Some conclusions - 1

Chao Samartín is a Castro located in the municipality of Grandas, (Grandas de Salime - Asturias).  It was founded in the Bronze Age, around the year 800 B.C. Taken over by the Romans, the settlement was suddenly abandoned after an earthquake taking place toward the 2nd century A.D. 

Other Castros were occupied well into the 5th century.

If we come to the conclusion that Priscillian was neither Manichean nor Gnostic (in the usual understanding of the word), then what can we say about his 'brand' of Christianity?

Scholars are unanimous that Priscillian himself was an ascetic. His teaching was that : 'None can be Christ's disciple if he loves anyone more than God'. His call to study the scriptures in depth and to go 'on retreat' into the mountains or countryside is on record. (1)

Priscillianism was basically a "house-church" movement:  All the evidence on the early development of the Priscillianists show it to be such, outside the control and supervision of the hierarchical leadership of the 'catholic' church. This  would, of necessity, be condemned by the diocesan bishops, who were concerned to  defend their positions of power.  (2)

Jorge says:- "In the second half of the 4th century, the established church hierarchy was worried at the sight of some of its faithful straying away and organizing themselves beyond the pale of episcopal authority. These bishops reacted to a religious experience that was escaping their administrative control (Escribano Paño 1988: 391)". (3)

The Nicene interpretation of the Christian faith was based on worship in cities. The Bishop, from his seat in the regional capital, leading the worship of his congregation in a dedicated building, a Basilica. This applied to Arianism as well as orthodox Catholicism, as was shown by the insistence of Justina's requests to Ambrose for a basilica dedicated to Arian worship in Milan. Christianity in the countryside may have been confined to an occasional meeting at a 'Preaching Cross' when an itinerant minister called in the village or hamlet. The ongoing pastoral needs of small communities could not be fulfilled by this means in the 4th and 5th centuries, anymore than they can in the 21st century. Priscillian's preaching and teaching may have 'scratched where it itched' and was more in line with the churches described in the New Testament Epistles. The fact that there were a number of 'bishops without recognised seats in 5th. century Galicia shows how Priscillian's teaching had developed.
Jorge notes that:- "Interpreting Priscillian’s doctrine continues to pose a great many problems, as do both his criticisms of the ecclesiastical hierarchy and his consecration of bishops and priests to serve small rural communities.  
As to the issue of episcopal ordinations, after Priscillian’s death, Hydatius of Chaves (1974: 104) tells us that at the beginning of the 5th century there was a very unusual situation in the neighboring province of Galicia: increasing numbers of bishops without specific seats, and conflict between an established hierarchy and an itinerant one – in other words, a confrontation between two different visions of the episcopate (see Díaz y Díaz 1983: 93)."  (4)

The Priscillianist model of ministry appears to have been well suited to the scattered rural communities of Galicia. That fact, along with the influence of women in a predominantly Celtic area, would account for the popularity and rapid spread of his teaching. As we have seen, the Priscillianist "House-church" would enable women to minister and lead worship within the home - their recognised sphere of influence (5). Again, this follows the example of the Churches in the Pauline Epistles. see Philippians 4, v.2: Romans 16, v.v. 3 - 5: and a woman on her own - Colossians 4,v.15.   

It only remains for us to look at briefly at the final years of the Priscillianist church, and to review the life stories of some of the main protagonists in the history of this breakaway Christian movement.




(1) See blog - Priscillian - The beginning of the Story
(2)  See blog - The Teaching of Priscillian - 2

(3)  In Romans 16, v.v. 1 - 2,  Phoebe is not only refered to as a "deacon" (diakonon) with a masculine ending, thus putting her on an equal footing with her male counterparts; she is also a "prostatis", often translated as "helper" but in reality it means something like "patron". Someone to whom Paul is indebted.
(4) Ana Maria C.M. Jorge (2006). Priscillian. A paper for Center for the Study of Religious History (CEHR)  Portuguese Catholic University (UCP)

(5) See blog - The Teaching of Priscillian - 3