In order to fully delve into the writing of the Procatechesis, one must understand the historical context of the time period that Cyril lived in; which is the fourth century AD. This section of the paper will provide the historical events that happened in the Roman Empire and in the Church during the fourth century. Also, this section of the paper will give a background of Cyril’s life and will give historical context about the city of Jerusalem, which is where Cyril lived. The last part of this section will analyze the Procatechesis and determine the audience in which Cyril intended the piece to be written for. The Roman Empire went through tremendous change during the fourth century. At the beginning of the century, there were Christian
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When reading the Procatechesis, one can easily decipher the audience that Cyril is trying to reach. The first line in the Procatechesis reads as follows, “Already, dear candidates for enlightenment, the scent of blessedness has come upon you”. From the start, Cyril wants to address his reader; the reader being catechumens. Now, taking the historical background and the audience into consideration, I believe that the connection between the two lies in the new developments for Christianity in the fourth century, such as the Edict of Toleration, Edict of Milan, and Jerusalem becoming a hub for Christianity. These developments could have resulted in an influx of new Christians wanting to be baptized. This idea could be a possibility since Cyril mentions throughout the Procatechesis that “you are not allowed to receive baptism twice or three times” , therefore warning catechumens the severity of baptism. These historical and ecclesiastical events are vital to the understanding of the Procatechesis. The Roman Empire and the city of Jerusalem both went through tremendous change throughout the fourth century. Also, the Church conducted developmental discussion about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of these events could be seen as influencers in Cyril’s Procatechesis and why the Procatechesis was
When reading the Procatechesis, one can easily decipher the audience that Cyril is trying to reach. The first line in the Procatechesis reads as follows, “Already, dear candidates for enlightenment, the scent of blessedness has come upon you”. From the start, Cyril wants to address his reader; the reader being catechumens. Now, taking the historical background and the audience into consideration, I believe that the connection between the two lies in the new developments for Christianity in the fourth century, such as the Edict of Toleration, Edict of Milan, and Jerusalem becoming a hub for Christianity. These developments could have resulted in an influx of new Christians wanting to be baptized. This idea could be a possibility since Cyril mentions throughout the Procatechesis that “you are not allowed to receive baptism twice or three times” , therefore warning catechumens the severity of baptism. These historical and ecclesiastical events are vital to the understanding of the Procatechesis. The Roman Empire and the city of Jerusalem both went through tremendous change throughout the fourth century. Also, the Church conducted developmental discussion about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of these events could be seen as influencers in Cyril’s Procatechesis and why the Procatechesis was