Gianluca Piscini | Independent Researcher (original) (raw)

Books by Gianluca Piscini

Beauchesne (Théologie historique, 138), 2024

Nous ne connaissons que quatre ouvrages littéraires antiques consacrés à la critique de la nouvel... more Nous ne connaissons que quatre ouvrages littéraires antiques consacrés à la critique de la nouvelle religion : le Discours véritable de Celse, le Contre les chrétiens de Porphyre, le Discours ami de la vérité adressé aux chrétiens d'Hiéroclès Sossianos et le Contre les Galiléens de l'empereur Julien. Leur rédaction est échelonnée entre le IIe et le IVe siècle, période qui voit l'affirmation du christianisme dans le monde gréco-romain. Dans leur combat contre les chrétiens, Celse et ses épigones pouvaient s'inspirer d'une longue tradition polémique, dont l'influence est par ailleurs bien visible dans d'autres textes de Porphyre et Julien. La présente étude analyse les fragments conservés des quatre traités antichrétiens dans leurs rapports avec les motifs et les conventions de la littérature antique. On pourra ainsi mieux comprendre la façon dont ces ouvrages ont été conçus, la place qu'ils occupent dans le panorama littéraire de leur temps et (pour Porphyre et Julien) les liens qui les unissent aux autres oeuvres de leurs auteurs.

Papers by Gianluca Piscini

Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni, 2023

This paper aims to study the occurrences of the words ἄθεος and ἀθεότης in Origen of Alexandria’... more This paper aims to study the occurrences of the words ἄθεος and ἀθεότης in
Origen of Alexandria’s works. Origen condemns as «atheist» three categories of
men: the polytheists, the heretics, and some anonymous philosophers. The latters
would seem to be the Epicureans, but close analysis will show that this identifica-
tion is not always clear: I will argue that Origen presents differently the Epicurean
doctrine on gods according to the context (which is not surprising, given the multiple
and often polemical uses of ἄθεος and ἀθεότης in Antiquity). I will also show how
Origen’s use of these words is both influenced by ancient polemical tradition (pagan, Jewish and Christian) and original.

H. Grelier-Deneux et Fr. Vinel (éds.), La Bible, les Pères et l’histoire de la langue grecque. Hommage à Marguerite Harl, 2022

This paper studies how the notion of καιρός is used by Origen in his apology, the Against Celsus.... more This paper studies how the notion of καιρός is used by Origen in his apology, the Against Celsus. First we will show that, although καιρός and the words of the same root are never used in the extant fragments of the True Discourse, some of Celsus’ arguments on Incarnation imply an ἄκαιρος God. Then we will study two aspects of Origen’s answer. On the one hand, the notion of καιρός is connected to divine action : God administers the universe from the beginning and every event (especially in Jesus’ life) happens in the right time, in order to lead humanity to Salvation. On the other hand, since καιρός is also a rhetoric criterion for the quality of a literary work, in Against Celsus Origen carefully justifies his digressions and criticizes Celsus’ lack of καιρός. In the end, the analysis will also shed new light on the connections between exegesis and polemic in Origen.

Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum, 2022

In this paper I study the expression χύσις τῆς κακίας, frequently used by Origen of Alexandria. T... more In this paper I study the expression χύσις τῆς κακίας, frequently used by Origen of Alexandria. The identification of its variants in Origen gives some criteria to identify its occurrences in pre-origenian literature. Three possible sources are examined: the pagan literature, the Scripture and Philo of Alexandria; the latter is most likely the model for Origen. Before studying the use of χύσις τῆς κακίας and its variants in Origen, I discuss the frequency of these expressions in his works. Curiously enough, Origen uses them far more often in the Against Celsus than in his other works. The most likely explanation is that the topics discussed in the apology led him to have recourse to these expressions. A survey of the multiple meanings of χύσις τῆς κακίας and its variants in all his works but the Against Celsus, then in the latter, confirms this hypothesis. Finally, I stress the originality of Origen. Although he probably found χύσις τῆς κακίας and its variants in Philo, Origen uses them in a different way: to demonstrate the necessity and the significance of Christ’s actions. An addendum presents some possible traces of χύσις τῆς κακίας and its variants in the Latin translations of Origen’s works.

