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In his Letter to Decentius, Bishop of Gubbio, Pope Innocent I discusses some liturgical questions and specifies the competences of the representatives of the clergy of the time in this regard. First of all, however, he demonstrates the par­ticular link of the community of Rome with the figure of St Peter, which gives rise to the very special role of the Bishop of Rome in relation to other communities, especially in the West. He then concentrates especially on the duties and rights of bishops (episcopi), the principal shepherds and administrators of the divine gifts; on the basis of Sacred Scripture and Tradition he places them at the head of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Presbyters (presbyteri) are then considered; to them the author of the Letter attributes a significant role especially in teaching and in the celebration of the Eucharist and Baptism. Confirmation is celebrated by the bishop; presbyters, even though they are priests (sacerdotes), do not possess the fullness of the priesthood. The term sacerdos is usually used in reference to bi­shops and presbyters; however, at times it is reserved to bishops, as, for example, in the discussion on the theme of the beginning of public penance and the admis­sion of the repentant Christian to the community on Holy Thursday.

This article deals with manual labour in the life of monks as taught by St. Augustine in his treatise De opere monachorum. It describes the social context of the theme with particular reference to the situation in monastic communities of Carthage. Many monks in St. Augustine’s time were against manual labour. The article presents the structure of the Saint’s argumentation. St. Augustine clearly was in favour of the manual work of monks -and indirectly also of that of all Christians. The article analyses his exegesis of two Biblical texts (Mt 6:25-34 and 2Thess 3:10) that explain the need and beauty of work for daily spiritual growth. This is shown primarily on the basis of the teaching and example of the Apostle St. Paul, who was employed in various ways. Then the position of St. Augustine is discussed, according to whom the working monk gains the means of his support, cooperates with the Creator and continues His creative achievement. Work that allows the monk to attain some profit in temporal life and maintains the neces­sary equilibrium between the needs of the body and soul is shown above all to be a means for the attaining of the reward of eternal life. The monk, however, may be dispensed of manual labour, in part or even totally, in view of pastoral ministry, which plays a primary role in his vocation and mission.

Some scholars have recently tried to show that the problems in the Christian community at Corinth were caused in a particular way by women wishing to have a more significant role within the community, and that the primary purpose of Saint Clement’s Letter to the Corinthians was to bring them to order and to show them their proper place in the community’s life and activity. The current study primarily tries to show that Prima Clementis was addressed to the entire Corin­thian community. This is followed by an analysis of the passages in which Saint Clement presents the feminine figures of the Old Testament: Miriam (the sister of Moses and Aaron), Lot’s wife, Rahab, Judith, and Esther, and interprets them in the context of the Christian situation at Corinth. In this way, it is shown that Cle­ment, by using the exempla method, creates the image of a perfect, ordered, and harmonious community in which women are outstanding for their strong faith, love, and hospitality.

The present paper discusses the dignity of human body as treated in selected texts from Tertullian’s De resurrectione mortuorum and Adversus Marcionem. Because Tertullian argues primarily on the basis of Sacred Scripture, special con­sideration will be given to his exegesis of Genesis 1: 26-27 and 2: 8. Tertullian demonstrates that the creation of the human body is the direct work of God who creates it, precisely with the future Incarnation of his beloved Son already in mind. Tertullian describes, against Marcion, the dignity of the human body as ensuing from the gift of freedom which man received from God at the act of creation. The human body is the instrument through which man receives spiritual gifts. We therefore can call it the „foundation of salvation”. In his polemic against the fol­lowers of Plato and the gnostics, Tertullian demonstrates that the human body and the entire „man” is called to be a temple of God (cf. 1Cor 3: 16).

