The Christian Conversation

This treatise by Jerome vehemently refutes Jovinian’s propositions, emphasizing that true Christian virtue distinguishes between different states of life like virginity, marriage, and penance, granting higher divine rewards to those practicing chastity and spiritual discipline.

Jerome argues that Scripture clearly assigns varying degrees of merit and reward, illustrating that not all are equal before God, and he asserts the importance of maintaining spiritual integrity through abstinence, humility, and diligent piety.

He also denounces the licentiousness and self-indulgence promoted by heretical teachings, highlighting the superior spiritual worth of virginity, continence, and ascetic discipline over worldly pleasures and physical fleshly pursuits.