Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis and the “New Prophecy” movement at the turn of the 2nd – 3rd centuries
https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2025-2-49-62
Abstract
In the early Christian text “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity” we can see the traces of polemic among Christians of the 2nd – 3rd centuries about the possibility and significance of new revelations of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, there is a widespread opinion among scholars that this martyrdom containing the descriptions of divine visions has been influenced by the “New Prophecy” movement – the so-called “Montanism”. The adherents of this movement honored new prophets who could receive new revelations of the Spirit more than members of the emerging church hierarchy, believed that the imminent end of the world was near, and demanded a strict and rigorous lifestyle from their followers. However, the paper shows that the visions of the martyrs Perpetua and Saturus do not resemble the ecstatic prophecies of the priest Montanus and his companions from Asia Minor, and the content of “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity” does not show any other specific signs of this early Christian movement. The glorification of martyrdom, the great interest in eschatology, the high importance of women in the community, and the profound attention to visions and prophecies can be regarded as common features that were characteristic of many Christian communities in the 2nd – 3rd centuries and were especially evident in North Africa.
Keywords
early Christianity,
Perpetua,
Felicity,
passion,
passio,
new prophecy,
Montanism,
Tertullian,
North Africa
Supporting agencies: The article was prepared within the framework of the research project of the Russian State Humanitarian University “Individual, society and power in the Roman Empire in the context of transformation” (grant competition “Student project research teams of the Russian State University for the Humanities”).
About the Author
P. N. Lebedev
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Pavel N. Lebedev, Cand. of Sci. (History), associate professor
6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047
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Review
For citations:
Lebedev P.N. Passio Perpetuae et Felicitatis and the “New Prophecy” movement at the turn of the 2nd – 3rd centuries. Studia Religiosa Rossica: Russian Journal of Religion. 2025;(2):49-62. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-4158-2025-2-49-62
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