Montanism

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The Montanism (also: Phrygian heresy or new prophecy as a self-designation) was a Christian prophetic movement since about 160 AD in.. Asia Minor . The members believed they had revelations of the Holy Spirit that had been given to their founder Montanus in view of the near end of the world. Their strict ethics were aimed at renewing and perfecting the church's way of life (martyrdom, marriage, fasting, penance). The movement was later condemned as heresy.

Historical overview

History of movement

Montanism originated in 157 (Epiphanius) or 172 AD (Eusebius) in Ardabau in Phrygia (Asia Minor). The fact that there were already several reactions to him around 170 AD speaks for the earlier date. Montanus was a newly won Christian and is said to have been a former circumcised of Cybele or a priest of Apollon - but this can also be traced back to heretics polemics. Montanus claimed to be the eschatological mouthpiece of the Paraclete , which is already mentioned in the Gospel according to John 14:16 EU . He announced the near end of the present age ( expectation of parousia ).

In the Phrygian village of Pepuza , the new Jerusalem would come down from heaven, and here one should also expect the millennial kingdom ( chiliasm ) to come together. In addition to the near expectation, there was a rigorous ethic: Montanus demanded strict asceticism , tightened fasting with sleep deprivation, the dissolution of marriage or sexual intercourse in general ( virginity ) and the willingness to martyrdom , which was longed for as a direct path to God.

Montanus found a large following. Among them were the two women Priska (also: Priscilla, Priskilla) and Maximilla , who also worked as prophets. After the death of Montanus and Priska, Maximilla continued the movement. When she died in 179 without the end of the world having come, the followers had to reorient themselves and the near expectation faded away, which was seen as a delay thanks to divine long-suffering, although in the period understood as an end time full of tribulations prayed for the early coming of the divine kingdom has been.

However, Montanism expanded from Asia Minor to Syria and Thrace . In North Africa, too, where the Christian tradition was shaped by the idea of ​​martyrdom and the emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit, the New Prophecy found approval and finally spread to the West from around 200 onwards. At times the Roman community was close to opting for Montanism.

The church father Tertullian possibly converted to Montanism around 207; In any case, in his last writings, Against Praxeas , About Fasting , About Monogamy and About Chastity (approx. 211-217), he advocated strict montanist ethics and wrote positively about Montanus himself. Montanism in North Africa is likely after death Tertullians, but a hundred years later continued to work in Donatism . The last evidence of montanists can be found in the 5th and 6th centuries in Asia Minor. Theophanes dates another self-immolation by Montanists to the year 714 .

The Montanists revived the end times expectation and turned against moral decay and secularization.

Reaction to the large church

Montanism gained its momentum through the increasing secularization of the church. The expectation of the early Christian community had not been fulfilled and had given way to calmer contemplation. Church structures and offices increasingly solidified and compromises were made with the world. With regard to the moral demands, more lax standards made themselves felt. Many Christians welcomed Montanism as a reaction to these developments and as a reflection on early Christian roots.

Reactions of the major church

Theologically, the movement triggered a process of reflection in the major church, especially on the subjects of prophecy, office and spirit, synods and the authority of the canon. Although Montanism was basically orthodox, it was felt as a problem mainly because of its enthusiastic eschatological preaching. Because of the biblical tradition, prophecy could not be discredited in general, but the church writers argued that prophecy in ecstasy was unbiblical, pointed out that no more prophecy had occurred since the death of Montanus and his prophetesses, and set Montanus' way of life Question.

The relationship between ministry and spirit has been clarified to the effect that the Holy Spirit does not work in individual forms and wonderful phenomena, but is given to the apostolic church as an institution. In addition, Montanism challenged the establishment of the first synods of bishops to establish the church consensus. The exclusivity of the biblical canon was established and the normativity claim of other revelations such as that of Montanus was rejected.

Despite the later classification of Montanism as heresy, the movement in the major church was initially judged differently: While Soterus wrote against the doctrine and Gaius also spoke out against the doctrine, the Roman bishops Eleutherus and Victor I seem to have made an attempt at integration, which was initiated by Praxeas then was prevented.

Quotes received from Montanists

Montanist writings have not survived. In the quotes of the ecclesiastical opponents and in Tertullian, however, there are probably fourteen genuine prophetic sayings (cf. RE Heine).

