Ancient religions and Mythologies Books

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Book SynopsisConjures the consciousness of Mexico, evoking the dreams that made and unmade an ancient culture. This book takes readers into the dream that was the religion of the Aztecs, a religion whose own apocalyptic visions anticipated the coming of the Spanish conquerors.Trade Review"We are lucky to have in Le Clezio a writer of great quality who brings his particular sensibility and talent here to remind us of the very nature of the rituals and myths of the civilizations of ancient Mexico; he provides us with descriptions as precise as they are mysterious." - Le Figaro "Le Clezio is an author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization." - from the Nobel Prize citation "A compelling overview of Amerindian cosmology and religion.... Le Clezio prospects the long textual tradition, ranging from the early soldier-chronicler, Bernal Diaz, to his fellow Frenchman, Antonin Artaud, in order to chart the rich territories of 'Mesoamerican classicism.'" - New York Times Book Review"Table of ContentsTranslator's Note1. The Dream of the Conquerors2. The Dream of Origins3. Mexican Myths4. Nezahualcoyotl, or the Festival of Words5. The Barbarian Dream6. Antonin Artaud, or the Mexican Dream7. The Interrupted Thought of Amerindian CivilizationsNotesMap of region

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Book SynopsisNine short essays exploring the K'iche' Maya story of creation, the Popol Vuh. Written during the lockdown in Chicago in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, these essays consider the Popol Vuh as a work that was also written during a time of feverish social, political, and epidemiological crisis as Spanish missionaries and colonial military deepened their conquest of indigenous peoples and cultures in Mesoamerica. What separates the Popol Vuh from many other creation texts is the disposition of the gods engaged in creation. Whereas the book of Genesis is declarative in telling the story of the world's creation, the Popol Vuh is interrogative and analytical: the gods, for example, question whether people actually need to be created, given the many perfect animals they have already placed on earth. Emergency uses the historical emergency of the Popol Vuh to frame the ongoing emergencies of colonialism that have surfaced all too clearly in the global health crisis of COVID-19. In Trade Review"A work concerned with multiplicity. . . . Garcia’s Emergency is a reorientation, a shift in perspective, while recognizing there is no such thing as a return to originality nor to a specific origin point. What if origin is a weaving, a constant wearing of stories and timetables, perpetual changes and cyclical advantages?" * Cleveland Review of Books *“Garcia contributes a penetrating and eloquent exposition of a unique document of the indigenous Americas. He shows how the Popol Vuh extends our understanding of oppression and ecological ruin in our time.” -- Alphonso Lingis, author of Irrevocable: A Philosophy of Mortality“In this brilliant exegesis, Garcia reveals the Popol Vuh as a living document, a dialogical story of creation crafted in conditions of colonial emergency, which still bears urgent relevance today. Consisting of a series of short and lyrical essays on a wide range of topics, Emergency is a thought-provoking commentary essential for anyone who engages with this foundational text.” -- Claudia Brittenham, author of The Murals of Cacaxtla: The Power of Painting in Ancient Central Mexico“I would like to believe that the exquisite tapestry of this book, which weaves together history, myth, philosophical reflection, and literary criticism, heralds a new era of poetic scholarship in the humanities (‘poetic’ in Vico’s sense). We are in need of this kind of imaginative reanimation of our academic vocation.” -- Robert Pogue Harrison, author of Juvenescence: A Cultural History of Our AgeTable of ContentsBirds Wealth Caves Television Demons Migrations Love The Sun Mormons Afterword References Index

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Book SynopsisTranslation of: Les Grecs ont-ils cru aa leurs mythes?

