On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities

This article revisits an important and much-discussed question: how and why was Christian learning in second- and third-century Alexandria institutionalised, leading to what came to be known as the “Catechetical School”? Its contribution to scholarship lays in that it focuses on cultural, ideologica...

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Main Author: Chrysovalantis Kyriacou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/482
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author Chrysovalantis Kyriacou
author_facet Chrysovalantis Kyriacou
author_sort Chrysovalantis Kyriacou
collection DOAJ
description This article revisits an important and much-discussed question: how and why was Christian learning in second- and third-century Alexandria institutionalised, leading to what came to be known as the “Catechetical School”? Its contribution to scholarship lays in that it focuses on cultural, ideological, and ecclesiastical developments under the Antonines and the Severans, placing the Alexandrian case within a broader context. Building on Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the rhizome, our examination seeks to map the complex web of interactions among the Christians themselves, as well as between Christians and non-Christians, so as to understand more deeply the mechanics behind the institutional establishment of the Alexandrian School. Berger and Luckmann’s theory on the relationship between institutions and knowledge frames our analysis of episcopal legitimation and the reception of the Alexandrian School’s origins by Eusebius of Caesarea. As will be argued, the early history of the School is largely “a tale of two cities”, in the sense that parallel and transverse processes in Alexandria and Rome reflect the plurality of Christian responses to pressing challenges.
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spelling doaj.art-102f240fdc144152b8b77a156a196ddc2023-11-17T21:08:53ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-04-0114448210.3390/rel14040482On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two CitiesChrysovalantis Kyriacou0Theological School of the Church of Cyprus, Nicosia 1016, CyprusThis article revisits an important and much-discussed question: how and why was Christian learning in second- and third-century Alexandria institutionalised, leading to what came to be known as the “Catechetical School”? Its contribution to scholarship lays in that it focuses on cultural, ideological, and ecclesiastical developments under the Antonines and the Severans, placing the Alexandrian case within a broader context. Building on Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the rhizome, our examination seeks to map the complex web of interactions among the Christians themselves, as well as between Christians and non-Christians, so as to understand more deeply the mechanics behind the institutional establishment of the Alexandrian School. Berger and Luckmann’s theory on the relationship between institutions and knowledge frames our analysis of episcopal legitimation and the reception of the Alexandrian School’s origins by Eusebius of Caesarea. As will be argued, the early history of the School is largely “a tale of two cities”, in the sense that parallel and transverse processes in Alexandria and Rome reflect the plurality of Christian responses to pressing challenges.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/482AlexandriaRomerhizomeslegitimationSeveransOrigen
spellingShingle Chrysovalantis Kyriacou
On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities
Religions
Alexandria
Rome
rhizomes
legitimation
Severans
Origen
title On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities
title_full On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities
title_fullStr On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities
title_full_unstemmed On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities
title_short On the Origins of the Alexandrian School: Rhizomes, Episcopal Legitimation, and a Tale of Two Cities
title_sort on the origins of the alexandrian school rhizomes episcopal legitimation and a tale of two cities
topic Alexandria
Rome
rhizomes
legitimation
Severans
Origen
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/4/482
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