JOURNAL ARTICLE

Pontius' Conscience: Pilate's Afterlives and Apology for Empire in John Chrysostom's Antioch.

  • Published In: Journal of Late Antiquity, 2024, v. 17, n. 1. P. 3 1 of 3

  • Database: Humanities Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Kolbeck, Ben 3 of 3

Abstract

This article explores apologetic early Christian approaches to Pontius Pilate, demonstrating the popularity of the idea that Pilate was innocent of Jesus's death, regarded Christ as innocent and just, and even became a Christian himself. Focusing on the exceptionally detailed image of the man who condemned Jesus to the cross found in the New Testament homilies of John Chrysostom, this article connects Chrysostom's treatment of Pilate to his interaction with a real-life (and pagan) governor of Syria. It suggests that apologetic interpretations of Pilate were used not merely to denigrate Jews but also to allow Christians who were themselves both Christian and Roman to believe that Rome had witnessed their Messiah—a historical example which proved the congruence of Romanness and Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Late Antiquity. 2024/03, Vol. 17, Issue 1, p3
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Biography
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:19396716
  • DOI:10.1353/jla.2024.a926279
  • Accession Number:177291720
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of Late Antiquity is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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