  • From Montanus:

1. See, man is like a lyre, and I fly to it like a pick. Man sleeps and I wake (him). See, it is the Lord who excites people's hearts and gives people a new heart. ( Epiph. , Pan. 48,4,1) - 2. Neither an angel nor a messenger, but I, the Lord, God the Father has come. (Epiph., Pan. 48,11,9) - 3. I am the Lord, God, the Almighty, dwelling in a person. (Epiph., Pan. 48,11,1) - 4. Why do you call him saved above a person (protruding)? The righteous will shine a hundred times more than the sun, but the little ones among you who are saved will shine a hundred times more than the moon. (Epiph., Pan. 48,10,3)

  • From Maximilla:

5. Do not listen to me, but listen to Christ. (Epiph., Pan. 48,12,4) - 6. The Lord has sent me as a follower, revelator and interpreter of this hardship, this covenant and this promise, who, willing or not, is compelled to perceive the knowledge of God. (Epiph., Pan. 48,13,1) - 7. I am pursued like a wolf away from the sheep. I am not a wolf. I am word and spirit and power. (Orbanus bei Eus. , Church History 5,16,17) - 8. After me there will no longer be a prophet, but the perfection. (Epiph., Pan. 48,2,4)

  • From Priska:

9. About them [the deniers of the bodily resurrection] the Paraclete said aptly through the prophet Prisca: “They are flesh and hate the flesh.” ( Tert. , Carn. 11,2) - 10. For so often the heart is purified there, they see visions and, when they turn their faces downwards, hear also healing words that are as clear as they are hidden. (Tert., Cast. 10.5)

  • Perhaps from Quintilla (successor to Maximilla?):

11. Christ came to me under the appearance of a woman in a shining robe and gave me wisdom and revealed to me that this place [namely, Pepuza] was holy and that Jerusalem would come down from heaven here. (Epiph., Pan. 49,1,3)

  • Not assignable:

12. ... who I have the Paraclete himself in the New Prophets, who says: "The Church can forgive sin, but I do not want to do it so that she does not commit other sins" (Tert., Pud. 21,7) - 13. You're being denounced, that's good for you. For whoever is not denounced before men is denounced before the Lord. Do not get confused. Justice brings you before the public. What do you get confused when you get praise? There is an opportunity when people stare at you. (Tert., Fug. 9,4) - 14. Do not wish to pass away with a mild fever in your beds or in the event of miscarriages, but in martyrdom, so that he may be glorified who has suffered for you. (Tert., Fug. 9.4)

swell

  • Gottlieb Nathanael Bonwetsch (Ed.): Texts on the history of Montanism. Short texts for lectures and exercises 129. Marcus & Weber, Bonn, 1914 (collection of Greek and Latin sources; Eusebius et al.)
  • Eusebius v. Caesarea , Church History (Historia ecclesiastica) , ed. v. Heinrich Kraft, reprint of the 3rd edition, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1997 (esp. V, 14-19)
  • William Tabbernee: Montanist Inscriptions and Testimonia. Epigraphic Sources Illustrating the History of Montanism. Patristic Monograph Series 16. Mercer, Macon (Ga.) 1997.

literature

  • Gottlieb Nathanael Bonwetsch: The History of Montanism. Erlangen, 1881
  • William HC Frend: Montanism . In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie Vol. 23, 1994, pp. 271-279
  • Marco Frenschkowski:  Montanus. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 6, Bautz, Herzberg 1993, ISBN 3-88309-044-1 , Sp. 77-81.
  • Wolf-Dieter Hauschild : Textbook of Church and Dogma History, Volume 1, Old Church and Middle Ages , 2nd, revised. Ed., Gütersloh 2000, § 2 No. 7, pp. 76-78
  • Ronald E. Heine: The Montanist Oracles and Testimonia . Patristic Monograph Series 14, Mercer, Macon (Ga.), 1989
  • Vera-Elisabeth Hirschmann: Horrenda secta. Investigations into early Christian Montanism and its connections to the pagan religion of Phrygia. Steiner, Stuttgart, 2005
  • KA Heinrich Kellner: Tertullian as a Montanist , introduction to Tertullian's montanist pamphlets, in: ( BKV 24, 1912/15, Vol. 7/1)
  • Heinrich Kraft : The early Christian prophecy and the emergence of Montanism . In: Theologische Zeitschrift 11 (1955), pp. 249-271
  • Hans-Georg Opitz : Montanus 17 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XVI, 1, Stuttgart 1933, Col. 206-210.
  • Henning Paulsen : The importance of montanism for the development of the canon . In: VigChr 32 (1978), pp. 19-52
  • August Strobel : The holy land of the Montanists. A religious-geographical study . de Gruyter, Berlin, 1980
  • Christiane Trevett: Montanism. Gender, Authority and the New Prophecy. Cambridge University Press, 1996
  • Matthias Wishes: The outcome of early Christian prophecy in the early Catholic Church. Research on the Apostolic Fathers, the Apologists, Irenaeus of Lyon and the anti-Montanist Anonymous . Calwer theological monographs B / 14. Diss. Kiel, 1992, Calwer, Stuttgart, 1997

Individual evidence

  1. Walther von Loewenich : The History of the Church, I, Altertum und Mittelalter , Siebenstern Verlag, Hamburg, 4th ed., 1971, p. 48
  2. Walther von Loewenich: The History of the Church, I, Altertum und Mittelalter , Siebenstern Verlag, Hamburg, 4th ed., 1971, p. 48