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”
For the first time, I've read through all the comments and find it a fascinating, uplifting discussion. I'm still undecided but still have some time. One request: before you click "Post Comment," take the 60 or fewer seconds it takes to reread and correct your comment. It's very distracting to negotiate the typos and missing words. (I'm a proofreader by trade and can't help myself.)
As exciting as Thecla's story may be, my vote has to go to John Keble for his influence on the Oxford Movement....which had a great influence on my own family. My gg grandfather, although baptised in the COE, was ordained a Methodist preacher. By 1851, however, he became disenchanted with Methodism and was re-ordained as an Anglican priest. Of his 7 sons, 5 became priests in the COE, my g grandfather among them. Like many "Tractarians" before them, they often served in "slum" parishes in both England and Trinidad where they were much loved.
How proud you must be! Thanks for sharing your family's amazing story.
For those of you who say seals don't eat people... just ask Buster Bluth.
http://bite-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/seal-fb.jpg
Brilliant! I had completely forgotten about Buster! I hope to hear some more "Arrested Development" references in the next round!
First time I have been on the winning side, feeling a tinge of sadness for the old boy. Two strong candidates. Well written commentaries. I voted for Thecla because I like her astonishing story. It pleases me that she has been honored a lot by the Eastern wing of our church, and because she is a woman. An atypical vote for me.
My criterion for Lent Madness is simply this: "Which Saint seems more mad?" Thecla wins this one in my book.
I'm voting for Thecla - real or fictional - as a symbol of all the un-named women who did and (unfortunately) still do make it possible for the male dominated leadership to prevail. They may not have been eaten by seals or burned at the stake, but they have certainly lived the pain of being unappreciated, dismissed and treated as nothing but "crazy groupies."
Thecla--because anyone who would fight so hard against a ridiculous societal norm such as being sold into marriage (or worse) is worth my vote!
Thecla - Really???
not for me - my vote goes to John
I voted for John Keble because I love that the Episcopal Church has so much of the early Christian tradition, while retaining modernity and reason. I did not know today that he was among those responsible for bringing so many of the early rites back into the church. I might not be Episcopalian if not for John Keble, so he has to get my vote.
A tough match, compelling me to read and reread. Though I admire John Keble's focus on the church's original tenets and his productivity in so many ways, I'm sure touched by Thecla's zeal and tenacity. Her holiness and the miracles she experienced speak for themselves!
I would probably have voted for Thecla if I thought she really existed. But gee, folks, don't we have enough problems as the Church when people think we're just dealing with fantasies and superstitions???? Isn't it time to get real?
Ay-yi, John, have you read the gospels? The miracles, the healings, the Reaurrection? You don't think a lot of people consider those to be fantasies?
You go, Susan! John's comments about fantasies and superstitions struck me exactly as you reponded.
Is it fair for someone to add his favored candidate into the Prayers of the People on Sunday just because he's the cantor that day? Not sure the Rector realized what was going on. We'll see whether that helped Thecla
Sorry--the addition of Thecla was in The Great Litany.
I voted for Mr. Keble, as his parishioners probably called him. He seemed to be facing the same kinds of problems we are. But he reimagined the Church of England. By the way, what hymns did he write?
Quite a few. You can Google it. the one I found that I love is Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.
My ten-year old had decided even before we got to the ravenous seals. Ravenous seals!
My vote is for Thecla - for her devotion to Paul, her faithfulness and determination to be baptized. She threw herself into a pit of ravenous seals in order to be baptized. You have to vote for a woman like that!
I consider Thecla the patron saint of women clergy and preachers; victims of sexual assault; and uppity women everywhere. Thecla is my girl!!
https://gaudetetheology.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/sexual-assault-and-womens-agency-or-desire-and-the-disrupted-mob-the-story-of-thecla-and-trifina/
I'm definitely an uppity woman as witnessed by my comments today, I'm a victim of sexual assault, I preach and there is NO WAY that Thecla is even remotely my patron. I wouldn't put up with Paul for one thing.
No offense intended, Donna: just sharing my enthusiasm & perception of Thecla and her story. (Which I see as almost entirely separate from Paul, actually; I think of the major part of the document as the story of Thecla and Trifina, the widow and bereaved mother who sheltered her and advocated for her.)
When I studied this document in theology grad school, my prof told us that, while the provenance of the text was later than the events it describes, the scholarly consensus was that it was probably based on a real tradition about Thecla, whose veneration is ancient and widespread in the Eastern church.
Recently, I was studying a painting of the Madonna and Child with Two Women Saints by
El Greco that was on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. The saint on the left was originally to represent Thecla, a martyr and saint of the early Church. The artist later designated her by a different name. If you have a chance to see this painting in person or reproduction, you may be as stunned by its beauty and the technique of its composition the way I was. And I will always remember Thecla.
I have greatly enjoyed participating in Lent Madness and this study of the saints. I have also liked reading everyone's comments and points-of-view. I voted for Thecla because I loved her passion for Christ in her life.
Tough choice! While I admire the Oxford movement and the hymns, my son's cat is named Thecla Cleopatra Jones, and I didn't realize that there was a saint for her. She is sweet, and curls up with us every night, hugging my arm, so Thecla - a most unusual saint, to be sure - gets my vote. Certainly not the most profound reason for voting, but there it is! A vote for the patron of our cat!
Thecla was devoted to Paul but could she have also been categorized as an early stalker? Why did he deny knowing her? Maybe he wished he didn't know her. Nevertheless, I'll vote for Thecla for her narrow escapes, especially from the pit of voracious seals. But what's the end of the story? Was she eaten by wild beasts? Vote for Thecla and maybe we will find out in her next round.
