Pragmatic Necessity over Scriptural Guidelines: Basil of Seleucia and the Swearing of Oaths at Later Roman Church Councils

Abstract:This article considers the late antique episcopal prioritization of pragmatism over strict adherence to the rules of Christianity. The need to choose between following the scriptures and bending to more immediate concerns often arose in relation to the practice of oath-swearing, which had been forbidden by Jesus (Matt 5.33–37) but was nonetheless a regular feature of ecclesiastical affairs. To explore this dilemma, this paper focuses on the proceedings of several fifth-century church councils and the actions of Basil, bishop of Seleucia, Isauria. At an ecclesiastical meeting in 449, Basil refused to swear an oath and cited Jesus's proscription in explanation. Not only was this objection highly irregular in the context of church councils, however, but Basil himself later demanded that his episcopal colleagues take oaths at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. A closer examination of Basil's apparent vacillation on the acceptability of oath-swearing suggests that the bishop's initial objection to the practice was motivated by episcopal politics, rather than his religious principles. Even though later Roman bishops were often held up as obedient followers of God's commands, these senior clergymen regularly bowed to the necessity of oath-taking, thereby prioritizing the practical ahead of the scriptural.