Harlots of the Desert

Seeing Jim West’s new format at Biblical Theology, it changes regularly, reminded me that I wanted to discuss Harlots of the Desert with the subtitle, A Study of Repentance in Early Monastic Sources.

Benedicta Ward begins her study with Mary Magdalene, whom she calls the “Biblical Model of Repentance.” Mary Magdalene is one of the many women identified by Luke as followers of Jesus and one of the witnesses to the resurrection.

I understand the attraction of stories of conversion from extreme sinfulness to extreme holiness. But why is it that repentance was such an important subject matter in the early monastic sources? Why is it that the early Church Fathers stressed repentance?

Christine Trevitt has suggested that the second century was a struggle for forgiveness and reconciliation. I again find that I have too many academic books to read containing no pictures and not enough time to read them.

I suggest that the the beliefs of the early church Fathers with heavy emphasis on repentance and the corresponding light emphasis on the salvific value of the death of Jesus on the cross was attributable to the writings of Luke.

Copyrighted 2005

Religion
Gospel of Luke