Saturday, March 6, 2021

The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity: Book Review

    The third century work, The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, offers a priceless window into the powerful witness of the early Christian Church. While this ancient manuscript is short in length, it contains numerous themes of eternal significance. Penned in the year 203 A.D., The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity recalls the unwavering faith and heroic deaths of five martyrs, illustrating both the historical and spiritual components surrounding the profound testimony they gave of their Christian beliefs. Termed a “prison diary,” this text was written in four separate segments.[1] While the first and last section were written by an anonymous narrator, the author of the main portion was Saint Perpetua (c. 182 A.D. – 203 A.D.), a catechumen of noble birth from the Roman Province of North Africa who was arrested with her slave, Saint Felicity. She began this autobiographical script with a narrative of her first days in prison, recording her experiences until the day prior to her execution. Her nobility is made evident through her familiarity with the Latin language, in which Saint Perpetua’s diary was penned. This book is now considered “the earliest writing by a Christian woman that has been preserved.”[2] The third section of The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity was written by Saint Saturus, a Christian who was in the company of the faithful martyred with Saint Perpetua. His words are few, and give way to the fourth segment, an account of their deaths. This structure allows each of the four components of The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity to complement the others, working together to relate this remarkable story.

    The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity transports readers back nearly two thousand years, opening before them the account's historical context. Throughout the early years of Christianity, the Church often experienced persecution, leading to the courageous martyrdoms of numerous men and women. The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity took place at a time when Emperor Septimius Severus instated a “prohibition against converting to Christianity.”[3] For this reason, the young catechumens of this ancient text (Revocatus, Felicity, Saturninus, Secundulus, and Vibia Perpetua) who, by embracing Christianity opposed his decree, were imprisoned and sentenced to death. The method of martyrdom chosen for Saint Perpetua and her companions was that of damnatio ad bestias, a form of Roman execution by which convicted criminals were thrown to wild beasts.[4] The willingness of these saints to undergo this inhumane death emphasizes a concept prevalent within The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, namely, witness.

    Saint Perpetua opened her prison diary recalling an encounter she had with her father, a conversation in which he attempted to persuade her to renounce Christianity. In answer to his pleadings, Saint Perpetua explained that, just as one does not call a pitcher by anything other than its name, “so can I call myself nought other than that which I am, a Christian.”[5] It was with this same heroic determination that she and her fellow catechumens overcame the sufferings that accompanied them in prison and in the arena. The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity speaks of these trials, illustrating for the reader the cruelty of their imprisonment. Saint Perpetua and Felicity underwent a heightened element of torture, as they were both young mothers. The former had recently given birth and the latter would have a premature delivery in prison. Regardless of these pains, each Christian bore unwavering witness to the Faith, denying themselves, taking up their crosses, and following Christ (Matt 16:24).

    In addition to its historical impact, The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity contains notable spiritual significance. This is best demonstrated by a series of visions recorded in the text. During her time in prison, Saint Perpetua was gifted with multiple dreams in which she was given assurance of gaining the martyr’s crown. These visions were intwined with symbolism, and offer the reader thought-provoking parallels between the analogical and the actual. In one such dream, for example, Saint Perpetua saw herself tread upon a serpent before ascending a ladder to Paradise. This confrontation alluded to her ultimate triumph over the Devil through martyrdom. Over the course of the time spent by Saint Perpetua and her companions in prison, they turned with joyful anticipation to the moment of their individual passions. This is conveyed in the hopeful character of Saint Perpetua and Saint Saturus’ written accounts. Rather than cowering in fear at the prospect of facing death by the jaws of wild beasts, they remained composed, looking past their suffering to the eternal joy that was to follow. The concept of hope is also communicated through the narrated account of the saints’ martyrdom in the arena, found in the fourth section of the text.

    Within The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, the reader discovers the instruments necessary for Christians of the contemporary world to live their Faith to the fullest. We can learn much from Saint Perpetua and her companions’ acceptance of suffering and unwavering belief in the face of death. The examples set by these martyrs of the ancient world encourage readers to remain steadfast in their Faith, bearing witness to Christ regardless of the consequences. As we consider in light of this text the numerous present-day attacks made on the Church, we find the tools to respond to them with the heroic virtue seen in the actions of this community of early Christians. I highly recommend reading The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity, as it instills a desire to respond to Christ with the same zeal and self-sacrificial love demonstrated by the third century martyrs. Furthermore, it effectively reminds us that we are not alone in our journey to sanctity, but rather, “our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself.”[6] Although this text was written nearly two millennia ago, the authors’ distinctive styles are not confusing. They allow the reader to absorb the text without becoming lost in convoluted speech. The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity is ultimately successful in accomplishing the purpose for which it was written: “that…God may be glorified and man strengthened.”[7]



[1] "Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas," in Crossroads Initiative, at www.crossroadsinitiative.com.

[2] Stephanie L. Cobb, "Suicide by Gladiator? The Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas in its North African Context," Church History 88, No. 3 (2019), 597.

[3] John Vidmar, OP, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, A History, 2nd ed. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014), 28.

[4] Boris A. Paschke, "The Roman ad bestias Execution as a Possible Historical Background for 1 Peter 5.8," A Journal for the Study of the New Testament 28, No. 4 (2006), 490.

[5] Saint Perpetua, “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity 203," in Fordham University, at www.sourcebooks.fordham.edu.

[6] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 957, at The Holy See, w2.vatican.va.

[7] Saint Perpetua, “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity 203," in Fordham University.


Image Credit:

"Sts. Perpetua and Felicity," mosaic, www.catholicfireblogspot.com.


Book Details:
Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing (August 18, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1643730908
ISBN-13: 978-1643730905
Pages: 38
List Price: 7:10 USD

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