Senectus mundi : Christians Facing the Crisis : Cyprian's Ad Demetrianum and Augustine's sermons after the Alaric's sack of Rome
Abstract
The Chapter describes diverse approaches of Christians to the society in decay in the 3rd and 5th century. How the Christians reacted to the charge of their pagan citizens that it was them who were responsible for the calamities and disasters? And how should a Christian react to such catastrophes? The study looks for an answer in the Ad Demetrianum of St Cyprian of Carthage and in the sermons of St Augustine of Hippo that he held shortly after the sack of Rome in 410.
Both Christian writers do not find a solution of this situation in an outward change, but rather in an inner attitude, in conversion and in praise of God in friendly and unfriendly circumstances. According to St Augustine, it is not the world that has become old: the "old man", ie.
Adam, has to be renewed in the resurrection of the new Adam, that is Christ, who is the source of all the renewal both for the man and for the society. The renewed man shall find, according him, his peace in God and the later age of the world (senectus mundi) will not manifest itself only as a boring agony, but as a joyful eschatological perspective that advances in the history to its fulfilment.