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Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History
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Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 3866

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jonathan Farrugia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Church History, Patrology and Palaeochristian Archaeology, University of Malta, MSD2080 Msida, Malta
Interests: patrology; patristics; Gregory of Nyssa; eastern theology; hagiography; Maltese ecclesiastical history; archival research; Christian iconography
Dr. Nicholas Doublet

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Church History, Patrology, and Palaeochristian Archaeology, University of Malta, MSD2080 Msida, Malta
Interests: modern and contempory church history; history of the holy see; international relations; society of Jesus; history of the church in Malta; ecclesiastical archivistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The forthcoming Special Issue, Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History, seeks to provide a comprehensive and scholarly exploration of the rich and complex history of the Christian Church. This volume will consist of academic studies covering various facets of the Church’s journey through time, with a particular focus on its institutional framework, theological developments, internal schisms, legislative evolution, and the Church’s ongoing dialogue with other religions and secular forces. By presenting diverse perspectives on these critical issues, the volume aims to delve deeply into the historical tensions that have shaped the Church and its paradoxical existence as both a divine institution and a human enterprise.

The volume's scope is broad, encompassing studies from the early Church’s establishment through its expansion across diverse cultures, its conflicts and resolutions, and its ongoing redefinition in the face of modern challenges. Contributions that address key moments in Church history, such as the formulation of early ecclesiastical laws, the major theological disputes, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and the complex relationship between Christianity and political authority, the Church’s response to modernity, secularisation, and its encounters with other religious traditions will be taken into consideration.

The paradox at the heart of Christian history—the Church as both a divine and a human institution—is intended to be a central theme of the studies presented. Interested contributors are invited to examine how the Church has navigated this tension throughout history, making decisions that reflect its sacred mission while also revealing the fallibility and complexities of human governance. Through this lens, the volume seeks to explore how schisms and theological disputes have been both divisive and creative forces within Christianity, leading to the emergence of new traditions and interpretations.

Beyond merely documenting the past, the volume aims to learn from history to foster a more unified future. The lessons drawn from centuries of separation, conflict, and reconciliation will be directed toward addressing the divisions that continue to fracture the Church today. By highlighting the richness and diversity of Christian traditions, the volume aspires to encourage greater cooperation and mutual appreciation among different denominations and sects. It seeks to show how, by embracing the multifaceted nature of its history, the Church can move forward with greater unity and resolve in addressing internal and external challenges.

In sum, this volume seeks to be a valuable resource for historians and theologians and a call to reflect on how the past can inform present efforts to bridge divides and build a more inclusive and cooperative future for the universal Church.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jonathan Farrugia
Dr. Nicholas Joseph Doublet
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • christianity
  • ecumenical councils
  • apostolic succession
  • monasticism
  • constantinian shift
  • great schism
  • reformation
  • canon law
  • nicene creed
  • sacraments
  • orthodoxy
  • heresiology
  • iconoclasm
  • mysticism
  • missionary movements
  • church-state relations
  • crusades