Cristianesimo nella Storia, 2022

In the last years, two scholars (Panayiotis Tzamalikos and Ronald H. Heine) have proposed a new d... more In the last years, two scholars (Panayiotis Tzamalikos and Ronald H. Heine) have proposed a new dating for Origen’s Against Celsus and Commentary on Matthew. Since these works are among the last ones of this author, their hypotheses also imply that Origen’s death occurred much later than commonly believed. This paper discusses Tzamalikos’ and Heine’s arguments. A thorough examination will show that they are not strong enough to justify significant changes in Origen’s biography: the traditional dating of Against Celsus and Commentary on Matthew (248-249) remains the most likely.

Koinonia, 2021

In this paper I will study the use of two rare words in Origen’s "Against Celsus", κατάκλησις and... more In this paper I will study the use of two rare words in Origen’s "Against Celsus", κατάκλησις and κατακαλέω. After a short survey of the corpus (one occurrence in Celsus’ "True Discourse", six in Origen’s text), I will show that the unusual frequency of these words in "Against Celsus" is patently linked to the presence of κατάκλησις in Celsus’ text: this could shed new light on Origen’ apologetic strategy. I will then discuss the meaning of these words in "Against Celsus". Both Celsus and Origen use κατάκλησις and κατακαλέω to speak about magical rites involving demons – which is unprecedented in previous literature. Nevertheless, some occurrences of the word κατακλητικός in magical papyri and in a tabella defixionis could provide an explanation of this peculiarity.

Revue des Études Grecques, 2021

Two texts of Porphyry (fragment 28 Sodano of the Commentary on the Timaeus and chapters 21-23 of ... more Two texts of Porphyry (fragment 28 Sodano of the Commentary on the Timaeus and chapters 21-23 of the Letter to Marcella) offer a classification of the causes of atheism. The present paper aims to study these porphyrian reflections, that have not been thoroughly examined or compared yet. Since Porphyry took inspiration from a list of the causes of impiety given by Plato in the Laws, which had already been used by Origen in his Treatise on Prayer, we will begin with a brief analysis of these two texts. In both of them we can see a careful layout of the causes of atheism in order to create a climax, and an actualization of the Platonic text by Origen: two features that also characterize Porphyry’s reflection. But we will show that the latter demonstrates a remarkable originality. He enriches his predecessors’ taxonomy ; in the Letter to Marcella, he also shapes the text so as to strengthen the opposition between the different philosophical opinions that he describes. Finally, the similarities between the two porphyrian texts and the study of the structure of Letter 21-23 will also shed new light on the problem of the philosopher’s targets, often identified with Christians.

Vigiliae Christianae, 2020

This paper studies the links between exegesis and polemic in Origen, focussing on the exegetical ... more This paper studies the links between exegesis and polemic in Origen, focussing on the exegetical and polemical use of ἀκολουθία in two contemporary works: Commentary on Matthew and Against Celsus. After a short survey of the different meanings of the word ἀκολουθία, we will see how the pagan polemicist uses this notion. Then we will study Origen’s answer in a more thorough fashion. We will show that, as in the Commentary on Matthew, Origen uses the notion of ἀκολουθία to re-establish the dignity of the Gospels; but he also criticizes the inability of Celsus to correctly understand a text — in other words, his “lack of ἀκολουθία”. In the end, it will be clear that in Origen, the notion of ἀκολουθία is crucial both in exegesis and in polemics, and that it helps us to better understand the unity of his thought and of his works.

Adamantius, 2016

In recent research, the evolution and the very existence of religious dialogue in Late Antiquity ... more In recent research, the evolution and the very existence of religious dialogue in Late Antiquity and in ancient Christianity have been questioned. While most studies focus on Christian literature, the aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the dialogue with Christians in Celsus’ True Discourse, the first anti-Christian treatise of Antiquity. This article argues that although Celsus claims to be willing to discuss with his adversaries, he suggests that such an exchange is impossible because of the irrationality and the inconsistency of the Christian faith. Thus dialogue becomes a polemical argument against Christianity, and the True Discourse is presented as a failed attempt to engage with Christians. Furthermore, the study of Celsus’ prosopopoeia (in which a Jew inveighs against Jesus and criticizes the Judeo-Christians) shows that, despite the dialogical form of its probable sources of inspiration, this section of the True Discourse is actually a monologue. By this prosopopoeia, Celsus tries to show that, like the Christians of his time, Jesus and his first followers were unable to defend themselves against criticism. By the end of this study, it will be clear that the negative portrayal of the dialogue with Christians plays a key role in the polemical strategy of the True Discourse.

