"Monachum ecclesia peperit postumum" (Hier., Ep. 66.4.2) : metaphors of conversion to asceticism in Jerome’s Letter 66

Derhard, Gina (author)

Conversions are usually narrated in metaphors. This is also true for the conversions to asceticism present in several of Jerome’s letters. This article examines the use of metaphors of conversion in Jerome’s Letter 66 to Pammachius. The addressee’s wife, Paulina, is presented as a young mother who died in labour. I will argue that this pregnancy may be read as a transformative metaphor for Pammachius’s conversion to asceticism. The choice of this surprising metaphor, changing the relation between Paulina and Pammachius from wife and husband to mother and son, serves several intra- and extratextual functions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: conversion, metaphor, letters, Epistula 66
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2021
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 379-389
• Numbering: Letn. 81, [št.] 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-163919
• UDC: 27-36-1sv.Hieronim
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2021/02/Derhard
• COBISS.SI-ID: 87622915
• Publication date in RUL: 14.10.2024

DERHARD, Gina, 2021, “Monachum ecclesia peperit postumum” (Hier., Ep. 66.4.2) : metaphors of conversion to asceticism in Jerome’s Letter 66. Bogoslovni vestnik : glasilo Teološke fakultete v Ljubljani [online]. 2021. Vol. 81, no. 2, p. 379–389. [Accessed 13 March 2025]. DOI 10.34291/BV2021/02/Derhard. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=163919

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik : glasilo Teološke fakultete v Ljubljani
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Teološka fakulteta
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: "Monachum ecclesia peperit postumum" (Hier., Ep. 66.4.2) : metafore spreobrnjenja k asketskemu življenju v Hieronimovem Pismu 66

Abstract

Spreobrnjenja so ponavadi opisana z metaforami. To velja tudi za spreobrnjenja k asketskemu življenju, ki so navzoča v nekaterih Hieronimovih pismih. Članek obravnava rabo metafor spreobrnjenja v Hieronimovem Pismu 66, ki ga je naslovil na Pamahija. Pavlina, naslovljenčeva žena, je prikazana kot mlada mati, ki je umrla ob porodu. Predstavljena teza zagovarja idejo, da je to nosečnost mogoče razumeti kot transformativno metaforo za Pamahijevo spreobrnitev k asketskemu življenju. Izbira te presenetljive metafore, ki spreminja odnos med Pavlino in Pamahijem iz odnosa žena – mož v odnos mati ‒ sin, je vpeljana z različnimi nameni tako znotraj besedila kakor zunaj njega.

• Keywords: spreobrnjenje, metafora, pisma, Pismo 66