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 320 KB  
Article
Absent Presence: Religious Materiality, the Order of St John, and the Counter-Reformation
by Matthias Ebejer
Religions 2025, 16(8), 988; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16080988 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 851
Abstract
Within the Catholic liturgy and devotion, there exists a seemingly paradoxical notion of spirituality through materiality, religious practices that are equally tangible and intangible, concurrently present and absent. This paper explores the concept of ‘absent-presence’ in early modern Catholic devotional practices, with a [...] Read more.
Within the Catholic liturgy and devotion, there exists a seemingly paradoxical notion of spirituality through materiality, religious practices that are equally tangible and intangible, concurrently present and absent. This paper explores the concept of ‘absent-presence’ in early modern Catholic devotional practices, with a focus on the Order of St John during the Counter-Reformation. Drawing on case studies from Malta and across the Hospitaller world, it investigates how religious materiality (sacred objects, spaces, and rituals) expresses divine agency. Anchored in the kinetic approach to religious history, the study examines how the movement of relics, the staging of processions, and the construction of sacred spaces fostered emotional and spiritual transformation among devotees. While belief may be elusive for historians, the devotional actions of the Hospitallers demonstrate a faith deeply intertwined with motion, matter, and memory as external forces that sought to move the soul through tangible forms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History)
15 pages, 262 KB  
Article
Bizzoche and Tertiaries: Options for Women in Early Modern Malta
by Petra Caruana Dingli
Religions 2025, 16(8), 966; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16080966 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 427
Abstract
Devout laywomen across different regions of early modern Europe developed their own distinctive lifestyles, nomenclature and communities. The history of bizzoche and tertiaries in early modern Malta is still largely unexplored. Through archival material, this paper provides an initial overview of the women [...] Read more.
Devout laywomen across different regions of early modern Europe developed their own distinctive lifestyles, nomenclature and communities. The history of bizzoche and tertiaries in early modern Malta is still largely unexplored. Through archival material, this paper provides an initial overview of the women who opted for a semi-religious lifestyle in Malta in the period up to c.1700, examining their modes of living and status within society. It also examines their position within the structures of the Church in Malta, shaped by both societal and ecclesiastical norms and the female Christian experience, within the context of the Catholic Reformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History)
14 pages, 223 KB  
Article
Dante and the Ecclesial Paradox: Rebuke, Reverence, and Redemption
by Jonathan Farrugia
Religions 2025, 16(8), 951; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16080951 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
In the past hundred years, three pontiffs have written apostolic letters to commemorate anniversaries relating to Dante: in 1921, Benedict XV marked the sixth centenary of the death of the great poet; in 1965, Paul VI judged it opportune to write on the [...] Read more.
In the past hundred years, three pontiffs have written apostolic letters to commemorate anniversaries relating to Dante: in 1921, Benedict XV marked the sixth centenary of the death of the great poet; in 1965, Paul VI judged it opportune to write on the occasion of the seventh centenary of his birth; and in 2021, Pope Francis added his voice to the numerous others wishing to honour the memory of the supreme Florentine poet on the seventh centenary of his death. Each letter is a product of its time: one hundred years ago, the Pope—still confined within the Vatican and refusing to recognise the Kingdom of Italy due to the Roman Question—addressed his text “to the beloved sons, professors and pupils of literary institutes and centres of higher learning within the Catholic world”; Paul VI, in full accord with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and its vision of a Church seeking collaboration with the world, addressed his writing to Dante scholars more broadly, and within the same letter, together with other academic authorities, established the Chair of Dante Studies at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan; Pope Francis today, in his outward-facing style of evangelisation, challenges everyone to (re)read Dante, whose teaching remains relevant seven hundred years after his death. Despite the differing political contexts and ecclesial agendas, Benedict XV, Paul VI, and Pope Francis are united on one point: Dante is a Christian poet—critical of the Church, certainly, but loyal to his faith and desirous of a religious institution that is more serious and less corrupt. This brief study presents the homage which the Church, today, seven centuries later, renders to this Poet—now widely recognised as a passionate witness of an arduous and active faith, in pursuit of justice and freedom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History)
18 pages, 917 KB  
Article
The Cult of St Publius in the Componimento Storico of Padre Pelagio Mifsud Gauci Piscopo
by Martin Micallef
Religions 2025, 16(5), 545; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050545 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 715
Abstract
This study presents what Padre Pelagio Mifsud Gauci Piscopo (1708–1781) wrote about the origins of the cult of St Publius both in Rome and in Malta, followed by a list of the miracles performed through the Saint’s intercession during the period mentioned by [...] Read more.
This study presents what Padre Pelagio Mifsud Gauci Piscopo (1708–1781) wrote about the origins of the cult of St Publius both in Rome and in Malta, followed by a list of the miracles performed through the Saint’s intercession during the period mentioned by Padre Pelagio in his writings about the saint. In so doing, we will try to show how Padre Pelagio’s writings on St Publius are an affirmation of those characteristics which, according to him, identify Malta as a distinct nation, with its own history, beliefs, traditions and language. In other words, Padre Pelagio’s writings on this Saint are related to ulterior motives, namely, the search for the roots of a national identity that includes, among others, the element of Christianity, bestowed by St Paul the Apostle, and transmitted from one generation to another in spite of the long Arabic domination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History)
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19 pages, 281 KB  
Article
Jurisdictional Struggles Between Bishop and Grand Master in Malta in the First Half of the Seventeenth Century
by Nicholas Joseph Doublet
Religions 2025, 16(4), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040484 - 9 Apr 2025
Viewed by 570
Abstract
This study examines the jurisdictional disputes between the bishop of Malta and the grand masters of the Order of St John during the first half of the seventeenth century, specifically from 1563 to 1650, in the wake of the Council of Trent. It [...] Read more.
This study examines the jurisdictional disputes between the bishop of Malta and the grand masters of the Order of St John during the first half of the seventeenth century, specifically from 1563 to 1650, in the wake of the Council of Trent. It focuses on conflicts concerning ecclesiastical immunities—personal, real (material), and local—as key points of tension between spiritual and temporal authority in early modern Malta. By analysing extensive archival correspondence preserved in the diocesan archive of Malta between the bishop, the grand master, and the Holy See, the study reconstructs how these immunities were invoked, negotiated, and contested. It employs a historical–legal methodology, interpreting these documents within the wider European context of Tridentine reform and absolutist State building. While established scholarship has highlighted broader patterns of Church–State conflict in early modern Europe, this study contributes an original case from the periphery of Catholic Christendom, where both bishop and grand master were ultimately subject to the papacy. The article is structured around the three traditional forms of ecclesiastical immunity, each examined as a distinct yet interconnected site of struggle. It argues that, in Malta, the application of Tridentine reforms served both to consolidate episcopal authority and to provoke resistance from secular powers, revealing the complex, mediated nature of ecclesiastical governance. The study ultimately sheds light on how canonical tradition, papal intervention, and local political configurations shaped the contested boundaries of sacred and secular jurisdiction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Casta Meretrix: The Paradox of the Christian Church Through History)
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