Jerome:

SaintBiblical Scholar

Doctor of the Church

DE VIRIS ILLUSTRIBUS325: Nicea I331: Birth of Jerome361-363: Julian the Apostate380: Edict of Thessalonica381: Constantinople I391: Closing of Pagan Temples410: Sack of Rome by AlaricSept. 30th 420: Death of Jerome

S. AmbroseS. Anastasius I (P.)S. AthanasiusS. AugustineS. BasilS. Cyril of JerusalemS. Damasus I (P.)Didymus the BlindS. Epiphanius

S. Gregory NazianzusS. Hilary of PoitiersS. Innocent I (P.)Ss. John and PaulS. John ChrysostomS. Julius I (P.)S. Martin of ToursPelagiusS. Siricius (P.)

PRINCIPIUM331: Born at Stridon~342-347: Grammar (Rome)~347-351: Rhetoric (& Law?)~Before 366: Baptism~350s-360s: Trier, Stridon, Aquileia~372: To Antioch, via Athens

MONACHUSLent 374: Vision of Judgment~374-377: The Syrian Desert377-381: Antioch and Constantinople382-385: Rome Again385-386: Holy Land Pilgrimage386-420: Bethlehem

Vision of St. Jerome by Bernardino Mei, 1657-60

ASCESIS• Popularizer of Monasticism

– Letters & Example– Translated St. Pachomius’ Rule

• Criticized tepid clergy/laity• Polemical battles for objective

superiority of consecrated life• Defended Perpetual Virginity of

Mary– Against Helvidius– Dialogue Against the Pelagians

Penitent St. Jerome by Georges de la Tour, 1628-30

CONTROVERSIAE• Meletian Schism

– 4th Century Soap Opera– Saints on all sides– Jerome tried to stay out of it

• Asceticism/Monasticism– Still new to the West– Noble Roman Ladies

• Death of Blesilla

St. Jerome as Cardinal by El Greco, 1610-14

CONTROVERSIAE• Origenism• Proto-Protestantism

– Against Vigilantius• Communion of Saints• Relics• Married Clergy

• Pelagianism– Monastery attacked– Library burned St. Jerome by Marinus van Reymerswale, 1541

RUFINUS-Childhood/School friend-Monk, settled in Bethlehem-Devoted fan of Origen-393: Rupture w/Jerome-397: Reconciliation, to Italy-397-8: Translates Origen, prefaces implicate Jerome-Drama and Intrigue--410: Rufinus dies, rupture continues

AUGUSTINUS394: Augustine writes Jerome-Important letters miscarry-398-9: Jerome hears of letter, incensed at Augustine-Exchange of letters: Jerome suspicious, Augustine deferential404: Augustine has won Jerome’s friendship & respect-Later assist one another vs. Pelgianism St. Jerome and St. Augustine by Carlo Crivelli, c. 1490

VIR LITTERARUM-Master of the Latin Language-Wrote in almost every genre-Knew Greek, Hebrew, Syriac-Impressively well-read-Extraordinary Translator-Accomplished Interpreter-Capable Theologian

COMMENTARIA• 374: First Commentary

– Obadiah (Allegorical)

• Others:– 387/8: Philemon, Galatians,

Ephesians, Titus– 389: Ecclesiastes– Genesis, Psalms, Micah, Nahum,

Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Job– 12 Minor Prophets (again), Daniel,

Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah (incomplete)

St. Jerome in His Study by Albercht Dürer, 1514

HEBRAICA VERITAS-First studied Hebrew in Syria-Continued rest of his life-Often did double translations-Used Hexapla of Origen, et al.-Eventually argued for Hebrew canon vs. LXX = Septuagint = Greek OT-Apologetic concern: Jews-Still quoted “apocrypha” as Scripture St. Jerome in His Study by Jan van Eyck, 1432?

BIBLIA SACRA VULGATA-383/4: Pope Damasus asks J. for revision of Old Latin Bible-Jerome re-translates Gospels (beginning of Vulgate), and Psalms (now lost)-389: Ecclesiastes-391-405: Entire Old Testament

St. Jerome in His Study by Domenico Girlandaio, 1480

SPIRITUS PARACLITUS• Sept. 15, 1920• 1500th Anniversary of the

Death of St. Jerome• Goal: Present St. Jerome as

a model, inspire “assiduous and reverent” study of Sacred Scripture

Pope Benedict XV 1914-1922

SPIRITUS PARACLITUS• Brief Biography• Jerome: Doctrinal Model

– Inspiration– Authority of Scripture– Total Inerrancy of Scripture

• Includes Historical Truth• Reaffirms Leo XIII• Condemns abuse of principles• Example of Christ

Communion of St. Jerome (Detail) by Domenichino, 1614

SPIRITUS PARACLITUS• Jerome: Pastoral Model

– Love of Scripture– Preparation & Good will– Fidelity to Church– Clergy under greater

obligation to biblical fluency– Goals for biblical studies:

• Advancement in Spiritual Life• Doctrine Last Communion of St. Jerome

(Detail) by Botticelli, c. 1495

SPIRITUS PARACLITUS• Jerome: Exegetical Model

– Seek the Four Senses• Literal first• Continue to the Spiritual

– Commentators:• Be clear, straightforward

– Love of Scripture leads to love of the Church

– Everything in Scripture points to ChristThe Four Doctors of the Church with the

Symbols of the Four Evangelists (Detail) by Pier Francesco Sacchi, 1516

BENEDICT XVI“What can we learn from St Jerome? It seems to me, this above all; to love the Word of God in Sacred Scripture. St Jerome said: "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ". It is therefore important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the Word of God given to us in Sacred Scripture. … However, to avoid falling into individualism, we must … read it in communion with the living Church.”

VIR CATAGRAPHISSIMUS

St. Jerome in His Study by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1520s

BIBLIOGRAPHIA• Steinmann, Jean. Saint Jerome

and His Times. Trans. Ronald Matthews. Notre Dame, IN: Fides Publishers, 1959.

• Kelly, J.N.D. Jerome: His Life, Writings, and Controversies. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd., 1975. Reprint Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998

• Available on www.Vatican.va:– Benedict XV Encyclical Spiritus

Paraclitus Sept. 15, 1920– Benedict XVI Audiences on Nov. 7 &

14, 2007

• Available on www.NewAdvent.org:– Jerome’s Letters– Polemical Works– Select Prefaces– Illustrious Men– Lives of Malchus, Paulus, Hilarion