Christian Writings Of Augustine And Haltigar Of Cambrai One

As a text written in the early middle ages, the Canon Episcopi by Regino of Prà ¼m was revolutionary in the fact that it exemplified a growing skepticism for magic within the Christian community, and most importantly, it served as a strict call to arms for church officials to identify and eliminate practices of magic within parish communities. As a major theological text in the time where Christianity is finally solidifying doctrine, the Canon Episcopi should both draw upon existing ideas of its predecessors and shape the theological works of its successors. While the works of other theological minds show evidence of a common theme or influence, there is still extreme variability and sometimes even direct opposition to Regino’s themes. While†¦show more content†¦Haltigar not only fits the addressee of the warning, as an Archbishop, he is doing what the warning exactly asks: laboring to uproot the art of sorcery from his parishes. Within The â€Å"Roman† Pentit ential, Haltigar provides a guideline for the priests and clergy on how to identify such practices and beliefs, and the fit penance or punishment for them. Through the lens of Augustine and Haltigar’s work, we can see that the Canon Episcopi seems to be drawing off of much earlier traditions and themes within Christian theology and literature. While there are definite parallels between the texts of the early Christian period and the Early Medieval period, where the Canon Episcopi originates, ultimately the time difference itself is the ultimate division line for the themes within the text. Augustine, while stating the absurdity of some magical, ultimately argues that demons give these delusions to diviners and the result is that they â€Å"do tell past and future things, which happen exactly as predicted,† unlike Regino who dismisses the reality of delusional women actually â€Å"rid[ing] upon beasts with Diana† (Augustine 46 and Regino of Prà ¼m 62). Haltigar too, provides no indication that he denies any of the practices that he mentions within his penitential. While there is a slight trace of skepticism within Augustine’s writing, Regino provides the fully developed voice of this skepticism later on. Furthermore, both