Gods, Spirits, and Worship in the Greco-Roman World and Early Christianity
- 280 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Gods, Spirits, and Worship in the Greco-Roman World and Early Christianity
About this book
Greco-Roman religions and superstitions, and early Christianity's engagement with them, are explored in 12 unique studies. The beliefs and fears with regard to demons (or daimons), their origins, and threatening behavior are examined, both in their pagan and Judaeo-Christian contexts. These new studies look at the Greco-Roman heroic gods, how they faced death, and how James and John, the "sons of Thunder, " may well have been viewed in some circles as the equivalent of the "sons of Zeus", Castor and Pollux. The contributors also explore Roman omens, especially as they relate to Rome's legendary founder Romulus and what light they shed on the omens that accompany the birth and death of Jesus of Nazareth. Particular focus is placed upon Paul, binding spells, women and hymns of exaltation, along with atheism in late antiquity, with special consideration of the charlatan Alexander. Finally, there is a re-visitation of the confusion, misinformation and legends surrounding the discovery of the Qumran caves, including fear of jinn. This book provides invaluable resources for precisely how early Christians interacted with different ideas and traditions around gods and spirits - both benevolent and malevolent - in the Greco-Roman world.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Dedication Page
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- 1 The Temple of Isis in the Campus Martius in Rome: Place, Space, and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World
- 2 The Myth of the Diasporic Isiac-Family as Reflected in the Epigraphical Evidence Connected to the Delian Sarapeia
- 3 Jesus, the Daimons, and the Dead
- 4 Jesus and the Archetypes: A Study of the Heroic Archetype
- 5 Fiery Twins: James, John, and the Sons of Zeus
- 6 Romulus, Roman Omens, and the Portents of the Birth and Passion of Jesus
- 7 Learning Rhetoric at Tarsus: The Apostle Paul and His Use of Aristotelian Rhetoric
- 8 Early Christian “Binding Spells”? The Formulas in 1 Cor. 12:3 Read against the Background of Ancient Curse Tablets
- 9 Paul as the Originator of Women Teachers within Religious Circles
- 10 The Secret of the Hidden Cross: The Form, Meaning, and Background of the Hellenistic Hymn Quoted in 1 Tim. 3:16
- 11 “Out with the Christians … Out with the Epicureans!” Atheism and Constructing the Other in Antiquity
- 12 Jinn and the Myth of the Shepherd
- List of Contributors
- Index of Modern Names
- Index of References
- Copyright Page