I had the fun of reading and writing about Thecla a few years ago, in connection with pushing back against the misogyny of the "Pastoral" epistles (1-2 Timothy and Titus). See Dennis R. MacDonald, "The Legend and the Apostle" for some good info. Even if you don't share his conclusions, there's food for thought.
Once again it looks as if I'll be on the losing side come morning; I've only been in the majority for Brendan the Navigator thus far, but there's a lot of voting ahead! I voted for Keble the poet and Tractarian, and since my bro-in-law is a Keble alumnus, in gratitude for Keble's working to establish an affordable college at Oxford.
As a recent convert to the Episcopal church, I learned that the Church of England was really founded by Elizabeth I wanting to stop all the fighting between Catholics and Protestants in England. Sure, Henry wanted a divorce and an heir which was a major contributing factor in England's split from Rome, but that wasn't the beginning of the Church of England. (Susan, I hope that helps)
Actually, Elizabeth was not the founder of the Church of England any more than Henry was. If anyone can be called the "founder" of the Church of England, it is Augustine, who brought Roman Christianity to Britain in 597 and made his See at Canterbury. Even so, there were Christians in that country since the 4th century, if not earlier and the Celtic Church was well established before Augustine arrived. It is true that Henry wanted his first marriage "annulled" so he could wed again and try for a male heir. This led to the break with Rome. But a new Church was not created. It was the same organization, with (on the whole) the same leadership, the same congregants, the same buildings, the same Church. There were a few reforms instituted during Henry's reign, but by and large, the teaching and practice of the Church was unchanged. After Henry's death, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, made numerous reforms in the Church of England and introduced the first Book of Common Prayer. It was at this time that the Church began to take on it's "Anglican" character. King Edward was a staunch supporter of Cranmer's reforms. When he died he was succeeded by Mary, who suppressed the BCP, executed the Archbishop, and re-established Papal authority over England. After Mary's death, Elizabeth came to the throne. There was indeed a lot of conflict between Protestants of various stripes and Catholics. In order to bring peace to the country Elizabeth supported a "Middle Way" for the Church of England, which was designed to unite the different religious groups. But she did not found this Church. It was the same Church of England that had been there since Augustine.
Although I respect immensely the following of Paul by Thecla, I am struck by the writings of John Kelbe, and his profound effect on the Church of England, the Anglican Communion and the outlying churches, such as the Episcopal Church of the USA. These brief writings got me to do a Google search on John Keble's Assize Sermon, and I found (then read) the following website:
http://www.branchcollective.org/?ps_articles=barbara-charlesworth-gelpi-14-july-1833-john-kebles-assize-sermon-national-apostasy
This gave me a deep appreciation for the work John Keble did that influenced for the positive the Anglican Communion.
Well it all depends on how the story is told, doesn't it? Intrigued by Thecla, I have just read several othe tellings of her story. None of them make her look like a groupie nor her devotion to the teachings of Paul as crazed fandom. Nor is there any mention of starving seals -- the Gosoel of Paul and Thecla apparently describes her as having been tied to a lion but rescued from the ravenous male lions by the fiercely protective female lions. Also for those who fear that Thecla may not even be real -- there are apparently quite a lot of other documents verifying her existence, not just the Gospel of P and T which Terttullian suppressed, presumably because it advocated for a strong role for women in the Church. Our Suoreme Executive Commmittee is well-known for a bit of wordplay a bit of tongue-in-cheek a bit of hyperbole to keep things lively and fun and perhaps to entertain themselves in the deep midwinter, snow on snow -- but if we go beyond the excellent tomfoolery sometimes we get a better picture. I wasn't going to vote for Thecla -- the roadie, the bothersome, the eaten-by-seals --- but having read more widely now I will!
Nicely written comment, Rayelenn. I quickly gave my vote to John yesterday, but over the course of the day and learning more about Thecla from other sources and commenters' insights, I now won't mind at all if Thecla goes far (all the way?) into the Golden Halo competition.
I don't understand how you could put a likely fictional character (Thecla) up against an actual person! The Acts of Paul and Thecla were likely written more than 100 years after the events they purport to describe. I think this is somewhat disingenuous and more than a bit misleading!
Point of information:
Henry VIII wanted an ANNULMENT **not** a divorce. He wanted the Church to say his marriage to Catherine of Aragon never legitly happened. That would leave him free to have a Church wedding to Anne Boylen while CofA was still alive. (Of course if Henry had known what we now know about human reproduction he would have known that the problem was with himself.) When he couldn't get an annulment from Rome (that the Spanish army was at the gates of Rome wasn't helping Henry's cause) he needed to find a different way. At least he only beheaded a third of his wives, and the second annulment, unlike the first, was by mutual consent. (Anne of Cleves, a Protestant who survived the reign of _Bloody Mary_, lived until sometime during the reign of Elizabeth I.)
Remember it is:
Annulled
Beheaded
Died
Annulled
Beheaded
Survived
Note on divorce, remarriage, & the CofE - When the present Quern's uncle, Edward VIII, wanted to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American divorcee he ended up being forced to abdicate in favor of his brother, who became George VI. And the current Prince of Wales could not marry the now Duchess of Cornwall in a church wedding, even after the death of his ex-wife, Princess Diana,since Camilla's ex-husband is very much still alive. Instead they had to have a civil wedding. They were allowed a blessing of the rings at St. George's, Windsor Castle. (I suspect that allowing that was not an easy decision.)
Also, in Victorian England a divorce required an literal act of Parliment! and the CofE was just fine with that.
Here endeth the history lesson!
Well done, you! In the event that the Prince of Wales survives the Queen (an event that many in the UK are praying against), it will be interesting to see what style and titles the new sovereign will bestow on the present Duchess of Cornwall.