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewNot only the best study of the philosophy of the Mozi, but one of the best studies of any classical Chinese philosopher. -- Franklin Perkins, author of Heaven and Earth Are Not Humane: The Problem of Evil in Classical Chinese Philosophy Fraser is at his best and his most original in arguing for an interpretation of Mohist ethical theory as an early consequentialism that builds upon his own careful and persuasive explication of a Mohist philosophy of mind and action-a sui generis social psychology that has contemporary force in challenging the persistent subjective, individualist, and representational assumptions of our old common-sense psychology. -- Roger T. Ames, author of Dao De Jing: A Philosophical Translation Fraser's book is charitable-persuasively rebutting many standard criticisms of the Mohists-and yet critically engaged with the details of the Mohists' provocative positions. The philosophical study of the Mozicomes of age in this outstanding book. -- Stephen C. Angle, author of Sagehood: The Contemporary Significance of Neo-Confucian Philosophy Fraser is a gifted writer and expositor. Mo Di was not only the first consequentialist but also the first just war theorist, the first critic of extravagant ritual, the first critic of family-first ethics, and the first philosopher to offer what analytic philosophers would count as rigorous arguments. A must read for analytic philosophers who work in ethics and political philosophy. -- Owen Flanagan, author of The Geography of Morals: Varieties of Moral PossibilityTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Order, Objectivity, and Efficacy 2. Epistemology and Logic: Drawing Distinctions 3. Political Theory: Order Through Shared Norms 4. Heaven: The Highest Ethical Model 5. Ethics: The Benefit of All 6. Inclusive Care: For Others as for Oneself 7. Motivation: Changing People in a Generation 8. War and Economics Epilogue Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisYegor Grebnev examines crucial noncanonical texts preserved in the Yi Zhou shu (Neglected Zhou Scriptures) and the Grand Duke traditions. He develops an innovative framework for the study and interpretation of these texts, focusing on their role in the mediation of royal legitimacy and their formative impact on early Daoism.Trade ReviewGrebnev’s masterful study begins with a formalistic analysis of Yi Zhou shu and ends with a new history of religious Daoism and a new model for thinking about early Chinese philosophy. The very definition of groundbreaking, it is certain to reverberate in the work of early China scholars for decades. -- Stephen Durrant, professor emeritus, University of OregonHidden in plain sight in the Yi Zhou shu, Yegor Grebnev has discovered the missing link between “religious” and “philosophical” Taoism. His elegant and philologically rigorous demonstration that the two are fundamentally of one piece will necessitate the rewriting of current textbook accounts of Chinese intellectual history. -- Lothar von Falkenhausen, author of Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 BC): The Archaeological EvidenceMediation of Legitimacy in Early China brings together two too-often overlooked sources to make fresh observations concerning the structure of early Chinese texts and what this structure shows about the process of their composition. It has far-reaching implications for understanding all aspects of the early Chinese literary tradition. -- Edward L. Shaughnessy, author of Unearthing the Changes: Recently Discovered Manuscripts of the Yi Jing (I Ching) and Related Texts[This book] will provide to the field of early China studies a reliable and thoughtful introduction to the many historical and textual difficulties of an undeservedly underread text for many years to come....Grebnev’s book is written on a deep foundation of rigorous and thoughtful research ... While offering honest and refreshing appraisals of some of the text-historical issues posed by the work ... he also provides groundbreaking insights into the ways that the Yi Zhoushu seems to have been integral to major political, religious, and intellectual developments in early and medieval China. * Journal of Asian Studies *This volume is highly recommended to scholars of ancient Chinese texts, political authority, and the origin of Daoism. * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsList of TablesAcknowledgmentsChronologyIntroduction1. The Structure of the Yi Zhou shu and Its Formation History2. Understanding Early Chinese Scriptures3. Appropriated and Created Scriptures4. Royal Colloquies as the Main Text Type in the Yi Zhou shu5. Daoist Scriptures of the Grand Duke6. Heirloom Treasures, Scriptures, and LegitimacyConclusionAppendix 1. Scenic, Formalistic, and Alarming Contextual SettingsAppendix 2. Summary of the Zhou shu in the Shi lüeAppendix 3. “Sequential Outline of the Zhou Scriptures”Appendix 4. Permutations of the Chapter(s) “Shifa” (Order of Posthumous Names)NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisWater and the Word focuses on a genre of literature written for the education of the Carolingian clergy: Carolingian baptismal instructions. This literature has never been brought together and studied collectively in the context of the books in which it circulated. As a corpus, read in comparison to one another, the baptismal tracts tell how baptism was celebrated and interpreted across Carolingian Europe. At the same time, in their manuscript context, they are an important new source of information regarding the nature and the success of the Carolingian Reform to educate the clergy.This comprehensive study has three major objectives. One is to describe the codices in which the baptismal instructions are found, in order to show what other kinds of material the baptismal tracts were associated with and to show where, how, and by whom these codices were intended to be used. Another is to bring together the baptismal texts and study them systematically. Finally, a thirdTrade Review"Most Carolingian texts, so we are taught, are in print, if sometimes in inadequate editions. The proper task of the Carolingian historian is the study of elites and cultural identity, as defined by written culture. Just as the columns of the Acta Sanctorum remind us of texts Carolingian historians take pride in ignoring, so Susan Keefe's two impressive volumes serve as a reminder that there are plenty of texts still to be edited and understood. By investigating Carolingian interpretations of how people were made Christians she may be contributing more to our understanding of their cultural identity than her contemporaries, but she is far too modest to say so. . . . Outstanding in this study is Susan Keefe's recognition that our best clues to the function of these texts in the Carolingian empire are found via an examination of the manuscript context in which her texts circulate. So there are detailed descriptions of all of fifty-nine Carolingian manuscripts . . . together with a full listing of all the later manuscript witnesses which she has found for these texts. They were texts that every priest was required to know, so that the manuscripts are essential guides to clerical culture and the range of instructional texts through which the Carolingian reforms were realised. . . . Water and the Word will still be an essential tool an hundred years hence." —Journal of Ecclesiastical History

