Vxor pudica, filius subiectus, servus fidelis and family relationships in the Apologeticum.
Reflections from the social sciences
Abstract
This article aims to re-examine Tertullian's Apologeticum (Apol. 3.4) through the lens of social science, cultural anthropology, and the honour-shame construct. Thus, this re-reading will demonstrate the interconnectivity between the anthropological values that shaped the daily lives of Carthaginian believers and the virtues attributed to household/οἶκος/domus members in their various interpersonal and family relationships. The respectable qualities of christians in Carthage during the 2nd century AD were honesty, obedience and faithfulness. In essence, the apologist, when polemicising against the pagans, defended and protected the honesty of the new believers and exalted the virtues appropriate to each of them.
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