Agapetae

Agapetae

In the first century CE to the third century CE, the Agapetae were Christian virgins who consecrated themselves to God with a vow of chastity. They were one of a number of early Christian 'classes' of virgins who associated with men as 'sisters'. The Agapetae lived with laymen, originally in a spiritual community of mutual support. The laymen too took vows of chastity, and looked after the material interests of their 'sisters'.

Abuses and scandals occurred, however. St. Cyprian and St. Jerome both condemned the practice. In 314 the Council of Ancyra forbade virgins consecrated to God to live with men as sisters. The practice did continue for some years. The Agapetae are distinct from the Subintroductae, who were another class of virgins who lived with clerics. The name comes form the Greek word "agapetai", meaning 'beloved'.

The Agapetae were also a branch of the Gnostics in the late fourth century CE, who held that sexual relations were only improper if the mind was impure.

References

*cite book |author= |title=5000 years of popular culture: popular culture before printing |publisher=Bowling Green University Popular Press |location=Bowling Green, Ohio |year=1980 |pages= p129|isbn=0-87972-148-0 |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=7OZciq66Ya4C&pg=PA129&dq=Agapetae&lr=lang_en&num=50&as_brr=3&ei=LAlZSOnYMpWmigGO-5mMDA&sig=NDTypgKddiwcWHoK_j5DWJaK7TYa
*cite book |author=Alvin Boyd Kuhn |title=Who is this King of Glory? |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |location= |year=1997 |pages=p175 |isbn=1-56459-176-X |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=lWwwru1RBbUC&pg=PA175&dq=Agapetae&lr=lang_en&num=50&as_brr=3&ei=LAlZSOnYMpWmigGO-5mMDA&sig=A8i-FG-gUFuynCT6qZ805SF2h1U


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  • Agapetae —     Agapetae     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Agapetae     (agapetai, beloved).     In the first century of the Christian era, the Agapetae were virgins who consecrated themselves to God with a vow of chastity and associated with laymen. In the… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • AGAPETAE — Virginum societas, de qua Hieronym. Ep. 2. de cuius abusu vide Pallad. Dialog. de vita Chrys. abolitione, Baron. A. C. 398. et 1139. Item, secta Haereticorum, cui quaedam Hispana mulier Agape nomen dedit. Prateol. in voce Agapeti …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • agapetae — churchwomen who live platonically with celibate men Ecclesiastical Terms …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • agapetae — aga·pe·tae …   English syllables

  • agapetae — early church women who lived with celibate men …   Grandiloquent dictionary

  • agapetae — ˌägəˈpāˌtī, ˌagə ; ˌagəˈpēˌtē noun plural Etymology: Late Latin, from Late Greek agapētai, plural of agapētē, from Greek, feminine of agapētos beloved, desirable, to be acquiesced in, from agapan to welcome, love : women of the early church who… …   Useful english dictionary

  • AGAPETA vel AGAPETES — Graec. Α᾿γαπητὸς, nomen, quô Clerici olim notati, quod cum mulieribus ac virginibus, quas domi suae sub Agapetarum seu Dilectarum appellatione illi detinebant, prava commercia habere dicerentur. Papias, Agapeta, Lenocinator et qui cum feminis… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Clerical celibacy — is the discipline by which some or all members of the clergy in certain religions are required to be unmarried. Since these religions consider deliberate sexual thoughts, feelings, and behavior outside of marriage to be sinful, clerical celibacy… …   Wikipedia

  • Agapetas — (latín, Agapetae, muy amadas), es un nombre que se daba en la primitiva Iglesia a ciertas Vírgenes que vivían en comunidad y se asociaban con los Eclesiásticos por motivo de piedad y caridad. Estos las hacían Diaconisas y llamaban hermanas… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Hipólito Lucena Morales — (Coín, 1907 1981) fue un presbítero heterodoxo español que protagonizó un insólito caso de neoiluminismo sucedido en la diócesis de Málaga durante los años del nacionalcatolicismo franquista (1939 1960). Catedral de Málaga, construida entre 1528… …   Wikipedia Español

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