Today we experience something of a time warp, traveling from the 19th century back to the days of the early church. We encounter John Keble -- priest, poet, academic, and major player in the revival of the Church of England and Thecla -- companion of the apostle Paul and passionate pursuer of holiness.
In yesterday's saintly action, Juan Diego advanced to the Saintly Sixteen with a 57% to 43% victory over Hadewijch. He'll face the winner of Dorcas vs. Frederick Douglass.
As an aside, we've been delighted to see the number of comments that come in throughout the 24 hours each matchup is open. They are a wonderful blend of thoughtful and gracious and educational and inspirational -- basically the opposite of nearly every other online forum!
And in case you missed yesterday's episode of Monday Madness, it included a verifiable miracle involving a corporeal Golden Halo. Not that Tim and Scott are angling to make it into the 2089 bracket or anything...
John Keble
Though devoted to his calling as a country priest, serving for thirty years as the vicar of Hursley, John Keble is best known as an influential founder of the Oxford Movement. This movement sought to renew the Church of England through a better understanding and adherence to the practices of the early church. In 1833 he preached the Assize Sermon, soon published with the provocative title “National Apostasy.” Keble was a key player in the Oxford Movement and wrote nine of the ninety Tracts for the Times. In addition to writing poetry, tracts, and sermons, Keble also translated the works of Iranaeus and prepared a three-volume edition of the works of Richard Hooker.
During his life, he was perhaps best known as a poet. First published anonymously, his collection The Christian Year went through ninety-five print editions by the time of his death in 1866. Embarrassed by its success, Keble dedicated the profits to restoring the church building at Hursley. Some of these poems are still familiar as hymns today. He was elected professor of poetry at Oxford in 1831 and held the (non-residential) post for ten years.
In 1845, Keble began exploring the possibility of creating a college at Oxford that would be of moderate cost and hold fast to the best practices of the Church of England. Established in his memory, Keble College quickly shifted focus from theological formation toward more traditional pedagogy but remained committed to making an Oxford education more widely available to all economic classes.
Keble would no doubt be shocked at how distant today’s Church of England is from the established church he sought to renew, but there are still parts of his Assize Sermon that ring true today.
“The surest way to uphold or restore our endangered Church will be for each of her anxious children, in his own place and station, to resign himself more thoroughly to his God and Savior in those duties, public and private, which are not immediately affected by the emergencies of the moment: the daily and hourly duties, I mean, of piety, purity, charity, justice.”
Collect for John Keble
Grant, O God, that in all time of our testing we may know your Presence and obey your will; that, following the example of your servant John Keble, we may accomplish with integrity and courage what you give us to do, and endure what you give us to bear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thecla
Thecla was a follower of the Apostle Paul, whose life was recorded in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, a prominent piece of early Christian literature.
This book recounted a missionary journey of Paul to Iconium, where he was proclaiming “the word of God about abstinence and the resurrection.” Thecla, upon hearing Paul’s message, found herself enraptured. Her devotion to Paul and his teaching so deeply concerned her mother and fiancé (worried that she would follow Paul’s demands to live in chastity), they formed a mob and imprisoned Paul.
Thecla broke into the prison, and when discovered with Paul, they were both brought before the authorities. Paul, enjoying the privilege of both his Roman citizenship and his being born male, was whipped and expelled from the town, while Thecla was sentenced to burn at the stake — an example for those who might consider Paul’s preaching. When Thecla was to be executed, “God took compassion on her, and caused a great eruption from the earth beneath, and a cloud from above to pour down great quantities of rain and hail; Insomuch that by the rupture of the earth, very many were in great danger, and some were killed, the fire was extinguished, and Thecla was preserved.”
Thecla followed after Paul, desperate to be baptized. She traveled to Antioch, where a nobleman fell in love with Thecla and offered Paul money for her. When Paul denied knowing her, the nobleman tried to take her by force. Thecla resisted, and “tore his coat, and took his crown off his head, and made him appear ridiculous before all the people.” Again she was brought before authorities and sentenced to die by being eaten by wild beasts. Facing what she believed to be a near-certain death, Thecla saw a pit of water filled with ravenous seals. Believing this was her only opportunity to be baptized, she threw herself into the water, saying, “In thy name, O my Lord Jesus Christ, I am this last day baptized.” And in another miracle, the seals died before they could devour her.
In the Eastern Church, Thecla is regarded as an “apostle and protomartyr among women.” Observance of her holiness flourished around Seleucia, where a church was built over her alleged tomb. Thecla remains among the most celebrated female saints of the earliest ages of Christianity, demonstrating that regardless of the truth or fiction of her life and story, women have played an indispensable role in the mission and growth of the early Church. In recognizing the holiness of Thecla, the Church honors the witness of all women who have lived and died in sharing the good news of Jesus and his love.
