Letter 87

From: Ambrose, Bishop of Milan To: Vigilius, Bishop of Trent Date: ~385 AD Context: A follow-up letter to Vigilius of Trent addressing the specific challenges of combating pagan practices in the Alpine valleys, including sacred groves, local deities, and rural resistance to Christianity. Ambrose to Vigilius — greetings in the Lord. You report that the paganism in your mountain valleys is more stubborn than you expected. I am not surprised. The countryside was always the last stronghold of the old religion — the word paganus itself means "country-dweller" — and the Alps are more remote than most countryside. Let me offer specific counsel. On the sacred groves: do not destroy them immediately. First, preach against them. Explain to the people why the groves are not holy — not because trees are evil, but because the demons worshipped there are liars who enslaved the people they claimed to protect. When the people's allegiance has shifted, then — and only then — cut down the groves. A grove destroyed before the hearts have changed will simply be replanted. On the local deities: learn their names and functions. The mountain people worship spirits of springs, forests, and peaks. These are not the great gods of Rome — they are local powers with local followings. Understand what needs these spirits met — protection from storms, fertility of flocks, safe passage through the mountains — and show the people that Christ meets those same needs more reliably and without the blood price the demons demand. On the festivals: do not try to eliminate them entirely. Replace them. The people will celebrate at the solstice regardless of what you preach; give them a Christian feast to celebrate instead [this strategy of replacing pagan festivals with Christian ones was widely practiced and eventually produced much of the Christian liturgical calendar]. Baptize the calendar before you try to baptize the people. Patience, brother. The conversion of a culture takes generations, not seasons. Plant faithfully and trust the harvest to God. Farewell.

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