The Early Christians in the Face of Epidemics

Oleksandr Kashchuk

doi:10.18778/2084-140X.11.31

Authors

Oleksandr Kashchuk Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Department of History of Middle Ages and Byzantine Studies, Faculty of History, Universytetska Str., 1, Lviv 79000, Ukraine; Ukrainian Catholic University, Department of Theology, Theology and Philosophy Faculty, Khutorivka Str., 35a, Lviv 79070, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6302-1851

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2084-140X.11.31

Keywords:

epidemics, pestilence, Christianity, early Church, charity, consolation

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to present the reaction of the early Christians to the emergence and the spread of the great epidemics. During the early Christian ages (2nd–3rd centuries) different plagues devastated people of the Roman Empire. Christianity has already prepared some modes of activity to deal with epidemics. These were both ideological and practical means. The main conclusion is that the pestilences during which Christians might show their moral principles, the special manner of life, and activity were one of the reasons to explain conversion to Christianity.

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