Some Lessons From the Medieval Reception of the Acts of Thecla in the Light of the Latin Manuscripts

Authors

  • Korinna ZAMFIR Department of Biblical Studies and Ecumenical Theology, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: emilia.zamfir@ubbcluj.ro. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3284-4673

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/theol.cath.latina.2024.LXIX.1.03

Keywords:

Acts of Paul and Thecla, Latin manuscripts, Western reception, martyr passions, lives of saints, baptism, women teaching

Abstract

The large number and wide geographic spread of the Latin manuscripts shows that the Acts of Thecla were widely known in the Middle Ages in spite of the negative views of Tertullian, Jerome and the Decretum Gelasianum. Included in liturgical books, among martyr passions and lives of saints, the story shaped the faith of monastic, clerical and church communities. This paper explores the extent to which the manuscript tradition preserves or modifies the difficult details of the writing: the encratic teaching of Paul, Thecla’s affection for the apostle, and in particular her baptism and teaching. The Latin manuscripts are essentially faithful to the narrative, including potentially difficult issues. However, some manuscripts tend to mitigate details and statements that seem problematic, to align Thecla’s deeds with conventional ecclesial teaching and practice.

Article history: Received 03.05.2024; Revised 05.05.2024; Accepted 15.05.2024

Available online: 07.06.2024. Available print: 30.06. 2024

References

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*

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*

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*

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Published

2024-06-07

How to Cite

ZAMFIR, K. . (2024). Some Lessons From the Medieval Reception of the Acts of Thecla in the Light of the Latin Manuscripts. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Theologia Catholica Latina, 69(1), 47–81. https://doi.org/10.24193/theol.cath.latina.2024.LXIX.1.03

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