Authorised Lives in Early Christian Biography
Between Eusebius and Augustine

This book examines early Christian biography in detail and provides an alternative interpretation.

Michael Williams (Author)

9780521894906, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 July 2008

276 pages
22.2 x 14.5 x 2.4 cm, 0.51 kg

'… elegantly written book … which give[s] his book much of its distinctive character.' Church History

What was distinctive about Christian biography in late antiquity? In this book, Dr Williams examines a range of biographies of prominent Christians written in the fourth and fifth centuries, and suggests that they share a purpose and function which sets them apart from their non-Christian equivalents. This was an age in which the lives of saints first emerged as a literary phenomenon, and a broad perspective on this developing genre is complemented by close readings of more problematic works such as Eusebius of Caesarea's Life of Constantine and the Confessions of Augustine of Hippo. In including such idiosyncratic examples, the aim is to provide a definition of Christian biography which extends beyond mere hagiography, and which expresses an understanding of the world and the place of individuals within it. It was a world in which lives might be authored by Christians, but could be authorised only by God.

Introduction: biography and typology
1. Constantine: the authorised life
2. Gregory and Basil: a double life
3. Antony and Jerome: life on the edge
4. Augustine: the life of the mind
5. The end of sacred history
Conclusion: authorised lives.

Subject Areas: Religion: general [HRA], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB]