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Giuseppe Corti Lucifero di Cagliart: Una voce nel conflitto tra chiesa e itnpero alla tnetà del IV secolo Studia patristica Mediolanensia 24 Milano: Vita e Pensiero, 2004 Pp. xvi + 302. euro25 (paper).
Giuseppe Corti notes that studies of Lucifer of Cagliari tend to focus upon one of three themes: Lucifer's role in the conflict between the church and the emperor, Lucifer as the possible founder of and inspiration for the so-called "Luciferians," and the constitution of the pre-Jerome Latin Bible cited in Lucifer's writings. Corti's study focuses upon the first theme, seeking to justify a closer examination of Lucifer's contributions to church-state relations. Within this enigmatic bishop's strident prose, contends the author, one can find a generally consistent argument for the separation of church and state rooted in a strict adherence to the Nicene faith.
Corti recognizes that the paucity of sources does not allow for a "biography" of the Sardinian bishop. (He does, however, sprinkle the text with some intriguing suggestions regarding Lucifer's origins, such as his possible formation and education in Rome. The Roman connection would account for the selection of Lucifer as a delegate to Milan and his place among the allies of Pope Liberius in the defense of Athanasius and Nicea). Instead, the author begins with a general review of the fourth-century Arian crisis, highlighting the theme of church-state relations and Lucifer's particular interventions.
The first three chapters, which account for over half the book, cover the formation of the imperial bond with the church under Constantine and conclude with the rule of Emperor Julian and the death of Lucifer. The church's rise to prominence...