Collect for Thecla
Almighty and everlasting God, who kindled the flame of your love in the heart of your servant Thecla: Grant to us, your humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in her triumph may profit by her example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Vote!
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315 comments on “John Keble vs. Thecla”
Martin, I am so proud of your thoughtful comments! I agree that committed teachers are crucial -- but I have to admit that I finally voted for John Keble. Keep playing, Martin!
Thecla! Remembering people who are willing to give up their lives for Christ.
Standing to vote for John Kreble. So grateful for the Oxford Movement and it's influence on the Anonymous 12 Step programs of today. I celebrated my 11th year of stable recovery in Emotions Anonymous last year. Vote for John! He and Christ are still healing lives.
The 12 Step movements were influenced by the Oxford "Group," not the Oxford Movement. I was a bit confused by that at first, myself - but they are two different things.
Thank you Barbara and Madness friends on facebook for the correction about the Oxford Group. I have seen materials using both names. Still standing with John.
Nothing wrong with that! I almost voted for him, too.... 😉
Thanks for that clarification; I was wondering why none of the posts mentioned the 12-step movement. I have found that the followers of Lent Madness are well informed, which I greatly appreciate.
Without People like Thecla and their support of Paul and the infant church, there might not have been a John Keble nor anything to reform.
Go, Thecla!
The model of Thecla- condemned TWICE to die because of her faith and DENIED by Paul (ok, why am I surprised?) made this choice easy.
Thecla's story inspired many women in the early church to devote their lives to Christ. Her commitment to chastity was a revelation in a world where women were not given the choice of who or whether to marry, whose lives were fully controlled by men, and where many died in childbirth. Chastity represented a life of radical freedom for women, away from the control of men, and Thecla's example empowered many early Christian women to claim independent lives of devotion to Christ. Go Thecla!
Thanks for that information, Suzanne. Sometimes a person can be an inspiration to others whether or not s/he actually existed. Hmmm.
Praying to be always pure in heart, my vote goes to John Keble.
I base my vote on the last paragraph of the above essay. "demonstrating that regardless of the truth or fiction of her life and story, women have played an indispensable role in the mission and growth of the early Church. In recognizing the holiness of Thecla, the Church honors the witness of all women who have lived and died in sharing the good news of Jesus and his love." I dispense with being bound by facts rather than imagination and see this as a vote for many other imaginative but unnamed women.
Thecla's story may inspire, perhaps to do some wild act, like stalking a leader, expecting miracles. The Oxford movement produced saintly results, bringing Good News to common folk. That is not as spectacular as "ravenous seals," but better leads people to Christ.
Grateful for her early witness, with perhaps some hyperbolic details thrown in - ferocious seals? Shrieking eels? - I voted for Thecla.
Darn! I voted for Thecla assuming the deserving Keble would be landsliding.
But just for the record, even though seals do not eat human flesh, this former avid NW sea kayaker can attest that seals are not to be toyed with. They are aggressive, strong, and could easily attack, bite, drown, or otherwise kill a human.
Considering how the early church felt about women, St Thecla gets my vote today. Just because of the way she kept fighting back.
Thecla, who seems to be pretty well known in the Eastern Church, certainly had the more exciting story, although many of the details have surely been exaggerated over time. But I had to vote for Keble, the author of two verses of one of my favorite hymns, "Blest are the pure in heart" (#656 in the 1982 Hymnal).
I find my votes tend towards people who 'get things done' and not to the heavy-duty spiritual types. I also realize I feel uncertain what they are trying to tell me. So for Thecla her behaviors seemed more "love struck" ...but was it for Paul or the Christianity. We will never be sure, I'm thinking.
I am with John Keble. Once again, I choose fact over legend. The story of Thecla, as much as I admire women role models, just seems too far fetched, and the facts may be a bit obscured in the two thousand years since she lived. Keble has a lot going for him, seeking to reform an established church......that is hard, and brave.
Three resounding cheers for the Oxford Movement!
Both are so wonderful, what a tough match-up. The Spirit today is calling me to vote for Thecla, in honor of those who need healing from rape, sexual abuse, and oppression. Thank you Thecla, for your faith and fierceness.
For the first time, my choice is, as of now, in the lead. I'm breaking my rule this time and opting for the probably exaggerated legend over verifiable historical accuracy. I admire Keble's work, but the excitement of Thecla's tales outweighs his bucolic contemplativeness. If Thecla is not already the patron saint of fangirls (and fanboys!) she definitely should be.
