Circumcision (Catholic Encyclopedia article)
John Tierney · 1913
Read Circumcision (Catholic Encyclopedia article) by John Tierney (1913) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/catholic-encyclopedia-1913-circumcision.txt.
Description
Circumcision, the cutting away of the foreskin, is practised by peoples across the world. Egyptians, Colchians, and Ethiopians knew it in ancient times, as did tribes in Sumatra, New Guinea, Samoa, Australia, and the Americas. Herodotus traced it to Egypt, but its wide spread casts doubt on a single origin. Suggested reasons range from tribal marking and initiation at puberty to cleanliness, nobility, and religious offering.
For Jews it was the sign of the covenant given to Abraham, and the article weighs its relation to Gentile practice. Muslims keep it by tradition, not by Koranic command, usually between seven and twelve years. In Catholic teaching it was no mere ceremony but a sacramental rite. Augustine and Aquinas held it conferred remission of original and actual sin, though not full release from temporal punishment as baptism does.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | John Tierney |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 1913 |
| COLLECTION | REFERENCE |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 18 KB |
| LICENSE | PUBLIC_DOMAIN |
| RIGHTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN |
| SOURCE | New Advent — Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) |