Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Smit, Peter-Ben, 1979– author.
Title: Felix culpa : ritual failure and theological innovation in early Christianity / by Peter-Ben Smit.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2022] | Series: Novum Testamentum supplements, 0167-9732 ; 185 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021011058 (print) | LCCN 2021011059 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004460959 (hardback) | ISBN 9789004460966 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Rites and ceremonies—Case studies. | Liturgics—Case studies. | Failure (Psychology)—Religious aspects—Christianity—Case studies. | Bible. Mark, VI—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Bible. Epistles of Paul—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Theology—History—Early church, ca. 30–600.
Classification: LCC BV185 .S65 2022 (print) | LCC BV185 (ebook) | DDC 264.009/015—dc23
LC record available at
LC ebook record available at
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download:
ISSN 0167-9732
ISBN 978-90-04-46095-9 (hardback)
ISBN 978-90-04-46096-6 (e-book)
Copyright 2022 by Peter-Ben Smit. Published by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Hotei, Brill Schöningh, Brill Fink, Brill mentis, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Böhlau Verlag and V&R Unipress.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Requests for re-use and/or translations must be addressed to Koninklijke Brill NV via
This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.