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St Augustine and the Devil’s ‘Mousetrap’
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Modern scholars and translators have in recent years increasingly emphasised the etymological sense of the word muscipula, particularly in the phrase muscipula diaboli, as used by St Augustine and other early Patristic writers. I consider the evidence from a range of Augustine’s writings, and from within the Vetus Latina scriptures themselves, to question whether translating muscipula as ‘mousetrap’ best serves our understanding of Augustine’s intended meaning.
Title: St Augustine and the Devil’s ‘Mousetrap’
Description:
Modern scholars and translators have in recent years increasingly emphasised the etymological sense of the word muscipula, particularly in the phrase muscipula diaboli, as used by St Augustine and other early Patristic writers.
I consider the evidence from a range of Augustine’s writings, and from within the Vetus Latina scriptures themselves, to question whether translating muscipula as ‘mousetrap’ best serves our understanding of Augustine’s intended meaning.
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