Fulgentius: Selected Works

Description

Fulgentius, bishop of Ruspe (c.467-532), is considered the greatest North African theologian after the time of St. Augustine. When Fulgentius was born, North Africa had been under the rule of Germanic Vandals for several decades. His family was repeatedly victimised by Vandal persecutions, and Fulgentius himself suffered persecution and exile. While in exile, he continued his pastoral labours and became the theological spokesman of the displaced. Though he was not an original thinker, he propagated the Augustian heritage and defended it against its adversaries, notably the Arians and Pelagians (or semi-Pelagians). With thorough understanding and conviction, Fulgentius promoted the Trinitarian theology of Augustine. He also defended and explained Augustine's difficult and controversial stance on the question of predestination. Fulgentius contributed greatly to the transmission and interpretation of a theological heritage that would dominate and shape the Church in the West for hundreds of years to come. Unfortunately, many writings of Fulgentius have been lost. Of those that survived, the most important are dated to the period of his second exile and the sixteen years from his return to North Africa from Sardinia until his death. In this volume, Fulgentius's most significant writings are translated into English for the first time. The selections presented here provide readers a unique opportunity to study the thinking of this important church father.