In the yearly festal letters of Cyril of Alexandria (412-444) the
concept of ‘virtue' plays a major role. The archbishop often calls on
his audience to live virtuous lives, because it is a fitting response to
the grace and salvation offered in Jesus Christ, while it is a
precondition for an intimate relationship with God. In the course of his
deliberations, Cyril mentions many different virtues, both from
scriptural sources and from the Greek philosophical tradition. In this
paper I will discuss the role ‘virtue' plays in the pastoral theology of
Cyril's festal letters, with special attention to the biblical and
philosophical catalogues he uses, and their interaction.
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