[OLD REGGIE]

I'm afraid I disagree that Papal primacy is clear in the first version of St. Cyprian's writing, and with your assumption that he didn't write both.

I am not aware I made any assumption except that there were two different views depending on the source.

Perhaps you confused my cut and paste from a Catholic Apologetic source as my assumption.

"[There are two editions of what follows, the second of which tones down the first in view of Cyprian's argument with the papacy. Papal primacy is clear in the first edition written about 251 A.D., but merely implicit in the second effort written about 255 or 256 A.D.]"

My primary purpose for posting that particular quote was because I thought it a pretty weak argument by the Apologist.

I am not learned enough on the subject to take a strong position; however, based on reading a few articles by Catholic Apologists, I lean toward the position that Cyprian believed in the equality of all Apostles/Bishops. (The two links I posted give a fair picture of "both" arguments.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note to AC:

When you do research on any controversial Religious subject it is critical to use more than one source. I noted, using Google as a search tool, that the articles by Catholic Apologists were, by far, predominant. It was necessary for me to modify the search several times before I got beyond this "monopoly" of articles.
Reggie

[SoothingDave]

When you do research on any controversial Religious subject it is critical to use more than one source. I noted, using Google as a search tool, that the articles by Catholic Apologists were, by far, predominant. It was necessary for me to modify the search several times before I got beyond this "monopoly" of articles.

Why do you think it is so hard to find the opposing view? Why is it apparently a small minority?

SD

[american colleen]

"When you do research on any controversial Religious subject it is critical to use more than one source. I noted, using Google as a search tool, that the articles by Catholic Apologists were, by far, predominant. It was necessary for me to modify the search several times before I got beyond this "monopoly" of articles. "

I do that each and every time I research on the Internet. I do not want to see only "my side" - if I did, I would not be here on these threads and I would research nothing at all. I've solved the entire dilemma by ordering two books from Amazon:

1. Church, Papacy and schism, a theological enquiry by Philip Sherrard;

2. Upon This Rock: St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scripture and the Early Church by Stephen Ray

These two books seemed to be the best two books from the Orthodox perspective and from the Catholic perspective. I'm open to suggestions from anyone with more/other recommendations. I believe that "Primacy" is the major sticking point between all religions and I am especially sad that the Orthodox and Catholic Church are not "one" - we share most of the same beliefs.