Marcellus of Ancyra in modern research

Abstract

This thesis gives a detailed overview of modem research on Marcellus of Ancyra. It is divided into three parts: the first part deals with the person of Marcellus, his life, work, theology and historical influence as seen by different scholars. Especially in the questions of chronology and Marcellus' orthodoxy, a consensus is yet to be achieved. The second, largest part analyses in detail the ascriptions of certain pseudepigrapha to the pen of Marcellus by modem scholarship: the writings De Sancta Ecclesia, Sermo Maior de Fide, Ekthesis Pisteos, De Incarnatione et Contra Arianos, Contra Theopaschitas (or Epistula ad Liberium).A critical review of modem scholarly literature in this matter shows that only De Sancta Ecclesia and Contra Theopaschitas could have a claim to Marcellan authorship, but also that the real problem is one of methodological decisions: are the undisputed Fragments of Marcellus the only criterion for ascribing other works to him? Is the apparent shift towards orthodoxy which is documented in Fragment 129 (Epistula ad lulium) genuine? If so, does it open the way towards the ascription of clearly orthodox writings which show differences in their theology to the theology of the Fragments? Modern scholarship has not yet come up with a final answer to these questions; the thesis can only point to new fields of research and make French, Italian and especially German literature accessible to English scholars for this purpose by summarizing the results achieved so far. The third part of the thesis contains translations of some short texts dealt with in part two.