Revue des Études Tardo-antiques, 2016

This paper addresses aspects of the method Origen proposes for theinterpretation of the parables.... more This paper addresses aspects of the method Origen proposes for theinterpretation of the parables. After an overview of the three steps of thismethod, we will discuss the terminology used to define the first of them, trying toexplain it in light of other occurrences in Origen’s works. Then, we will examinethe origins and the practical application of Origen’s method of interpretation of the parables, in order to show that, contrary to what has often been affirmed,Origen very rarely follows his own suggestions. The reasons for this gap betweentheory and practice do not seem to be linked to the context in which the parablesappear in the Gospels, nor to the possible alterations that Origen’s text may haveundergone or to some structural features of the
Commentary on Matthew
. Ultimately,the explanation is perhaps found in the variety of approaches and solutions thatcharacterizes Origen’s exegesis. From this point of view, Origen’s reflection onthe parables is a perfect example both of his effort to systematize biblical exegesisand of his versatility.

Annali di storia dell'esegesi, 2015

In this paper we study a probable reference to Justin (an ancient Greek apologist) in Montesquie... more In this paper we study a probable reference to Justin (an ancient Greek apologist) in
Montesquieu’s "Lettres Persanes". In letter 33, the Persian Usbek discusses the possibility of
salvation for Christians: in our opinion, this passage (and especially the expression “semence
de nos dogmes”) turns against Christians Justin’s conception of Λόγος σπερματικός. After a
short presentation of ancient Christian apologetics and of Justin’s thought, we will point out
that Montesquieu had a good knowledge of patristic literature and a copy of Justin’s works in
his library. Then we will see that Justin played a key-role in the seventeenth century debate on
the possibility for pagans to be saved (“querelle de la vertu des païens”) – a problem that
Montesquieu discussed in a lost work, and that is the real object of letter 33. Finally, we will
study the letter 33 itself. We will show that the allusion to Justin strengthens the irony and the
ambiguity of the text: precisely because of Usbek’s use of Christian expressions, this letter
challenges not only Christian, but also Muslim religious primacy.

Revue des Études Tardo-antiques, Mar 2014

In Origen's Commentary on Matthew (ComMt), Jesus has a key-role as a model of exegete, especially... more In Origen's Commentary on Matthew (ComMt), Jesus has a key-role as a model of exegete, especially as far as the interpretation of the parables is concerned. This paper offers an analysis of ComMt 10, 2-3, a passage in which Origen studies the exegesis of the parable of the tares given by Jesus in Mt 13, 37-43: unlike other exegetes, Origen chooses to give an interpretation even of the interpretation itself. We will study the way he uses Jesus' exegesis in order to justify and organize his own. More precisely, it will appear that it is the hidden meaning he finds in Christ's words that deeply influences the development of his interpretation.

Conference Presentations by Gianluca Piscini

R. Burnet, R. Courtray, J. Lagouanère et M. Renard (eds), Du Jésus des Écritures au Christ des théologiens, 2023

Publiés par le Centre d'Analyse et de Documentation Patristiques (rattaché à l'Equipe d'Accueil 4... more Publiés par le Centre d'Analyse et de Documentation Patristiques (rattaché à l'Equipe d'Accueil 4378 « Théologie protestante »), les Cahiers de Biblia Patristica proposent des études sur l'utilisation des textes bibliques dans la littérature chrétienne des premiers siècles. Ils accueillent des monographies ou des ensembles d'articles sur un même texte ou thème biblique. Tous les volumes de cette collection sont évalués sur la base de critères académiques par le Comité de Rédaction, qui fonde son opinion sur des rapports rédigés par des critiques spécialistes dans le domaine. Le Comité de Rédaction garantit que l'appréciation est faite d'une manière indépendante et de façon à éviter les conflits d'intérêts. La mise en pages de cet ouvrage a été assurée par Ersie Leria (Université de Strasbourg). Couverture : Détail d'un sarcophage du iii e siècle conservé au musée

