Scripture twisted into a defense of idolatrous shows

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Novatian is refuting Christians who claim Scripture does not forbid public shows and who cite biblical examples to defend attending them.

I say it again: it is not shameful—indeed, it is not shameful—for faithful people, for those who claim for themselves the authority of the Christian name, to defend the empty superstitions of the Gentiles mixed up with public shows by appealing to the heavenly Scriptures, and to hand over divine authority to idolatry. For when what the pagans do in honor of some idol is attended by faithful Christians as a public show, then Gentile idolatry is affirmed, and true and divine religion is trampled in contempt of God. Shame holds me back from repeating their objections and defenses in this matter. “Where,” they say, “are these things written? Where are they forbidden? After all, Elijah is the charioteer of Israel, and David himself danced before the arena. We read of harps, lyres, bronze cymbals, drums, flutes, and dances. The apostle too, fighting with the cestus, sets before us the contest of our wrestling against spiritual forces of wickedness. Again, when he takes examples from the stadium, he also sets out the prizes of the crown. Why then should a faithful Christian not be allowed to watch what the divine writings were allowed to write?” At this point I would rightly say that it would have been far better for these people to know no writings at all than to read the writings in this way. For the words and examples that were set down to stir us toward evangelical virtue are twisted into defenses of vices—since these things were not written so that they might be watched, but so that a greater urgency might be stirred in our minds toward things that profit us, seeing how great an urgency the pagans show in things that do not profit.

Latin

Non pudet, inquam, non pudet fideles homines et christiani sibi nominis auctoritatem uindicantes superstitiones uanas gentilium cum spectaculis mixtas de scripturis caelestibus uindicare et diuinam, auctoritatem idololatriae conferre. nam quando id quod in honore alicuius idoli ab ethnicis agitur a fidelibus christianis spectaculo frequentatur, et idololatria gentilis asseritur et in contumeliam Dei religio uera et diuina calcatur. pudor me tenet praescriptiones eorum in hac causa et patrocinia referre. 'ubi', inquiunt, scripta sunt ista, ubi prohibita? alioquin et auriga est Israel Helias et ante aream Dauid ipse saltauit. nabla cynaras aera tympana tibias citharas choros legimus. apostolus quoque dimicans caestus et colluctationis nostrae aduersus spiritalia nequitiae proponit certamen. rursus cum de stadio sumit exempla, coronae quoque collocat praemia. cur ergo homini christiano fideli non liceat spectare quod licuit diuinis litteris scribare'? hoc in loco non immerito dixerim longe melius fuisse istis nullas litteras nosse quam sic litteras legere. uerba enim et exempla quae ad exhortationem euangelicae uirtutis posita sunt ad uitiorum patrocinia transferuntur: quoniam non ut spectarentur ista scripta sunt, sed ut animis nostris instantia maior excitaretur in rebus profuturis, dum tanta est apud ethnicos in rebus non profuturis.

About this text

Novatian warns Christians who quote Scripture to defend going to the public games and shows.

Novatian (fl. c. 250) was a Roman presbyter and Christian teacher who wrote this treatise to the faithful, whom he addresses as brothers. He composed it because some Christians were defending attendance at public spectacles by appealing to Scripture, and he feared that wounds poorly bound might break open again. His aim was to admonish those already instructed rather than to teach them anew.

The occasion is a dispute within the Christian community. Some believers argued that Scripture does not forbid the circus, theater, and athletic contests, and they cited examples such as Elijah, David, and an unnamed apostle whose athletic imagery matches Paul's epistles. Novatian quotes these opponents directly and refutes their appeals, showing that the biblical examples were written to stir virtue, not to permit spectacles. He also names Romulus, who first consecrated circus games to the god Consus, and Ceres and Liber, to whom stage plays were dedicated.

A reader should know that public shows means the circus games, stage plays, and athletic contests of the Roman world, all of which Novatian traces to idolatry and the devil. He argues that even apart from idolatry these shows are marked by vanity and immodesty, and that Christians have better spectacles in God's creation and in Scripture. The treatise cites Old Testament figures such as Elijah, David, and Daniel without formal book citations, and it alludes to the apostle's athletic imagery in the epistles. The term Eucharist refers to the consecrated body of Christ, which in Novatian's time a believer might carry home from church.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 3.3 (1871) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.