The Sentences of Sextus

by Henry Chadwick (Editor)

Sextus's Sentences are a collection of ethical aphorisms which for centuries were read in Latin, Greek, Syriac and Armenian, by Christians from Britain to Mesopotamia. Who 'Sextus' was, and whether he was a Christian, is not certain; Dr Chadwick discusses the evidence, including some he has discovered himself. But the Sentences, probably written in the second century, were widely read in Jerome's time, and were still treated as authoritative in the Middle Ages. They are an important strand in the history of the development of Christian ethics, and are yet another example of that dialogue between the Greek and the Jewish which so profoundly affected the development of the young religion. Dr Chadwick first provides a critical edition of the Greek and Latin texts. There follow studies of the moral teaching of Sextus, the evidence of Origen, the testimony of Rufinus and Jerome, and the internal evidence provided by the texts.

Genres: Philosophy

193 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 1959

About the author

Henry Chadwick was a British academic, theologian and Church of England priest. A former dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford – and as such, head of Christ Church, Oxford – he also served as master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.
A leading historian of the early church, Chadwick was appointed Regius Professor at both the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He was a noted supporter of improved relations with the Catholic Church, and a leading member of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission. An accomplished musician, having studied music to degree level, he took a leading part in the revision and updating of hymnals widely used within Anglicanism, chairing the board of the publisher Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd. for 20 years.

Reviews

[Einzige · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather forgettable collection of pseudo-pagan Christian aphorisms from the second or third century that will no doubt be be equally uninteresting to Christian and Pagans alike. It is no surprise why they have remained largely forgotten despite the general popularity of ancient collections of aphorisms.

The aphorisms by themselves can be found here:

http://ldysinger.stjohnsem.edu/@texts...