Tatian

Tatian

▪ Syrian biblical writer
Greek  Tatianos  
born AD 120, , Syria
died April 173

      Syrian compiler of the Diatessaron (Greek: “From Four,” or “Out of Four”), a version of the four Gospels arranged in a single continuous narrative that, in its Syriac form, served the biblical-theological vocabulary of the Syrian church for centuries. Its Greek and Latin versions influenced the Gospel text. Tatian also founded, or at least was closely associated with, the heretical sect of the Encratites, a community integrating a severe asceticism with elements of Stoic philosophy.

      Tatian became a pupil of the 2nd-century Roman theologian Justin Martyr (Justin Martyr, Saint) and converted to Christianity. He rejected the classical literary and moral values of the Greeks as corrupt and repudiated their intellectualism, preferring instead the “barbaric” Christian culture. He embraced a vague synthesis of Judeo-Christian monotheism with the Stoic concept of an intermediary logos (Greek: “word”), creating the rational and purposeful cohesion of the universe; the personal dimension was provided by belief in the fallen soul's ultimate return to the cosmic pneuma (Greek: “spirit”) whence it came.

      After Justin's martyrdom Tatian broke with the Roman church, returned to Syria about 172, and became associated with a school and religious community of the Encratites in order to incorporate his amalgam of religious philosophy. During this period Tatian produced the two works that still survive, the Diatessaron and a discourse to the Greeks. The latter, a virulent polemic against Hellenistic (Greek) learning, presented a Christian cosmology and demonology in which Tatian negatively compared Greek polytheistic theology with the Christian concept of a unique deity whose sublimity transcended the foibles of Greek idols. Tatian submitted that the Judeo-Christian tradition furnished Greek moral philosophy with everything it contained of value; the former, however, exhibited a selflessness that was markedly absent from the latter. Tatian's other writings, listed by the 4th-century historian Eusebius of Caesarea, have been lost.

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  • Tatian — the Assyrian [ [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/info/tatian.html Introductory Note To Tatian the Assyrian.] by J. E. Ryland.] [cite web |first= |last= |authorlink= |author=Parpola, Simo |coauthors= |title=Assyrian Identity in Ancient Times… …   Wikipedia

  • Tatian — (lat. Tatianus) war ein christlicher Apologet des 2. Jahrhunderts ostsyrischer Herkunft, daher auch Tatian der Assyrer genannt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben und Wirken 2 Literatur 3 Weblinks …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tatian — • A second century apologist about whose antecedents and early history nothing can be affirmed with certainty except that he was born in Assyria and that he was trained in Greek philosophy Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Tatian      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Tatian — Tatian,   frühchristlicher Apologet des 2. Jahrhunderts, aus Mesopotamien stammend; war Schüler Justins in Rom; kehrte um 172 nach Syrien oder Mesopotamien zurück, wo er die Bewegung der Enkratiten, rigoroser christlicher Asketen mit eigenen… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Tatian — Tatian, ein feuriger Vertheidiger des Christenthums, der aber allmälig in gnostische Irrthümer verfiel u. das Haupt der Enkratiten, Hydroparastaten, Aquarier oder Severianer wurde, war gebürtig aus Assyrien, ein Zeitgenosse des Bardesanes und… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Tatian — (c. 110–c. 172)    Devotional Writer and Supposed Sect Founder.    Tatian was born in Assyria and was converted to Christianity in Rome, where he was a pupil of justin martyr. Later, he moved to Syria where he is said to have founded an ascetic,… …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Tatian — (120–73 CE) A Christian Apologist [[➝ apologetic]] in the east, who was not well received in the west. He was educated in Greek philosophy but regarded Greek civilization as evil. He compiled a life of Christ by weaving together the four gospels… …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • Tatian — Ta|ti|an (frühchristlicher Schriftsteller) …   Die deutsche Rechtschreibung

  • Althochdeutscher Tatian — Der Althochdeutsche Tatian ist eine Übersetzung der Evangelienharmonie des Tatianus ins Althochdeutsche. Die Übersetzung wurde um das Jahr 830 im Kloster Fulda unter der Leitung von Hrabanus Maurus angefertigt und befindet sich seit dem 10.Jhd.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Tatianus — Tatian (lat. Tatianus) war ein christlicher Apologet des 2. Jahrhunderts ostsyrischer Herkunft (daher auch Tatian der Assyrer genannt). Er hatte in Rom Kontakt zu Justin dem Märtyrer und ging nach dem Tod seines Lehrers in seine syrische Heimat… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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