Shenute (Sinuthus) (ŠENUTE (SINUTHUS))

Also known as: شنودة; Shenouda the Archimandrite, Shenouda, Shenoute, Shenoute of Atripe

SHENUTE (SINUTHUS). - A native of Atripe, he is the best-known leader of Egyptian cenobitism after Pachomius; b. ca. 333, d. in 451.

A monk from 370 and superior of the "White Monastery," from 388 he had under his obedience as many as 2,200 monks and 1,800 nuns. An authentic Copt, S. established a most austere religious discipline, not without corporal punishments, and introduced the custom of committing oneself in writing to the observance of the rules he had written. S. accompanied St. Cyril of Alexandria to the Council of Ephesus (431). His feast among the Copts is celebrated on July 1.

S. wrote in Coptic (Sahidic) letters, sermons and apocalypses or visions. The authenticity of the writings attributed to S. is not always certain; some of them are preserved in Syriac, Ethiopic and Arabic versions.

BIBL.: sources

ed.: J. Leipoldt, in Corpus Script. Christ. Orient. Script. Capt., I, iv, 3, v, 4, Paris 1908, 1908, 1913; H. Wiesmann, ibid., 4, Paris 1931-36; J. Leipoldt, S. von A. und die Entstehung des national ägyptischen Christentums (Texte u. Unters., 25, 1), Leipzig 1903; E. Amélineau, Oeuvres de Schimonth., 2 vols., ibid. 1907-14; O. H. Burmester, in Le Muséon, 45 (1932), pp. 24-34, 53-59; Bardenhewer, IV, pp. 98-100; B. Altaner, Patrologie, Freiburg im Br. 1950, pp. 228-29; Fliche-Martin-Frutz, III, nos. 326, 345; IV, nos. 5 ff., 11, 202. Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina

@incollection{ec11_senute_sinuthus, author = {Ortiz, de Urbina Ignazio}, title = {Šenute (Sinuthus)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XI}, pages = {349--350}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/senute-sinuthus} }

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