Celibacy in the Early Church: The Beginnings of Obligatory Continence for Clerics in East and West [Paperback]

Stefan Heid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001

Stefan Heid Heid presents a penetrating and wide-ranging study of the historical data from the early Church on the topics of celibacy and clerical continence. He gives a brief review of recent literature, and then begins his study with the New Testament and follows it all the way to Justinian and the Council in Trullo in 690 it the East and the fifth century popes in the West. He thoroughly examines the writings of the Bible, the early church councils, saints and theologians like Jerome, Augustine, Clement, Tertullian, John Chrystostom, Cyril and Gregory Nazianzen. He has gathered formidable data with conclusive arguments regarding obligatory continence in the early Church. "Stefan Heid shows with strong, conclusive arguments that clerical continence was a requirement for bishops, priests and deacons from apostolic times. His arguments for a celibate clergy are convincing and irrefutable." —Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., Editor, Homiletic and Pastoral Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Pr (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898708001
• ISBN-13: 978-0898708004
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,621,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merits a closer look, March 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Celibacy in the Early Church: The Beginnings of Obligatory Continence for Clerics in East and West (Paperback)

Contrary to the previous reviwer, in skimming through this book in a library, I was impressed by his scholarship. He may be right, or he may be wrong, but like many recent scholars, he raises some interesting challenges to conventional ideas about the origins of celibacy (which actually only date to the late 1800s). His book deserves a careful read for those who are interested in the subject. A more thourough work, however, is Cochini's book "The Apostolic Origins of Priestly Celibacy" (1981) which provided the basis for much of what Feid argues.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continence, Digamy and other aspects of Early Clerical Sexual Discipline, September 7, 2005

By 

Athanasius - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celibacy in the Early Church: The Beginnings of Obligatory Continence for Clerics in East and West (Paperback)

This is a superb examination, using original sources in the Greek and Latin, of how the original partial abstinance required of the Jewish priesthood during their period of sacrficial service combined with customs of digamy and continence developed into the modern concept of celibacy. The book shows how the earlier concepts of sexual abstinance were much more comprehensive and demanding than what we previoulsy believed and how counter-cultural they are to our "anything goes" pop culture of today. The scholarship is outstanding and the summaries following each chapter show in a "common law" sort logic how customary practices eventually were codified beginning with the Council os Elvira, 306 A.D., (present day Granada in Spain). I recommend the book very highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, December 1, 2009

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Melekali - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Celibacy in the Early Church: The Beginnings of Obligatory Continence for Clerics in East and West (Paperback)

Stefan Heid shows with accuracy and great care how celibacy and chastity were practiced for all higher ordained clergy (deacons, priest and bishop) from the day of ordination from scripture and the fathers both East and West. This is an amazing study and really gets to the heart of explaining many things that were heretofore clouded by a lack of analysis and scholarship. Beautifully written and highly recommended for those interested in the subject.