Circumcellions

A 4th century sect of suicidal Christians who harassed people in an effort to get themselves killed, believing it would earn them a better place in the afterlife


Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Early Church
Founded: 4th century
Ended: 5th century
Location: North Africa


The Circumcellions were a notable group active in North Africa during the early to mid-4th century, closely associated with the Donatist movement within Christianity. They emerged in a period marked by social and religious upheaval, with their activities primarily concentrated in the Roman province of Africa. The Donatist controversy, within which the Circumcellions played a significant role, was rooted in disagreements over the purity and legitimacy of church officials and the proper response to persecution by the Roman Empire.

The name “Circumcellions” was likely a term of mockery by critics, translating to “they go around larders,” a reference to their practice of roaming among peasants and living off those they endeavored to indoctrinate. Their first appearance was around 317, predominantly in Numidia and Mauretania Sitifensis. They were known for their eschatological hopes and social reform ideas. Bishop Optatus remarked that around 340, they initiated an uprising targeting creditors and slave owners, glorifying those killed in these disturbances as martyrs. Saint Augustine of Hippo described them as a rustic mob inciting violence against landlords.

The sect was most known for their suicidal approach to martyrdom, believing it to be a direct path to sanctity and salvation, a perspective that led them to engage in acts of violence against themselves and others. Circumcellions often provoked their own martyrdom by assaulting Roman legionaries or armed travelers with wooden clubs, named “Israelites,” to elicit a violent response, resulting in their death. Some would disrupt courts of law to be executed for contempt of court. They avoided bladed weapons, based on a passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus instructed Peter to put down his sword, and instead favored clubs for random assaults while shouting “Laudate Deum” (“Praise God” in Latin).

They were also known for their opposition to slavery and economic oppression, advocating for the cancellation of debts and the liberation of slaves. Such actions were not only motivated by a desire for social reform but were also seen as enactments of their eschatological hopes, anticipating a divine rectification of earthly injustices. This group drew members from various segments of society, including fugitive slaves, disenfranchised farmers, and others who were socially marginalized.

Despite their initial concern with addressing genuine social grievances, the Circumcellions’ association with the Donatist sect and their increasingly violent tactics ultimately led to their denouncement by the Catholic Church. The group’s radical stance and actions, including the practice of suicide under the guise of seeking martyrdom, were deemed heretical. Their lives, marked by idleness, dissipation, and violence, contrasted sharply with the Christian ideal of productive and virtuous living. In fact, their name itself, derived from Latin, implies a life of wandering brigandage, highlighting their outsider status within the Roman and Christian societal norms of their time.

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