Zölibat

This source edition offers a wealth of texts on the topic of clerical celibacy from the first five centuries AD, a period crucial for the entire subsequent development. It becomes evident that the demands for celibacy among clerics are deeply intertwined with late antique culture. At the same time, they touch upon eternal questions of the human condition in the realms of sexuality, marriage, holiness, desire, and renunciation. The testimonies include scriptural interpretations and high theology, letters and admonitions, confessions and synodal canons, heretical polemics and mysticism, among others. The commentary refers to their context in their time as well as in the author's work and offers an interpretation that is helpful for current discussions. Three excursions address the period from around 450 AD to the Gregorian Reform, the pivotal developments and special trends in the East, and the question of the lifestyle of the apostles.