Λογος σωτηριας προς την παρθενον (De Virginitate): Eine echte Schrift des Athanasius

Description

Like Albert Eichhorn, von der Goltz considers the De virginitate to be by St. (not pseudo) Athanasius.

review:

• H. Vacher Burch, “An Early Witness to Christian Monachism,” ed. Eduard Freiherr von der Goltz, The American Journal of Theology 10, no. 4 (1906): 738–43.

§8 of this De virginitate says (p. 43, PDF p. 48): "πάντα ἁγνὰ ὅσα ἄψυχα." ("Everything is pure as long as it is non-animal."), which seems a bit too Encratite to be genuinely St. Athanasius. However, in context, it's reasonable:

ὑποβάλλει δὲ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἄσκησιν μεγάλην, ἵνα τὸ σῶμα ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀχρήσιμον ποιήσῃ. σοῦ οὖν ὁ νηστεία μέτρον ἐχέτω· νήστευσον ὅλον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν χωρὶς πάσης ἀνάγκης· ὥρᾳ δὲ ἐνάτῃ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἐν ὕμνοις καὶ προσευχαῖς διατελέσασα, μεταλάμβανε τὸν ἄρτον σου ἐν λαχάνῳ ἀναπεποιημένῳ ἐλαίῳ· πάντα ἁγνὰ ὅσα ἄψυχα.

[Shaw transl.:] But the enemy also suggests great askesis, in order to make your body weak and useless. So let your fast have due measure. Fast for the entire period, except in case of necessity. But at the ninth hour of the day, continuing in hymns and prayers, take your bread and vegetables prepared with oil. Everything is pure as long as it is non-animal.

p. 82 (PDF p. 88):

Es ist deshalb schwerlich besonderes Gewicht darauf zu legen, daß die Regel νήστευσον οὖν ὅλον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν χωρὶς πάσης ἀνάγκης (cap. VIII) ohne Einschränkung gegeben wird. Vielleicht betrachtete es der Verfasser sogar als selbstverständlich, daß die Sonntage keine Fasttage sein sollten. Auch der vegetarische Satz πάντα ἁἀγνὰ ὅσα ἄψυχα darf nicht dazu führen, an eine besondere Secte, etwa die der Eustathianer zu denken, wie P. Batiffol vorschlug.

It is therefore difficult to attach any special weight to the fact that the rule νήστευσον οὖν ὅλον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν χωρὶς πάσης ἀνάγκης ["Fast for the entire period, except in case of necessity."] (ch. 8) is given without qualification. Perhaps the author even considered it self-evident that Sundays should not be fast days. Nor should the vegetarian phrase πάντα ἁἀγνὰ ὅσα ἄψυχα ["Everything is pure as long as it is non-animal."] lead one to think of a special sect, such as that of the Eustathians, as suggested by P. Batiffol.