Studia Patristica CXXIII, 2021

The idea that Christianity demands an ἄλογος πίστις is attested by the first anti-Christian polem... more The idea that Christianity demands an ἄλογος πίστις is attested by the first anti-Christian polemicist, Celsus, and in two texts long attributed to Porphyry’s Against the Christians. Some Christian writers seem also to defend their faith from this accusation. But how should we understand the expression ἄλογος πίστις? To answer this question, I will start by introducing the three occurrences of the expression ἄλογος πίστις in pagan texts non linked to anti-Christian polemics: one in Cassius Dio and two in Porphyry. The latter is particularly important: the study of his works will show that an anti-Christian polemicist could speak of ἄλογος πίστις in different polemical contexts. Then I will focus on the three texts, in order to better understand what is an ἄλογος πίστις for Cassius Dio and Porphyry. In the end, I will stress some features of the texts of my corpus, that are likely to explain why this argument was so soon and widely used against Christians. My analysis will show that this charge, although often used against Christians, probably belonged to the philosophical, polemical arsenal: different views on religion or different philosophical teachings could be dismissed as ‘irrational opinions’.

B. Pouderon (éd.), Figures du premier Christianisme. Jésus appelé Christ, Jacques “frère du Seigneur”, Marie dite Madeleine et quelques autres. Textes de la session scientifique THAT, Paris-Sorbonne, 3 février 2018 , Jan 2019

This paper aims at studying some aspects of the use of intertextuality in the conflict between pa... more This paper aims at studying some aspects of the use of intertextuality in the conflict between pagans and Christians in the second century. The study focuses on the works of three authors: Athenagoras, Tatian and Celsus, in order to cover both sides of the debate (pagan and Christian) as well as the two main approaches to the conflict (straight opposition and attempt of conciliation). Three aspects of intertextuality in these works will be discussed. First, I will show how the choice of a certain “ideal reader” influences the choice and the presentation of quotes and allusions. Next, I will stress upon the importance of intertextuality in clarifying the aim of these texts, by studying the way each author presents pagan and christian literature. Finally, I will focus on two examples of intertextuality in Tatian and Celsus: we will see that the use of a quote can reveal the way an author wants his work to be understood by the reader

B. Bitton-Ashkelony – O. Irshai – A. Kofsky – H. Newman – L. Perrone (ed.), Origeniana Duodecima. Origen’s Legacy in the Holy Land – A Tale of Three Cities: Jerusalem, Caesarea and Bethlehem. Proceedings of the 12th International Origen Congress, Leuven–Paris–Bristol, 2019

A study of how the three great Alexandrian exegetes (Philo, Origen and Cyril) understood the bibl... more A study of how the three great Alexandrian exegetes (Philo, Origen and Cyril) understood the biblical episode of Phinehas' zeal in Numbers 25.

Cristianesimo e violenza. Gli autori cristiani di fronte a testi biblici "scomodi". XLIV Incontro di Studiosi dell’Antichità Cristiana , 2018

This paper focuses on the interpretation of Phinehas' deeds (Num. 25,7-13) in the anti-Christian ... more This paper focuses on the interpretation of Phinehas' deeds (Num. 25,7-13) in the anti-Christian polemics of Emperor Julian and in the anti-Julian apologetic work of Cyril of Alexandria. Julian sees Phinehas' behavior and God's reaction as the proof both of the indignity of biblical God and of the disastrous consequences of Christian idea of divinity. In his answer, Cyril stresses the gravity of the crime of apostasy and affirms the necessity of the punishment inflicted by Phineahs. To do so, he uses some features of the traditional exegesis of the passage in order to develop quite an original interpretation which he already
sketched out in earlier works.

