SURROUNDED BY LAW: MONASTICISM AND SOCIO-NORMATIVE STRATIFICATION IN PHILOXENUS OF MABBUG

This article examines the place of the Law in Philoxenus of Mabbug’s ascetical thought. The main argument is that Philoxenus turns to the law of the Old Testament, with all its coerciveness, in order to legitimize and validate a normative system suitable for the multitudes of Christians who are “living in the world”, beneath the level of perfection. This is not to say that Philoxenus encourages the actual observance of Jewish-biblical commandments; rather, he advances a “logic-of-law”, which corresponds explicitly to that of the Old Testament. I will first discuss the hierarchy between non-monastic, “common”, Christians, and Jews, as it appears in a letter addressed by Philoxenus to a Jew who has “turned to the life of perfection”. Then I will discuss the emphasis on the importance of keeping the commandments as a means for salvation in his Letter to Patricius. Following this discussion, I will examine how the Law functions as a central concept in the differentiation between the Upright and the Perfect and in Philoxenus’ effort to simultaneously distinguish and legitimize social and normative stratification within Christianity.