Our Collective Faith 9

I find Donatism to be one of the most unknown and yet most pervasive of heresies at work in the church today, and yet we need to be careful once again. Why? In dismissing Donatism we may fall into a pitiable mistake.

The editor of this book, Ben Quash (professor and canon theologian at Coventry Cathedral), deals with Donatism in the 8th chp of: Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why It Matters What Christians Believe

. What is Donatism? Essentially, the belief that the holiness of the priest determines the legitimacy of the sacrament. In a synod in Arles in 314 AD, the Donatists were deemed schismatic for their beliefs.

So, a question: Does the personal holiness of the priest/pastor affect the sacrament/sermon? And, what do you think of his distinction between a heretic and a schismatic? Do you see “Donatists” among us?

Quash distinguishes between heresy (opposed to the faith) and schismatic (opposed to love), and argues the line is often blurry.

The issue here is church discipline and Augustine (seen at the right) was a major figure in the debates.

Under Diocletian, there was great persecution against the Church: some were martyred, others confessed the faith but survived and were called confessors. Others, however, capitulated and handed over church property to the empire. They were called “traditores” (hander-overs). After the persecution ended, and one is reminded of post-Holocaust Germany, the issue became what to do with the traditores. Some wanted them out (Donatists) and others wanted them to repent and forgiven. It all came to a head in Carthage in 311. The consecrator of the new bishop at Carthage was believed to be a traditor. The hawks appointed one Majorinus but Rome did not acknowledge him, and the hawks (Donatists) fought about it. The church in North Africa was split between the Donatists (Donatus succeeded Majorinus) and the catholics until the Muslim invasions.

Well, it got ugly because the Donatists resorted to violence and destruction of churches etc.. They perceived the catholic bishops as polluted and everything they did was polluted. Only the Donatists were pure. They enjoyed their minority status and took it as a badge of fidelity.

Well, the Catholics were not much better. They used force and all against the Donatists.

The Donatists were purifiers of the Church. No compromise, and really not grappling with the tragedy of sin in the life of believers, leaders, and the Church. They couldn’t forgive.

Augustine was a major battler against the Donatists and he separated the worthiness of the sacrament from the purity of the priest. The ultimate, he argued, is manifest now in the penultimate.