Religious Dissent in the Roman Empire

Violence in Judaea at the Time of Nero

Vasily Rudich

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9780815377818
• eBook ISBN: 9781317613213
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Ancient History
• Index: History

Religious Dissent in the Roman Empire is the third installment in Vasily Rudich's trilogy on the psychology of discontent in the Roman Empire at the time of Nero. Unlike his earlier books, it deals not with political dissidence, but with religious dissent, especially in its violent form. Against the broad background of Second Temple Judaism and Judaea's history under Rome's rule, Rudich discusses various manifestations of religious dissent as distinct from the mainstream beliefs and directed against both the foreign occupier and the priestly establishment. This book offers the methodological framework for the analysis of the religious dissent mindset, which it considers a recurrent historical phenomenon that may play a major role in different periods and cultures. In this respect, its findings are also relevant to the rise of religious violence in the world today and provide further insights into its persistent motives and paradigms. Religious Dissent in the Roman Empire is an important study for people interested in Roman and Jewish history, religious psychology and religious extremism, cultural interaction and the roots of violence.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Introduction: Religion and Religious Dissent
• 1. The Vibrant Faith
• 2. The Breaking Point
• 3. The Conquered Land
• 4. The Fragile Balance
• 5. The Zealous Storm
• 6. The Dagger Men
• 7. The Fateful Siege
• Conclusion
• Select Bibliography
• Subject Index
• Name Index