donatist
/ˈdɑnətɪst/
noun
- A follower of Donatism, a Christian movement that insisted on the moral purity of clergy for valid sacraments.
- Augustine of Hippo wrote extensively against the Donatists, arguing that the church could include sinners.
- The Donatists refused to accept bishops who had cooperated with Roman authorities during persecution.
- Many Donatists lived in North Africa and had their own churches and leaders.
adjective
- Relating to Donatism or its followers.
- The Donatist controversy lasted for more than a century in the early church.
- Donatist beliefs emphasized the personal holiness of the clergy.
- Archaeologists discovered a Donatist basilica in modern-day Algeria.