The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan

The article examines the position and ministry of virgins at the end of the 4th century in the Early Church in the West as a new Church institution based on the works of St. Ambrose. In modern historiography, this issue is usually considered in the specifi c historical conditions of the ministry of...

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Main Author: Andrey Posternak
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: St. Tikhon's Orthodox University 2024-12-01
Series:Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия ИИ. История, история Русской Православной Церкви
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Online Access:https://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/8686
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author Andrey Posternak
author_facet Andrey Posternak
author_sort Andrey Posternak
collection DOAJ
description The article examines the position and ministry of virgins at the end of the 4th century in the Early Church in the West as a new Church institution based on the works of St. Ambrose. In modern historiography, this issue is usually considered in the specifi c historical conditions of the ministry of the bishop of Milan, without analysis of the order of virgins as an ecclesiastical institution. Various aspects of the status of virgins as members of the Church order are considered according to the works of St. Ambrose: age, consecration, requirements for chastity and general lifestyle. By the end of the 4th century, the institutionalisation of female asceticism was gradually taking place in the West, and St. Ambrose actively participated in the formation of the tradition of the religious status of virgins, according to which joining their community took place through the consecration of a bishop by a special order, and violation of chastity was a canonical crime. The material and spiritual life of virgins was strictly regulated by mandatory, though not formally prescribed norms, e.g. wearing special vestment, prayer and fasting. Virgins could stay in their homes or live in communities, but asceticism in the home would not be an alternative to “protomonastic” communities appeared also in the time of the bishop of Milan. St. Ambrose is reasonably considered the founder of the proto-monastic female tradition in the Early Church in the West.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher St. Tikhon's Orthodox University
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series Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия ИИ. История, история Русской Православной Церкви
spelling doaj-art-7b2c07aeffe14d9c87bf6ad0cf78d9a52025-08-20T02:22:01ZrusSt. Tikhon's Orthodox UniversityВестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия ИИ. История, история Русской Православной Церкви1991-64342409-48112024-12-011211211128http://dx.doi.org/10.15382/sturII2024121.11-287The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of MilanAndrey Posternak0St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University for the Humanities; 6/1 Likhov pereulok, Moscow 127051, Russian FederationThe article examines the position and ministry of virgins at the end of the 4th century in the Early Church in the West as a new Church institution based on the works of St. Ambrose. In modern historiography, this issue is usually considered in the specifi c historical conditions of the ministry of the bishop of Milan, without analysis of the order of virgins as an ecclesiastical institution. Various aspects of the status of virgins as members of the Church order are considered according to the works of St. Ambrose: age, consecration, requirements for chastity and general lifestyle. By the end of the 4th century, the institutionalisation of female asceticism was gradually taking place in the West, and St. Ambrose actively participated in the formation of the tradition of the religious status of virgins, according to which joining their community took place through the consecration of a bishop by a special order, and violation of chastity was a canonical crime. The material and spiritual life of virgins was strictly regulated by mandatory, though not formally prescribed norms, e.g. wearing special vestment, prayer and fasting. Virgins could stay in their homes or live in communities, but asceticism in the home would not be an alternative to “protomonastic” communities appeared also in the time of the bishop of Milan. St. Ambrose is reasonably considered the founder of the proto-monastic female tradition in the Early Church in the West.https://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/8686st. ambrose of milan early church christian virgins asceticism chastity the powers of the bishop proto-monasticismсвятитель амвросий медиоланский древняя церковь христианские девы аскеза целомудрие полномочия епископа протомонашество
spellingShingle Andrey Posternak
The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan
Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия ИИ. История, история Русской Православной Церкви
st. ambrose of milan
early church
christian virgins
asceticism
chastity
the powers of the bishop
proto-monasticism
святитель амвросий медиоланский
древняя церковь
христианские девы
аскеза
целомудрие
полномочия епископа
протомонашество
title The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan
title_full The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan
title_fullStr The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan
title_full_unstemmed The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan
title_short The status of virgins according to the works of St. Ambrose of Milan
title_sort status of virgins according to the works of st ambrose of milan
topic st. ambrose of milan
early church
christian virgins
asceticism
chastity
the powers of the bishop
proto-monasticism
святитель амвросий медиоланский
древняя церковь
христианские девы
аскеза
целомудрие
полномочия епископа
протомонашество
url https://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/8686
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