ABSTRACT
One of the most fascinating and complex developments in ancient North African Christianity was the rise, growth, and eventual demise of the Donatist Church. Donatism as an ecclesial movement reflected the dynamics of a religious community, had multiple theological positions, manifested local perspectives of Christianity, contested ideals, and strong leadership. While it would be simplistic to single out a dominant issue which separated the Donatists from the Catholics, it is clear that a theology of the ecclesial community as a sanctified group, grounded in the teachings of scripture and the interpretations of some of the leaders of the ecclesial community, was central to the controversies which characterized the existence of the movement. This chapter argues that Saint Augustine’s debates and battles with the Donatists involved an excessive and aggressive pursuit of unity that led to intolerance. While the Church in North Africa was not a stranger to theological differences, the Donatist movement represented a response to persecution, which others (including Augustine) thought was exclusive. This is because the Donatists emphasized the purity of the Church as a necessary condition for the unity of the Church, as Cyprian had articulated. Investigating Donatism in its historical context gives us insights into the excessive reach for power to crush the movement on the part of Augustine, who struggled to correct the Donatists and keep them in the Catholic fold. First, I will give a brief history of research of Donatism and a summary account of the movement. I next discuss Augustine’s debate with the Donatists, and conclude with a critique of what I see as a lack of tolerance towards the movement on Augustine’s side.
