations Of Early Monastic Education / Lillian I. Larsen -- Homer And Menandri Sententiae In Upper Egyptian Monastic Settings / Anastasia Maravela -- The School Of Didymus The Blind In The Light Of The Tura Find / Blossom Stefaniw -- Affecting Rhetoric: The Adoption Of Ethopoeia In Evagrius Of Pontus' Ascetic Program / Ellen Muehlberger -- Classical Education In Sixth-century Coptic Monasticism: The Example Of Rufus Of Shotep / Mark Sheridan -- The Virtue Of Being Uneducated: Attitudes Towards Classical Paideia In Early Monasticism And Ancient Philosophy / Henrik Rydell Johnsén -- Plato Between School And Cell: Biography And Competition In The Fifth-century Philosophical Field / Arthur Urbano -- Pythagorean Traditions In Early Christian Asceticism / Daniele Pevarello -- Textual Fluidity And Authorial Revision: The Case Of The Cassian And Palladius / Britt Dahlman -- Production, Distribution, And Ownership Of Books In The Monasteries Of Upper Egypt: The Evidence Of The Nag Hammadi Colophons / Hugo Lundhaug And Lance Jenott -- Greek Thought, Arabic Culture: Approaching The Arabic Recensions Of The Apophthegmata Patrum / Jason Zaborowski. Edited By Lillian I. Larsen (university Of Redlands, California), Samuel Rubenson (lunds Universitet, Sweden). Includes Bibliographical References (pages 343-379) And Indexes. List of Figures [page vii] List of Contributors [ix] Acknowledgements [x] Introduction [1] lillian i. larsen and samuel rubenson part i the language of education [11] 1 Early Monasticism and the Concept of a “School” [13] samuel rubenson 2 Translating Paideia: Education in the Greek and Latin Versions of the Life of Antony [33] peter gemeinhardt 3 Paideia, Piety, and Power: Emperors and Monks in Socrates’ Church History [53] andreas westergren part ii elementary education and literacy [73] 4 The Educational and Cultural Background of Egyptian Monks [75] roger bagnall 5 “Excavating the Excavations” of Early Monastic Education [101] lillian i. larsen 6 Homer and Menandri Sententiae in Upper Egyptian Monastic Settings [125] anastasia maravela part iii grammar and rhetoric [151] 7 The School of Didymus the Blind in Light of the Tura Find [153] blossom stefaniw 8 Affecting Rhetoric: The Adoption of Ethopoeia in Evagrius of Pontus’ Ascetic Program [182] ellen muehlberger 9 Classical Education in Sixth-Century Coptic Monasticism: The Example of Rufus of Shotep [195] mark sheridan part iv philosophy [217] 10 The Virtue of Being Uneducated: Attitudes towards Classical Paideia in Early Monasticism and Ancient Philosophy [219] henrik rydell johnsÉn 11 Plato Between School and Cell: Biography and Competition in the Fifth-Century Philosophical Field [236] arthur urbano 12 Pythagorean Traditions in Early Christian Asceticism [256] daniele pevarello part v manuscript and literary production [279] 13 Textual Fluidity and Authorial Revision: The Case of Cassian and Palladius [281] britt dahlman 14 Production, Distribution and Ownership of Books in the Monasteries of Upper Egypt: the Evidence of the Nag Hammadi Colophons [306] hugo lundhaug and lance jenott 15 Greek Thought, Arabic Culture: Approaching Arabic Recensions of the Apophthegmata Patrum [326] jason zaborowski Bibliography [343] Index [380] Index Locorum [389] Early monasticism and the concept of a "school" / Samuel Rubenson -- Translating paideia : education in the Greek and Latin versions of the Life of Anthony / Peter Gemeinhardt -- The role of education in the church histories of Socrates and Sozomen / Andreas Westergren -- The educational and cultural background of Egyptian monks / Roger Bagnall -- 'Excavating the excavations' of early monastic education / Lillian Larsen -- Homer and Menandri Sententiae in upper Egyptian monastic settings / Anastasia Maravela -- The school of Didymus the Blind in the light of the Tura find / Blossom Stefaniw -- Affecting rhetoric : the adoption of Ethopoeia in Evagrius of Pontus' ascetic program / Ellen Muehlberger -- Classical education in sixth century Coptic monasticism : the example of Rufus of Shotep / Mark Sheridan -- The virtue of being uneducated : attitudes towards classical paideia in early monasticism and ancient philosophy / Henrik Rydell Johnsen -- Plato between school and cell : biography and competition in the fifth-century philosophical field / Arthur Urbano -- Pythagorean traditions in early Christian asceticism / Daniele Pevarello -- Textual fluidity and authorial revisions of early Christian texts. The case of the Historia Lausiaca / Britt Dahlman -- Production, distribution, and ownership of books in the monasteries of Upper Egypt : the evidence of the Nag Hammadi colophons / Hugo Lundhaug, Lance Jenott -- Greek thought, Arabic culture : approaching the Arabic recensions of the Apophthegmata Patrum / Jason Zaborowski