Church and Empire in the Theology of Hippolytus of Rome

Abstract

In this study, I explore Hippolytus of Rome’s views on church and empire within the context of his theology. My central thesis is that Hippolytus’s apocalyptic vision of Christ as the image of God profoundly shaped his political imagination, leading him to envision church and empire as rival images of divine power. I begin by addressing questions surrounding Hippolytus’s identity and writings and then propose a different framework for understanding his interpretation of Scripture than that which has been customarily used. I argue that Hippolytus reflects an apocalyptic reading of the Scriptures that understands Jesus Christ as the mystery of the divine economy disclosed in them. I then demonstrate how his reading of Scripture profoundly shapes his understanding of Christ as the perfect image of God whose passion on the cross represents the definitive revelation of divine power. Moving to Hippolytus’s understanding of the church, I demonstrate how the church’s existence, predicated on its participation in the cross, constitutes the church as the universal body of Christ whose unity in suffering represents the extension of the revelation of God’s power as the sovereign Creator. Hippolytus, on the other hand, regards the imperial ambition to unite all nations under a single earthly ruler as a satanic parody of the church that is premised on a false image of divine power that debases humanity rather than restoring them to the image of their Creator.