From Prey to Predator?: Transmitting Communal Trauma Memory in Early Christian North Africa (3rd-5th century CE)

The question of how Christians evolved from a ‘persecuted’ minority to ‘persecutors’ remains a fascinating one. After all, their experiences with intolerance could just as well have inspired them to be more compassionate. For decades, scholars have argued that the emergence of monotheistic religions, particularly Christianity, played a key role in a decreased tolerance. In recent years, however, there has been growing interest in the emotional and psychological dimensions of ancient societies. This shift opens new perspectives on how individuals and communities experienced and responded to the profound changes of the period. In the case of Christianity, it invites us to consider how the memory of persecution shaped their attitudes to others. This thesis applies modern theories of trauma transmission to explore how North African Christians reflected on experiences of persecution. Specifically, it examines three mechanisms of trauma transmission: the (re)framing of traumatic events in...Show moreThe question of how Christians evolved from a ‘persecuted’ minority to ‘persecutors’ remains a fascinating one. After all, their experiences with intolerance could just as well have inspired them to be more compassionate. For decades, scholars have argued that the emergence of monotheistic religions, particularly Christianity, played a key role in a decreased tolerance. In recent years, however, there has been growing interest in the emotional and psychological dimensions of ancient societies. This shift opens new perspectives on how individuals and communities experienced and responded to the profound changes of the period. In the case of Christianity, it invites us to consider how the memory of persecution shaped their attitudes to others. This thesis applies modern theories of trauma transmission to explore how North African Christians reflected on experiences of persecution. Specifically, it examines three mechanisms of trauma transmission: the (re)framing of traumatic events in textual narratives (Passio Perpetuae); the construction of meaning by embedding trauma within a larger ‘master narrative’ and shaping in-group identity through that process (De Mortibus Persecutorum); and the institutionalisation, monumentalisation, and ritualisation of trauma (martyr cult and the sermones of Augustine). These mechanisms often overlap and, in practice, build upon one another. For trauma to become institutionalised, a defined and cohesive in-group is required – one with enough influence and resources to monumentalise and ritualise its collective past. This process depends on the prior construction of that identity, largely shaped through shared engagement with the trauma. Crucially, this engagement is grounded in the availability of trauma narratives, which provide the framework for meaning-making and the development of communal memory. As Christianity grew in number and political power, the ways Christians remembered and transmitted trauma shaped their approach to other groups in society and served to justify oppression and assert group behaviour. Recognising these dynamics allows for a more complex interpretation of the conditions under which Christians came to justify and employ violence.Show less

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From Prey to Predator? Transmitting Communal Trauma Memory in Early Christian North Africa (3rd-5th century CE)