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Demetrios S. Katos Palladius of Helenopolis: The Origenist Advocate Oxford Early Christian Studies Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011 Pp. xvii + 219. $135.00.
Palladius of Helenopolis (ca. 363-430) is the author of two works-the Dialogue on the Life of St. John Chrysostom and the Lausiac History-both of which shed light on leading figures, movements, and controversies at the turn of the fifth century. Yet Palladius himself is a largely neglected figure. In this accessible and well-written study, Katos seeks to remedy this deficiency by offering readers the first extensive monograph on the life and thought of Palladius (henceforth, P).
Chapter one chronicles P's life from his time as a monk in Palestine to his episcopacy in Helenopolis, and underscores the elaborate network of ascetics and bishops in which he circulated. Toward the end of the chapter, Katos turns to the Dialogue, contending that it ought primarily to be seen as a defense of John Chrysostom with the aim of having his name restored to the diptychs in Constantinople. This chapter sets the tone for much of what follows. Katos challenges P's self-portrait as a "mere peripatetic monk" and shows him to be a "pugnacious ecclesiastical statesman who passionately supported the causes of his network in the controversies of his...