St Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, and Pastoral Care

Pauline Allen, FAHA
Professor, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane QLD
Director of Centre for Early Christian Studies
University of Pretoria, Sydney College of Divinity

Abstract: Scholars generally concur that St Cyril of Alexandria was more an exegete, polemicist, and politician, rather than a pastor. The question to be asked here, then, is whether Cyril was not interested primarily in the pastoral aspects of his episcopal role; whether the evidence of his pastoral involvement is simply too difficult to discover or assemble from his numerous exegetical and polemical works; or whether his role as pastor has been neglected by scholars. This article takes as starting-points the bias of our ancient sources with regard to Cyril, and a recent study which draws on modern theories of pastoral care to outline the profile of the pastoral activities of a late-antique bishop. How does St Cyril measure up as a pastor?

 

Introducing the Master of Greek Philosophy

Greek philosophy remains foundational to the history of ideas in the Western and Eastern traditions. It has shaped disciplines as diverse as theology, ethics, politics, science, and metaphysics. In particular, the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and the later Hellenistic and Byzantine philosophers have exercised enduring influence on Christian theology, especially in the Patristic and medieval Byzantine periods.

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