Difference between revisions of "Saint Ambrose"
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He was a great lawyer before he became a priest and later a bishop. He attacked imperial moral standards and strengthened the position of the Church in the [[Roman Empire]] through his preaching and writing. [[Saint Augustine]] was one of his famous converts. | He was a great lawyer before he became a priest and later a bishop. He attacked imperial moral standards and strengthened the position of the Church in the [[Roman Empire]] through his preaching and writing. [[Saint Augustine]] was one of his famous converts. | ||
| + | In 390 A.D., emperor [[Theodosius]] responded vindictively to sedition in [[Thessalonica]] by massacring 7000 people. | ||
| + | When he turned up at Ambrose's church in [[Milan]], Ambrose refused him entry until he had repented of his crime. | ||
| + | Ambrose's reasoning was that the same [[Lord]] made both the emperor and the ordinary people. | ||
| + | Theodosius subsequently did repent of his actions. | ||
| + | Ambrose also got Theodosius to pass a new law that any sentences of death or proscription were to be stayed for 30 days, after which they were to be reviewed. | ||
| + | In taking the actions that he did, Ambrose established that under [[Christianity]], nobody, not even the emperor of [[Rome]] was above the law, and that the law was based on God's standards.<ref>Theodoret (c.393-466 CE), [http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/theodoret-ambrose1.html Ecclesiastical History], V.17-18</ref><ref>Zimmerman, Augusto, The Christian foundations of the rule of law in the West: a legacy of liberty and resistance against tyranny, ''Journal of Creation'', 19(2):67-73, 2005. [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/4758 HTML] [http://www.creationontheweb.com/images/pdfs/tj/j19_2/j19_2_67-73.pdf PDF]</ref> | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
| − | The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989 | + | * The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989 |
| + | |||
| + | == References == | ||
| + | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Saints|Ambrose, Saint]] | [[Category:Saints|Ambrose, Saint]] | ||
Revision as of 14:48, January 16, 2008
Saint Ambrose (340 to 397 A.D.) was Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397 and an important early Church Father.
He was a great lawyer before he became a priest and later a bishop. He attacked imperial moral standards and strengthened the position of the Church in the Roman Empire through his preaching and writing. Saint Augustine was one of his famous converts.
In 390 A.D., emperor Theodosius responded vindictively to sedition in Thessalonica by massacring 7000 people. When he turned up at Ambrose's church in Milan, Ambrose refused him entry until he had repented of his crime. Ambrose's reasoning was that the same Lord made both the emperor and the ordinary people. Theodosius subsequently did repent of his actions. Ambrose also got Theodosius to pass a new law that any sentences of death or proscription were to be stayed for 30 days, after which they were to be reviewed. In taking the actions that he did, Ambrose established that under Christianity, nobody, not even the emperor of Rome was above the law, and that the law was based on God's standards.[1][2]
Sources
- The New American Desk Encyclopedia, Penguin Group, 1989
References
- ↑ Theodoret (c.393-466 CE), Ecclesiastical History, V.17-18
- ↑ Zimmerman, Augusto, The Christian foundations of the rule of law in the West: a legacy of liberty and resistance against tyranny, Journal of Creation, 19(2):67-73, 2005. HTML PDF