A Historical Significance of Cyprian\u27s Theology

This paper is an attempt to consider what history is, researching into a historicalsignificance of Cyprian\u27s theology.Cyprian was born probably at Carthage, about 200. He spent all his life in that city.About 246 he was converted to the Christian faith, and two or three years later wasmade bishop of Carthage. In the Decian persecution of 250 he escaped danger by flight, but in Valerian\u27s persecution of 257-8 he stood boldly againt those persecutors and was killed as a martyr by beheading.During the Decian persecution the number of martyrs and confessors was very great.So was the number of the "lapsed." Many of these lapsed, when the persecution wasover, returned to seek readmission to the church. The question of how to treat themcaused a long, enduring schism in Carthage.Most of Cyprian\u27s writings deal with the solution of questions of the day. Theyarouse through persecution and the threat to ecclesiastical unity from sectarian divisions.In Cyprian\u27s theology the conception of the "Catholic" church found its full expression.God is one, and Christ is one; His Church is one and the faith is one; and the cementof fellowship binds all the people together into the solid unity of a body. That unity cannot be broken. He who turns his back on the Church of Christ will not come to Christ\u27s rewards. He is not a Christian who is not in the Church of Christ. "Salusextra ecclesiam non est."The church is founded on the bishop and the administration of the church is devolvedon him. The bishop is in the church and the church in the bishop, and he who is notwith bishop is not in the church. The bishops constitute the episcopate upon which is based the unity of the church. The episcopate is one, of which each holds his part in its totality. This unity of the episcopate is based upon the divine election and the endowments which the bishops have in common as successors of the apostles. In fact, all the bishops stand on the same level.Cyprian regarded all bishops as equal sharers in a common episcopal authority. Yeteven in his time this theory was becoming impracticable. The Roman bishop Stephen,in particular, claimed the right as the successor of St. Peter to overrule his brother bishops.Although Cyprian fully recognized the historical importance of the Roman Church,he boldy denied the inferences of superior authority which Stephen attempted to drawfrom it. This conflict was interrupted by the persecution of 257.The Cyprianic theology has been the great resource of many Christian thoughts inthe Western history. Nobody can understand the history of Latin Christianity withoutcomprehending the system of Cyprian\u27s theology.His theology resolved the question of his day, but the resolution became a newquestion in the following ages. History cannot be understood by the idea of progress or development. It is the process in which the problem of an age is resolved and theresolution itself becomes a new problem in the subsequent ages