Lesson plan
Abelians
Abelians ( ; also Abelites, Abelonites, Abelonians, or Abenonitae ) were a Christian sect that emerged in the 4th century in the countryside near Hippo Regius in north Africa during the reign of Arcadius. They lived in continence as they affirmed Abel did. They were required to be married but were forbidden to consummate the marriage. Each couple was required to adopt two children, a boy and a girl. When their adoptive parents died, these adoptees would then form a couple and adopt further two children. Because no children of Abel are mentioned in Scripture, the Abelians assumed that he had none. This view was influenced by Jewish, and Manichean-inspired Gnostic perspectives on Abel that recognized that, while he was married, he remained a virgin. The only record of the sect is in Augustine of Hippo's De Haereticis ch. 87, where he writes that the name of the sect is probably of Punic origin. According to Augustine, the sect became extinct in 428 when its last members converted to Catholicism.
Article summary
Abelians ( ; also Abelites, Abelonites, Abelonians, or Abenonitae ) were a Christian sect that emerged in the 4th century in the countryside near Hippo Regius in north Africa during the reign of Arcadius. They lived in continence as they affirmed Abel did. They were required to be married but were forbidden to consummate the marriage. Each couple was required to adopt two children, a boy and a girl. When their adoptive parents died, these adoptees would then form a couple and adopt further two children. Because no children of Abel are mentioned in Scripture, the Abelians assumed that he had none. This view was influenced by Jewish, and Manichean-inspired Gnostic perspectives on Abel that recognized that, while he was married, he remained a virgin. The only record of the sect is in Augustine of Hippo's De Haereticis ch. 87, where he writes that the name of the sect is probably of Punic origin. According to Augustine, the sect became extinct in 428 when its last members converted to Catholicism.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.