Donatus Magnus
Encyclopedia
Donatus Magnus, also known as Donatus of Casae Nigra, became leader of a schisma
tic Christian
sect in North Africa
. He is believed to have died in exile around 355.
found him guilty of re-baptizing clergy who had lapsed and of forming a schism within the Church.
Casae was a settlement located on the extreme southern edge of the plains of Numidia
, south of Theveste, an area settled by people predominantly of Berber
descent.
These events may have taken place before Donatus arrived in Carthage
, probably before 311.
Donatus was consecrated in 313 AD as Bishop of Carthage and Primate of North Africa, the leader of the Christian sect which came to be known as the Donatist sect, even though Donatus was not the founding leader, but rather followed the founding leader Majorinus.
The background to the controversy was the wave of persecutions of Christians by the Roman Emperor
Diocletian
. At that time some Church leaders - unwilling to endure torture or death and become martyr
s - had been ready to take such acts as worshipping the gods of the old pantheon, considered idols by Christians, or surrendering church books and property to the imperial authorities. Such people became known as “traditors
” ("surrenderers"). One of these "traditors", named Caecilian, had returned to the fold of the Church once the persecutions ended, and was consecrated Bishop of Carthage and Primate of North Africa. Those of the faithful who refused to accept the authority of such a spiritual leader raised Majorinus as a rival bishop; however, Majorinus died shortly after being consecrated, and it fell to Donatus to take his place and continue the struggle.
Donatist thinking was relatively consistent with that of Saint Cyprian, who died a martyr during an earlier wave of persecutions, over half a century earlier.
Effectively, the Roman Church believed that lapsed clergy could perform rituals such as baptism as long as they followed church ritual.
During his tenure of some 40 years Donatus oversaw the expansion of the Donatist Christian sect but struggled unsuccessfully against the Roman Christian wing to obtain Church recognition as the legitimate Primate of North Africa.
This effort failed because the Donatists were unable to prove to a series of the councils that considered the case that Caecilian had been a traditor or that his consecration was invalid because he was consecrated as bishop by a tradito, Bishop Felix of Aptunga
.
The issue was complicated because there it was not only Roman Catholic bishops who were suspected of being traditores; some Donatist bishops were also suspected of the same, in contradiction to their sect's basic teaching. Further, bishops suspected of being traditores refused to be challenged.
Donatus succeeded in expanding the Donatist sect in spite of lack of success in removing Caecilian from office, in large part due to the unpopularity of Caecilian and the Roman administration - particularly amongst the rural population.
Donatist priests and bishops were much closer to the rural agricultural population which consisted of Roman farmers and the Berber and Phoenicia
n descendants of the indigenous people who lived there before the Romans conquered North Africa.
Most Donatist clergy in rural Numidia spoke the vernacular languages (Libyan or Punic) as well as Latin, whereas the Roman Catholic clergy usually spoke only Latin.
During the Diocletian persecution in Carthage there had been many who were imprisoned, some of whom were voluntary martyrs. These people claimed falsely to be in possession of Church property which they refused to give up to officials.
The Bishop of Carthage, Mensurius
, who was very much opposed to what he coinsidered the fanaticism of the voluntary martyrs, sent his Archdeacon, Caecilian, to the prison to disperse by force the militant crowds gathered in support of volunteer martyrs.
This action by Caecilian created many enemies in Carthage who were staunchly opposed to him.
in which Donatus' appeal failed, he was in 347 exiled to Gaul until his death in 355. At the time when Donatus' tenure ended, the Donatist Church was the dominant Christian Church in North Africa - but suffered from internal dissensions as well as the actions of the Roman Catholic Church aimed at reincorpating the sect and thus unifying North African Christianity.
The Circumcellions
were bands of nomadic anti-Roman rebels, Punic-speaking bandits from the lower strata of society, who supported Donatism and were sometimes led by Donatist clergy. However, they broke out of control, attacking Roman landlords and colonists and redistributing goods acquired through the sweat of poor native peasants. Their support for the Donatists caused the Donatists to be identified with them, leading officials to take punitive action against the Donatist Church.
Further, the Donatist church splintered into two main groups, reducing its effectiveness as a church.
debates that broke out in Europe over a millennium later, leading to the formation of Protestant churches.
Schisma
In music, the schisma is the ratio between a Pythagorean comma and a syntonic comma and equals 32805:32768, which is 1.9537 cents...
tic Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
sect in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. He is believed to have died in exile around 355.
Life
Little is known of his earlier life because of the complete loss of his correspondence and written works. He first appears in Church records as Donatus of Casae Nigra in October 313 when Pope MiltiadesPope Miltiades
Pope Saint Miltiades, also called Melchiades , was pope from 2 July 311 to 10 January 314.- Origins :He appears to have been a Berber African by birth, but of his personal history nothing is known.- Pontificate :...
found him guilty of re-baptizing clergy who had lapsed and of forming a schism within the Church.
Casae was a settlement located on the extreme southern edge of the plains of Numidia
Numidia
Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
, south of Theveste, an area settled by people predominantly of Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
descent.
These events may have taken place before Donatus arrived in Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
, probably before 311.
Donatus was consecrated in 313 AD as Bishop of Carthage and Primate of North Africa, the leader of the Christian sect which came to be known as the Donatist sect, even though Donatus was not the founding leader, but rather followed the founding leader Majorinus.
The background to the controversy was the wave of persecutions of Christians by the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
. At that time some Church leaders - unwilling to endure torture or death and become martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s - had been ready to take such acts as worshipping the gods of the old pantheon, considered idols by Christians, or surrendering church books and property to the imperial authorities. Such people became known as “traditors
Traditors
Traditor, pl.traditores , is a term meaning the one who had handed over. This refers to bishops and other Christians who turned over sacred scriptures or betrayed their fellow Christians to the Roman authorities under threat of persecution...