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Book SynopsisThis study focuses on a genre of literature written for the education of the Carolingian clergy: Carolingian baptismal instructions. This volume contains the Latin text of 66 manuscipts, as well as descriptions, introductions and a topical survey of the contents of these manuscripts.Trade Review"By investigating Carolingian interpretations of how people were made Christians she may be contributing more to our understanding of their cultural identity than her contemporaries, but she is far too modest to say so." —Journal of Ecclesiastical History

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Book SynopsisThe Trail of Martyrdom examines the stages by which religious dissidents were persecuted by Tudor monarchs across the sixteenth century, and the means by which these dissidents counteracted authorities. While Henry VIII, Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth differed in religious orientation, their desire to enforce a uniformity of belief compelled them, in various degrees, to seek out and expunge heterodoxy or perceived treason in their midst. Individuals of contrary belief were targeted, apprehended, imprisoned, interrogated, and sometimes executed. During each stage of persecution, many dissidents were able to elude capture, counter-interrogate their inquisitors, use time in prison to write letters and prepare for death, and exploit their own executions to forge a final drama of suffering and redemption before a large, public audience. Enforcement was always dependent upon cooperation from the public and local officials, which made successful persecution uncertain at best.STrade Review“This deeply researched, carefully crafted book offers a sensitive analysis of the nature and limits of state-sponsored persecution in Tudor England.” —Religious Studies Review“This is an A-to-Z encyclopedia for historians of persecution and martyrdom.” —Sixteenth Century Journal"Sarah Covington tells in vivid detail the story of recusancy and persecution in sixteenth-century England in The Trail of Martyrdom. She searches the minds of the persecutors and the persecuted. She examines the interrogations and recantations or punishments and the effect of executions not only on the condemned but also on the public that witnessed these gruesome rites, in fact all aspects of the subject, and she writes with grace and sensitivity and force." —Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance"Covington writes with confidence and clarity…. [S]he has produced an assured and cogent interpretation of a dense and complex subject. Complemented by a useful bibliography, this is a work that will prove helpful to scholars as well as appealing to a more general readership." —Recusant History“[Covington] is a gifted stylist, and The Trail of Martyrdom is interesting and accessible to specialist and nonspecialist alike.” —Renaissance Quarterly"...this is an accomplished, nuanced and elegantly written monograph that illuminates aspects of Tudor persecution which have been relatively,... neglected by previous historians. This is a sensitively researched and gracefully constructed book that will be accessible to many levels of reader." —History"This is a book filled with interesting and acute observation, for Covington has a good eye for the telling detail." —Journal of Early Modern History“The Trail of Martyrdom: Persecution And Resistance In Sixteenth-Century England, provides Professor Covington’s readers with a thorough and scholarly examination of all aspects of persecution, imprisonment, rebellion, dissent, and execution in sixteenth-century England. A work of meticulous scholarship, and presented with a passion for accuracy and logical interpretation, The Trail of Martyrdom is fascinating and informative scrutiny of a dark side of human behavior and royal politics under Henry VIII, Edward, mary, and Elizabeth.” —Midwest Book Review"Covington ... has considered the experience of martyrdom as a whole in a way that will enable readers to consider the entire process." —Choice

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Book SynopsisThis book aims to give students an introduction to the religious and social world of ancient Israel. It consists of two parts. The first explores the major religious offices mentioned in the Old Testament. In the second part the focus is on the religious beliefs and practices of the common people.Trade ReviewChalmers has provided students with a solid first step for navigating the complexities of the religion of ancient Israel. His sensitive distinctions between state religion (involving the experts) and family religion (as practiced by the common people) evidence his awareness of the current conversations and will be particularly helpful for those desiring to read the Old Testament in more informed ways. -- John Walton, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Wheaton CollegeChalmers accomplishes his goal to provide an accessible introductory text to the religion of ancient Israel for the beginning student or non-specialist. Exploring the Religion of Ancient Israel is well balanced and researched. Chalmers navigates well between various extremes and. . .effectively brings out the nitty-gritty of 'real life' in ancient Israel. -- Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old TestamentWhat did people such as priests and prophets do in Israel? How were they chosen and trained? How did ordinary people's relationship with God work out? This volume is a fine user-friendly guide to what we can learn about such questions from the Bible, from archaeology and from current scholarly theory. -- John Goldingay, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