D. Vigne (éd.), Résurrection du Christ, transfiguration de l’homme. Colloque organisé par la Faculté de Théologie et l'Unité de Recherche CERES de l'Institut Catholique de Toulouse (Toulouse, 21-22 mai 2015), 2017

Book Reviews by Gianluca Piscini

Revue de philologie, de littérature et d’histoire anciennes, 2021

Bryn Mawr Classical Review, May 5, 2022

Beauchesne (Théologie historique, 138), 2024

Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni, 2023

H. Grelier-Deneux et Fr. Vinel (éds.), La Bible, les Pères et l’histoire de la langue grecque. Hommage à Marguerite Harl, 2022

Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum, 2022

Cristianesimo nella Storia, 2022

Koinonia, 2021

Revue des Études Grecques, 2021

Vigiliae Christianae, 2020

Adamantius, 2016

Revue des Études Tardo-antiques, 2016

Annali di storia dell'esegesi, 2015

Revue des Études Tardo-antiques, Mar 2014

R. Burnet, R. Courtray, J. Lagouanère et M. Renard (eds), Du Jésus des Écritures au Christ des théologiens, 2023

Studia Patristica CXXIII, 2021

Cristianesimo e violenza. Gli autori cristiani di fronte a testi biblici "scomodi". XLIV Incontro di Studiosi dell’Antichità Cristiana , 2018

Revue de philologie, de littérature et d’histoire anciennes, 2021

Bryn Mawr Classical Review, May 5, 2022

Bibliothèque d'Antiquité-Avenir (http://www.antiquite-avenir.org/?p=1049), Mar 7, 2021

Directeur d'études de l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (chaire « Religion et sociét... more Directeur d'études de l'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (chaire « Religion et société »), Pierre Bouretz poursuit dans ce livre sa réflexion sur les rapports entre philosophie et théologie, amorcée dans Lumières du Moyen Âge. Maïmonide philosophe (Paris, 2015) 1. Il le fait en remontant dans le temps : après le Moyen Âge, c'est l'Antiquité Tardive qui retient son attention. Comme il l'explique dans la courte introduction (p. 9-17), l'auteur se propose de comprendre la genèse et les enjeux du débat entre Porphyre et Jamblique sur la théurgie. Il souligne qu'une telle étude est rendue possible par la publication, à une année de distance, de deux excellentes éditions de la Lettre à Anébon de Porphyre et de la Réponse à Porphyre de Jamblique 2 , qui permettent enfin de suivre les arguments des deux philosophes et notamment de Porphyre, dont la Lettre est perdue dans son intégralité. Un échange entre deux auteurs anciens, témoigné par deux ouvrages, dont un parvenu en fragments : on pourrait penser être face à une étude qui n'intéresserait qu'un petit nombre de spécialistes. Cependant (comme le souligne Bouretz dans l'introduction), le sujet étudié a des implications complexes pour l'histoire de la philosophie et de la pensée. Car, malgré les accidents de la tradition textuelle, les arguments de Porphyre et de Jamblique ont traversé les siècles pour refaire surface à la Renaissance et influencer plusieurs auteurs de cette époque (dont un donnera à la Réponse de Jamblique le titre par lequel elle est souvent citée encore aujourd'hui : De mysteriis 3) ; surtout, leur désaccord invite à abandonner des idées reçues sur les Grecs, car il nous montre ces « artisans de la raison » (p. 9) en train de débattre sur la manière correcte de se rapporter aux dieux. Par ailleurs, avant de se pencher sur les oeuvres de Porphyre et de Jamblique, l'auteur consacre trois des cinq chapitres qui composent son livre à différents aspects de la réflexion antique sur les rapports entre les hommes et les dieux. L'échange entre les deux philosophes est ainsi replacé dans 1 Signalons au passage que le titre du livre reprend celui d'un article du même auteur : « La raison ou les dieux : un cas antique de jeux des échelles », dans A. ROMANO et S. SEBASTIANI (éds.), La forza delle incertezze. Dialoghi storiografici con

Bibliothèque d'Antiquité-Avenir (https://www.antiquite-avenir.org/?p=803), Mar 16, 2020

Au cours des dernières années, la question de l'actualité et de l'importance de la culture antiqu... more Au cours des dernières années, la question de l'actualité et de l'importance de la culture antique a suscité un vif débat aussi bien en Italie qu'en France, notamment par rapport à la place qu'il faut accorder au latin et au grec ancien dans l'enseignement secondaire. Cela explique sans doute les nombreux livres récents qui abordent le problème, sous des angles différents selon les auteurs 1 . On pourrait dire que l'essai de Lucio Russo poursuit le même objectif ; il présente cependant des traits extrêmement originaux, liés à la formation et aux intérêts de cet auteur.