” ("surrenderers"). One of these "traditors", named Caecilian, had returned to the fold of the Church once the persecutions ended, and was consecrated Bishop of Carthage and Primate of North Africa. Those of the faithful who refused to accept the authority of such a spiritual leader raised Majorinus as a rival bishop; however, Majorinus died shortly after being consecrated, and it fell to Donatus to take his place and continue the struggle.
The Schism
The schism between the two Christian wings centered on the status of traditore clergy. The Donatists contended that traditores could not be reinstated without being re-baptized and re-ordained to take office. They also contended that church rituals performed by traditores were invalid. Therefore persons who were baptized, ordained or consecrated should not be recognized by the Church.Donatist thinking was relatively consistent with that of Saint Cyprian, who died a martyr during an earlier wave of persecutions, over half a century earlier.
Effectively, the Roman Church believed that lapsed clergy could perform rituals such as baptism as long as they followed church ritual.
During his tenure of some 40 years Donatus oversaw the expansion of the Donatist Christian sect but struggled unsuccessfully against the Roman Christian wing to obtain Church recognition as the legitimate Primate of North Africa.
This effort failed because the Donatists were unable to prove to a series of the councils that considered the case that Caecilian had been a traditor or that his consecration was invalid because he was consecrated as bishop by a tradito, Bishop Felix of Aptunga
Aptunga
Aptunga is a genus of snout moths. It was described by Heinrich, in 1956.-Species:*Aptunga culmenicola Neunzig, 1996*Aptunga macropasa *Aptunga setadebilia Neunzig, 1996*Aptunga vega Neunzig, 1996...
.
The issue was complicated because there it was not only Roman Catholic bishops who were suspected of being traditores; some Donatist bishops were also suspected of the same, in contradiction to their sect's basic teaching. Further, bishops suspected of being traditores refused to be challenged.
Donatus succeeded in expanding the Donatist sect in spite of lack of success in removing Caecilian from office, in large part due to the unpopularity of Caecilian and the Roman administration - particularly amongst the rural population.
Donatist priests and bishops were much closer to the rural agricultural population which consisted of Roman farmers and the Berber and Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n descendants of the indigenous people who lived there before the Romans conquered North Africa.
Most Donatist clergy in rural Numidia spoke the vernacular languages (Libyan or Punic) as well as Latin, whereas the Roman Catholic clergy usually spoke only Latin.
During the Diocletian persecution in Carthage there had been many who were imprisoned, some of whom were voluntary martyrs. These people claimed falsely to be in possession of Church property which they refused to give up to officials.
The Bishop of Carthage, Mensurius
Mensurius
Mensurius was a bishop of Carthage in the early 300s during the early Christian Church.During the Christian persecution of Diocletian he evaded turning over sacred scriptures to the Roman authorities, but was nevertheless considered a traditor by Donatists...
, who was very much opposed to what he coinsidered the fanaticism of the voluntary martyrs, sent his Archdeacon, Caecilian, to the prison to disperse by force the militant crowds gathered in support of volunteer martyrs.
This action by Caecilian created many enemies in Carthage who were staunchly opposed to him.
Donatism after Donatus
After a conference held at ArlesSynod of Arles
Arles in the south of Roman Gaul hosted several councils or synods referred to as Concilium Arelatense in the history of the early Christian church.-Council of Arles in 314:...
in which Donatus' appeal failed, he was in 347 exiled to Gaul until his death in 355. At the time when Donatus' tenure ended, the Donatist Church was the dominant Christian Church in North Africa - but suffered from internal dissensions as well as the actions of the Roman Catholic Church aimed at reincorpating the sect and thus unifying North African Christianity.
The Circumcellions
Circumcellions
The circumcellions were bands of heretical Christian extremists in North Africa in the early- to mid-4th century. They preferred to be known as agonistici . They were initially concerned with remedying social grievances, but they became linked with the Donatist sect. They condemned property and...
were bands of nomadic anti-Roman rebels, Punic-speaking bandits from the lower strata of society, who supported Donatism and were sometimes led by Donatist clergy. However, they broke out of control, attacking Roman landlords and colonists and redistributing goods acquired through the sweat of poor native peasants. Their support for the Donatists caused the Donatists to be identified with them, leading officials to take punitive action against the Donatist Church.
Further, the Donatist church splintered into two main groups, reducing its effectiveness as a church.
Later Theological thought
Historians have noted the parallel between the Donatist debates and reformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
debates that broke out in Europe over a millennium later, leading to the formation of Protestant churches.
Selected bibliography
- Beaver, R. Pierce, “The Donatist Circumcellions”. (Church History, Vol.4, No.2 June 1935) pp. 123–133.
- Edwards, Mark ed. trans. Optatus: Against the Donatists. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1997.
- Frend, W. H. C., “The Donatist Church”. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971.
- McGrath, Alister E. Reformation Thought, An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, Third Edition: January 1999.
- Gaddis, Michael. There is No Crime for Those Who have Christ. Berkley: University of California Press: 2005. pp. 103 – 130.
- Tilley, Maureen A. trans., Donatist Martyr Stories – The Church in Conflict in Roman North Africa. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press: 1996.
- Tilley, Maureen A., Dilatory Donatists or Procrastinating Catholics: The Trial at the Conference of Carthage (Church History, Vol.60, No.1 Mar. 1991) pp. 11 – 19.
- Donatus & the Donatist Schism. http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/donatism.php