VISIONS OF ST. PERPETUA IN THE LIGHT OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN TEXT PASSIO SANCTARUM PERPETUAE ET FELICITATIS. A CONTRIBUTION TO HAGIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Maria Piechocka-Kłos
University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (Poland)Abstract
The purpose of this publication is to present the vision of St Perpetua of Carthage as a contribution to further hagiological research into the experience of Christian faith, especially in the form of mystical experiences. Perpetua, together with Felicitas, is remembered, in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, on 7 March. The first part of the publication explains the understanding of the term ‘vision’ and the life of St Perpetua based on the contents of the work Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis. In the following sections, four visions of the Saint, experienced before her martyrdom, are discussed. Vision one describes Perpetua’s journey up a ladder symbolising martyrdom, at the end of which, in a heavenly garden, she encounters a man dressed in shepherd’s clothing, saying to her “You are welcome here, child”. In the second and third visions, Perpetua sees her dead brother Dinocrates, while in the last she fights a victorious battle in the arena against Satan in the form of an Egyptian. The story of Saint Perpetua described in the work is one of the most moving models of martyrdom from the reign of Septimius Severus. Unique in Christian literature, this work presents valuable information for modern hagiologists about the religious experiences of the martyrs themselves. St Perpetua’s visions appear as a scion of mysticism, which can be seen as a form of communication about the Christian value of human life.
Keywords:
St. Perpetua, visions, martyr, Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis, hagiology, early ChristianityReferences
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