St. Cyprian of Carthage and the College of Bishops

This book assesses episcopal cooperation as envisioned by the third-century bishop Cyprian of Carthage. It outlines and assesses the interactions between local bishops, provincial groups of bishops, and the worldwide college. Assessing these interactions sheds light on the relationship between Cyprian’s strong sense of local autonomy and the reality that each bishop was responsible to the world-wide college. Episcopal consensus was the sine qua non, for Cyprian, for a major issue of faith or practice to become one that defined membership in the college and, ultimately, the Church. The book brings this assessment into a modern scholarly debate by concluding with an evaluation of the ecclesiology of the Orthodox scholar Nicolas Afanasiev and his critiques of Cyprian. Afanasiev lamented Cyprian as the father of universal ecclesiology and claimed that Cyprian’s college wielded authority above that of the local bishop. This book argues that Afanasiev fundamentally misconstrued Cyprian’s understanding of collegiality. It is shown that, for Cyprian, collegiality was the framework for the common ministry of the bishops and did not infringe on the sovereignty of the local bishop. Rather, it was the college’s collective duty to define the boundaries of acceptable Christian belief and practice.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Bishop and Bishops Chapter 2: Structure and Definition of the College Chapter 3: Exercises of Collegial Authority I—Discipline, Deposition, and Excommunication of Clergy Chapter 4: Exercises of Collegial Authority II: Formulation of Doctrine Chapter 5: Nicolas Afanasiev and Episcopal Collegiality in Cyprian

About the Author :
Benjamin Safranski is professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Review :
The topic is important, the basic question is interesting, and the greater part of the book is clear and well-argued, if not of startling originality. Safranski has produced a solid and useful overview of Cyprian’s views on bishops and their relationships. . . . scholars of Cyprian will wish to read Safranski’s book, not least for his thorough engagement with the main church-historical works (by Maurice Bévenot, Geoffrey Dunn, and others) that handle Cyprian’s concept of episcopacy and his interactions with other bishops. The book should help to stimulate the investigation into Cyprian’s own theology and his modern theological relevance which Safranski encourages in his conclusion. Dr. Safranski presents a careful scholarly study of Cyprian's understanding of the episcopacy and its contemporary application. This study is important both in advancing a more accurate understanding of Cyprian's view of the episcopate and episcopal collegiality, and for its ecumenical significance, especially in his dialogue with contemporary Orthodox scholar Nicholas Afanasiev's work on Catholic-Orthodox relations that refers to Cyprian and other Patristic sources. Dr. Safranski also revisits Cyprian's understanding of the episcopal office in relationship to the papacy, an important topic in ecclesiology and ecumenical studies. The book is a "must-read" for scholars in the field, and helpful to all interested in the bishop's role in early Church. Safranski deftly navigates Cyprian's theological and social landscape to offer us a compelling picture of one bishop's understanding of collegial ecclesiology in the third century and its legacy for us today. A paradigmatic example of research into the patristic sources and retrieval of insights helpful to our own day. The balance of collective decision-making and individual leadership in Cyprian’s North Africa, challenged by persecution and disagreement, sheds light on current discussions of collegiality in the Church. By a careful reading of primary sources and critical engagement with earlier scholars, Dr. Safranski has introduced an important nuance into the much-studied question of episcopal authority and collegiality in the writings St. Cyprian of Carthage. The engagement of his insights with the work of Orthodox theologian Nicolas Afanasiev connects the most significant reflection of the early church on the authority of bishops with significant contemporary questions of collegiality. This study offers a better understanding of major figure of the early church and contributes that understanding to important present-day theological discussions.