Though Thecla's devotion to her faith is certainly impressive, I find her a little inaccessible. Truth be told, I'm not terribly familiar with the Oxford Movement, either, but John Keble's poetry is beautiful; he gets my vote.
I love a feisty woman!
Thecla? How can so many people vote for her when John Keble is her opponent. Tis a puzzlement.
Our Diocese was strongly shaped by our second Bishop, John Freeman Young who was an adherent of the Oxford Movement, tractarians. Keble's influence from the architecture of our little historic chapel to our spiritual journey causes me to vote for him even though miraculous escape from ravenous seals is very compelling.
The Oxford Movement very significantly shaped theology and liturgy in the Anglican Communion for over a century. It is fair to say that worship in the Episcopal Church today would be very different absent the Oxford Movement, of which Keble was an important leader. His poetry was lovely and approachable and very much as influential as the various tracts of the Movement. Thecla may be admirable in her zeal, but it is hard to see that she had significant impact on spreading the faith.
Keble has my vote today. I relate to his service in small congregations and appreciate some of the deep spiritual views of the Oxford Movement (although I'm more of a low church kind of guy).
As a person who first found God in the 12 Step fellowships, I have to vote for John Keble. The 12 Step programs got their start by hanging out with the Oxford Movement folks! I have to pay tribute to my spiritual ancestor! Thank goodness that Bill W and Dr. Bob had the Oxford Movement.
Actually, that was the Oxford "Group." I mixed those two up at first, too, but they are two different things.
I'm wondering why these first few choices have been women against men and whether that is reflected in the winners so far being the female. Thecla's experience sounds like one of the Grimm Brothers tales. Ravenous seals...really???
It hasn't all been women against men. The first round was Gregory against Brendan. And David won over Teresa.
It's not all women against men. The first round was Gregory against Brendan. The three subsequent rounds have been female vs male, but of those only one of the winners is a woman.
Please excuse the doubled up replies. The first one took so long to be posted, I assumed it was lost and so I sent a second one. I hate technology!
I'm Episcopal/Anglican, and have followed the reasons for the the split with Rome faithfully. There are both spiritual and secular origins.. (1) Spiritual - the clergy and others following the reforms on the Continent, and the general tone of the Roman Catholic clergy at the time.. without the desire for reform on the part of the clergy and people, NO split would have survived. (2) Secular - yes, the divorce, but in my mind, more pressingly, the finances: Rome was siphoning off financial support from England, while holding lands and peoples under direct management outside the Crown control. The divorce was only 1 of these 4 causes, and was propelled more by a need for an heir than any salacious scandals... but probably chosen as "the reason" over the financial issue, as that would be a bit too... world politic.. and the "boring" reason of a popular religious cry for reform in the church was the sustaining, true reason.
Vicki, I voted for Keble as well. Not all the votes are in, and this is the first time for Keble on Lent Madness, so I hold hope for the future. I had not known his name before (although I did know about the Oxford Movement), and was glad to learn something new. Each decade needs a Keble, not sure how many Theclas we could gain practical inspiration from..
Well said, Lee... Thecla's story is inspirational on so many levels that can go wrong - martyrs these days include more often suicide bombers than journalists in the Middle East. We need Good News and common folk-type saintly results, humility and inspiring thought.. as John Keble exemplified.
I'm no fan of either improbable miracles or chastity. Considering Keble's considerable output of poetry, I'm surprised that only two of his poems (10 and 656--and only half of 656) are in the Hymnal 1982, but they're good hymns. His activity in the Oxford Movement is another star in his crown.
I am struck by the place Thecla has held in the Church over the ages. Despite the fantastic character of her narrative, which reads like the sort of story someone would write to defend the depth of the people's admiration or devotion,I voted for her because the fact of her memory puts her among the very few faithful women for whom we even have a name. I'll take her as a representative of the unnamed women who chose to follow Jesus despite the society's habit of denying them freedom to make their own choices.
As a grandma of a HS senior, I would vote for anyone who helped make a college education more accessible!
Reading Thecla's story has taught me that Paul was a schmuck. She follows him, as did so many, and he betrays her.
I'm sure there was a martyred 1st century woman whom the character of Thecla is based upon, but I am surprised at the number of commentators who accept everything in "The Acts of Paul and Thecla" as absolute truth. As was stated in the bio, this book is non-canonical. You won't find it in any Bible, and the Paul it presents is not the man we see in the canonical New Testament. If we believe that he would betray someone simply because a non-canonical book tells us he would, then what's to stop us from believing the (non-canonical) "Infancy Gospel", which tells us that the child Jesus miraculously killed three people.
Keble has much to commend him. Thecla's story may be apocryphal, but it'sa great story! I also wanted to break the streak of the more modern person winning the matchup.