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Clement of Rome offers a concep­tion of God based on biblical texts, philosophical arguments (especially Greek), and juridical reasoning (especially based on Roman law). Taking into conside­ration the various terms that refer to God in the Prima Clementis, the author of this paper analyzes those that occur most frequently, including theos, kyrios, despotes and pater. He attempts to uncover the meaning of these terms in the Prima Clementis and in the preceding tradition, as well as the theological ideas that these terms were intended to express. In this way, the author aims not only to present the concept of God as elaborated by Clement, but also Clement’s cultural background which hitherto has remained in the dark. The word theos indicates God’s omnipotence, emphasizing his power to create and justify; as kyrios God brings order to the created world and establishes harmony among its various ele­ments; despotes, Clement’s favourite term, describes God as the one who invites man to change his behaviour, the one who chooses him and justifies him with his grace; pater refers to the God of peace who encourages all believers to collabo­rate, especially the community at Corinth.

In light of the distinction Saint Augustine makes between a committed evil, understood as the result of a mistake in choosing (culpa), and a suffered evil, des­cribed as the effect of a just divine judgment (poena) – a distinction he makes in several texts dealing with the origin of evil – I analyze Augustine’s reflections in the Confessions on his relationship with the unnamed women. He calls the rela­tionship a pactum libidinosi amoris, that is, one aimed at satisfying the passions. The negative moral judgment he passes on this stage of his life is expressed with particular poignancy by the word libido/libidinosus, indicating the passions to which man submits at times. Looking back at his affair with the unnamed woman, he considers the evil committed a culpa; hence one has the impression that he wanted to place the moral responsibility of the evil committed upon himself, thus giving greater witness to the goodness of the merciful God who revealed to him gradually the truth concerning the various phases of his spiritual journey and the pain experienced along the way.

Agostino, Pseudo-Ilario di Arles e Beda il Venerabile hanno commentato nei loro scritti il versetto della Prima Lettera di san Giovanni Apostolo: „Chiunque ha questa speranza in lui, purifica se stesso, come egli e puro” (1Gv 3, 3). II Vescovo d’Ippona, polemizzando con la dottrina proposta da Pelagio e i suoi seguaci, interpretava la frase di Giovanni nel contesto del suo insegnamento sulla liberta e la grazia.

La prima Clementis scritta negli ultimi anni del primo secolo ha suscitato un vivo interesse filologico, storico e teologico, come dimostrano vari studi apparsi in diversi ambienti nel secolo scorso. Molti autori dedicarono la loro ricerca ai vari aspetti della Lettera concernenti l'intervento di Clemente Romano nella vita della comunita di Corinto, mettendo in evidenza il tema del primato del vescovo di Roma. Un'analisi attenta dei vari elementi esaminati dimostra comunąue come siamo lontani dalie soluzioni definitive circa il concetto di gerarchia ecclesiastica presentato nel'opera e, in modo particolare, circa la posizione ed il ruolo del vescovo di Roma. Va comunque osservato che gli autori protestanti si soffermano soprattutto sugli aspetti filologia della Lettera, mentre gli autori cattolici, non trascurando questo tipo di ricerca, prendono in considerazione in maniera piu puntuale il contesto storico-teologico in cui la Prima Clementis fu scritta. Essi vedono poi nelFopera un segno, piuttosto chiaro, della coscienza di responsabilita di Clemente per tutti i fedeli.

L'esegesi proposta da Ilario di Poitiers nei suo Commentario a Matteo, scritto prima del soggiorno in Oriente, tende a scoprire soprattutto il senso spirituale dei testo biblico, pur apprezzando il ruolo e l’importanza della interpretazione letterale. Iiario e convinto che tutti e due i sensi si compietino a vicenda, tutti e due costituiscano un'unica parola di Dio.

Tertulliano per primo tra gli autori latini, in un contesto dottrinale assai compiesso (lo gnosticismo, il marcionismo), propone una teologia dell „immagine e delia somiglianza", interpretando in molti dei suoi scritti ii testo bibiico di Gen 1, 26.

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Il tema del peccato contro lo Spirito Santo nella tradizione patristica viene elaborato in stretto rapporto con l’esegesi dei testi sinottici: Mt 12, 31-32; Mc 3, 28-30 e Lc 12, 10.

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