Hypocrisy of Institutions

Where it surfaces

• III: The Goths

  The monks' advice and the Church's authority are questioned as Philammon doubts whether his call is spiritual or carnal.

• A Day in Alexandria

  The brutal scourging of Hierax by state officials and Cyril's own violent rhetoric highlight the corruption and hypocrisy within both secular and religious power structures.

• VI: The New Diogenes

  Raphael's cynical remarks about the 'noble art of monkery' and the 'Christian priests' who keep their men in order highlight the perceived hypocrisy and manipulation within religious institutions.

• VII: Those by Whom Offences Come

  Philammon's disillusionment with the Church's internal bickering and the cynical manipulation by Cyril and Peter highlights the gap between ideal and practice.

• IX: The Snapping of the Bow

  Philammon observes the monks' self-righteousness and their focus on power and self-glorification, contrasting with the Gospel's teachings.

• XI: The Laura Again

  Pambo criticizes those who become learned theologians yet lose love and mercy, suggesting that institutional orthodoxy can overshadow the core message of faith.

• Nephelococcugia

  Hypatia criticizes Christianity for its exclusive claims, while her own philosophical system is shown to be elitist and dismissive of the common herd.

• XVI: Venus and Pallas

  The monks' attempt to kidnap Philammon under the guise of religious authority, and Peter's manipulation of the law, expose the hypocrisy within the Christian institution.

• A Stray Gleam

  Raphael perceives the Christian practice of celibacy as a contradiction of natural human bonds, leading him to reject the faith as hypocritical.

• XVIII: The Prefect Tested

  The monks, who are supposed to be pious, are shown engaging in violent riots, while Orestes, a representative of Roman law, uses his power for personal revenge.

• XX: She Stoops to Conquer

  Cyril's canonization of Ammonius, a man executed for murder, exposes the church's willingness to use unrighteous means for political ends, highlighting the hypocrisy within religious institutions.

• Pandemonium

  The chapter exposes the hypocrisy of the Roman and Christian institutions, where a Prefect sponsors bloody games and Christian spectators cheer for slaughter, contradicting their professed values.

• XXIII: Nemesis

  Orestes, a civil magistrate, uses religious pretexts to justify his actions, while the church and state engage in manipulative power struggles.

• Lost Lambs

  Miriam's cynical commentary on the Church's doctrine, highlighting the harshness and seeming cruelty of institutional teachings.

• XXVI: Miriam's Plot

  Miriam's critique of Christian monks and their denial of the physical world highlights the perceived hypocrisy of religious institutions.