This master’s thesis examines Shenoute’s treatise Contra Origenistas, also known as I Am Amazed,
one of the most important works of Coptic polemical and heresiological literature of the fifth
century. The main focus is an analysis of Shenoute’s attitude towards different forms of heresy
and of the ways in which he defines, presents, and refutes them. Particular attention is given to
apocryphal literature, Origenism, and other theological teachings, which Shenoute situates within
the broader context of the struggle for orthodoxy, ecclesiastical authority, and a correct
understanding of Christian doctrine. The thesis also examines Shenoute’s use of Scripture and his
engagement with the earlier Alexandrian theological tradition, particularly Athanasius and
Theophilus. Within this framework, his methods of presenting and criticizing theological
opponents are analyzed, with particular emphasis on Gnostic and Origenist traditions and on the
biblical and patristic testimonies through which he substantiates his opposition to them. All forms
of heresy that Shenoute mentions, both implicitly and explicitly, in the treatise are examined
systematically, with attention to their teachings, Shenoute’s presentation of them, and his
arguments against them.
|
