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Destroyer of the gods - Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World (Paperback) Loot Price: R824
Discovery Miles 8 240
Destroyer of the gods - Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World (Paperback): Larry W Hurtado

Destroyer of the gods - Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World (Paperback)

Larry W Hurtado

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Loot Price R824 Discovery Miles 8 240 | Repayment Terms: R77 pm x 12*

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"Silly," "stupid," "irrational," "simple." "Wicked," "hateful," "obstinate," "anti-social." "Extravagant," "perverse." The Roman world rendered harsh judgments upon early Christianityaincluding branding Christianity "new." Novelty was no Roman religious virtue. Nevertheless,as Larry W. Hurtado shows in Destroyer of the gods , Christianity thrived despite its new and distinctive features and opposition to them. Unlike nearly all other religious groups, Christianity utterly rejected the traditional gods of the Roman world. Christianity also offered a new and different kind of religious identity, one not based on ethnicity. Christianity was distinctively a "bookish" religion, with the production, copying, distribution, and reading of texts as central to its faith, even preferring a distinctive book-form, the codex. Christianity insisted that its adherents behave differently: unlike the simple ritual observances characteristic of the pagan religious environment, embracing Christian faith meant a behavioral transformation, with particular and novel ethical demands for men. Unquestionably, to the Roman world, Christianity was both new and different, and, to a good many, it threatened social and religious conventions of the day. In the rejection of the gods and in the centrality of texts, early Christianity obviously reflected commitments inherited from its Jewish origins. But these particular features were no longer identified with Jewish ethnicity and early Christianity quickly became aggressively trans-ethnicaa novel kind of religious movement. Its ethical teaching, too, bore some resemblance to the philosophers of the day, yet in contrast with these great teachers and their small circles of dedicated students, early Christianity laid its hard demands upon all adherents from the moment of conversion, producing a novel social project. Christianity's novelty was no badge of honor. Called atheists and suspected ofpolitical subversion, Christiansearned Roman disdain and suspicion in equal amounts. Yet, as Destroyer of the gods demonstrates, inan irony of history the very features of early Christianity that rendered it distinctive and objectionable in Roman eyes have now become so commonplace in Western culture as to go unnoticed. Christianity helped destroy one world and create another.

General

Imprint: Baylor University Press
Country of origin: United States
Release date: April 2017
Authors: Larry W Hurtado
Dimensions: 216 x 140 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 290
ISBN-13: 978-1-4813-0474-0
Categories: Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion
Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > General
Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian religions > Pre-Christian European & Mediterranean religions > Ancient Roman religion
Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > General
Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Pre-Christian European & Mediterranean religions > Ancient Roman religion
Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion
Books > Christianity
LSN: 1-4813-0474-7
Barcode: 9781481304740

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