In the Graeco-Roman world, as in our own, people spoke of the
divine, of 'religion', 'cult', 'piety' and 'superstition'. But they
did not share our sense of a disjunction between 'the religious'
and 'the secular', or between theology and other fields of
discourse. In these fascinating excursions through the world of
early Christian and contemporary non-Christian authors, Downing
shows how reflective talk about the divine could readily flow into
talk about any and every area of current human concern. This was so
in an eclectic Stoic such as Dio Chrysostom, but also in a
Platonist such as Plutarch. It was true too of the Jewish-Christian
Paul, most richly in Romans. And it characterizes Christian
theological reflection in the early Fathers. Such
philosophical-theological reflections were expected to have 'cash
value' and be enacted in real life. So, for example, Downing
compares the life-styles set forward by Jesus and Paul and other
early Christians with those urged by other writers in their world.
He shows how Paul's discussions of divine Torah echo critical
Graeco-Roman debates over law and tradition and how early Christian
talk about exorcism resonates with suggestions from Dio. Among the
other themes treated here are the 'nature' of women and their part
in public discourse; the logic of ancient and modern
historiography; aesthetics in the biblical tradition; and the quest
for the historical Galilee of Jesus' day. Five of the thirteen
chapters in this volume are published here for the first time.
General
| Imprint: |
Sheffield Phoenix Press
|
| Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
| Release date: |
February 2008 |
| First published: |
February 2008 |
| Authors: |
F. Gerald Downing
|
| Dimensions: |
234 x 156 x 19mm (L x W x T) |
| Format: |
Hardcover - Laminated cover
|
| Pages: |
328 |
| ISBN-13: |
978-1-906055-25-7 |
| Categories: |
Books
|
| LSN: |
1-906055-25-4 |
| Barcode: |
9781906055257 |
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