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Book SynopsisFor more than a thousand years, Greeks in all walks of life consulted oracles for guidance received directly from the gods. This title encompasses the history of Greek oracles and focuses on philosophical, psychological, and anthropological aspects of oracular consultation.Trade Review"Students of ancient Greek religion will welcome this journeyman's comprehensive survey of Greek oracular mechanics complemented by discussions of the ancients' theorizing of prophecy and the various problems those theories challenged."—J.C. Hanges, Choice -- J.C. Hanges * Choice *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This is an important book which will have a lasting influence on Mesoamerican scholarship and serve as a model for generations to come. It is a compelling study that will open up new areas for investigation of Maya art and new methods for research.”—Claudia Brittenham, University of Chicago “Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos has crafted a provocative book that addresses key aspects of Maya mythology, its narratives, variations, and relationships to other mythic traditions across Mesoamerica. It is an important book, both for its content and its methodological approach, which is novel and timely.”—Julia Guernsey, University of Texas at Austin

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Book SynopsisExamines how the cult of Mother of the Gods came from Phrygia and Lydia, where she was the mother of tyrants, to Athens, where she protected the laws of the Athenian democracy. This work describes how Kybebe, the Lydian goddess, assumed a different aspect to the Greeks when Lydia became part of the Persian empire.Trade Review"This book is a remarkable achievement: fascinating, stimulating, in many ways brilliant and revolutionary because it forces us at every turn and on almost every page to reassess traditional views, familiar explanations, and a worldview we took for granted." - Kurt Raaflaub, co-author of The Origins of Democracy in Ancient Greece "Munn has a superb gift for association, interconnecting facts into completely unexpected new vistas." - Henrik Versnel, author of Triumphus: An Inquiry into the Origin, Development and Meaning of the Roman Triumph"Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Abbreviations Introduction 1. Sovereignty and Divinity in Classical Greek Thought The Study of Religion in Greek History Sovereignty and Tyranny Sovereignty and Greek Religion Theogony; or, The Conditions of Sovereignty Humanity and Divine Sovereignty The Passing of an Age of Innocence The Quest for Transcendent Divinity 2. The Mother of the Gods and the Sovereignty of Midas The Mother of the Gods and "the Phrygian Man" at Athens The Land of Midas The Home of Kybele, the Mother of the Gods The Mother of Midas Sovereignty and the Gods of Phrygia The Legacy of Midas 3. The Mother of the Gods and the Ideals of Lydian Tyranny The Lover of Gordius Sovereigns and Their Concubines Aphrodite and Lydian Tyranny Aphrodite, Kybebe, and Kubaba Kubaba, Kybebe, and Kybele Mistress of Lions and the Consort of the King The Ideals of Lydian Tyranny: A Summary So Far 4. The Mother of the Gods and the Practices of Lydian Tyranny Tyranny and Fertility The Grief of the Goddess Grieving for Atys The Tribute of Tyranny Deifying the Mother of Kingship Eunuchs, Tyranny, and the Mother of the Gods Artemis and the Mother The Legacy of Lydia 5. Asia, the Oikoumen9, and the Map of the World The Idea of Asia Anaximander's Map Kingship and the Oikoumen9 The Itinerary of the Oikoumen9 The Balance of Justice in the World The Landscape of Creation at Sardis The Purification of Delos The Rulership of the Sea Hecataeus' Map 6. The Mother of the Gods and Persian Sovereignty Earth and Water The Persians and the Gods of Lydia Scythia and the Oikoumen9 Athens, Tyranny, and Persia The Ionian Revolt The Heralds of Darius The M9tragyrt9s at Athens The Legacy of the M9tragyrt9s: The Argument So Far 7. Persian Sovereignty and the Gods of the Athenians The Mother of the Gods Rejected Placating Artemis and Honoring Demeter Miltiades, Themistocles, and the Mother of the Gods Founding the League at Delos The Peace of Callias Honoring Athena on the Acropolis 8. Herodotus and the Gods Religion in Greek Historical Thought Herodotus and the Unnamed Divinity Religion and Universal History Herodotus' Way of Knowing the Past The Knowledge Herodotus Shared with His Audience Herodotus, the Gods, and History 9. The Mother of the Gods at Athens Alcibiades' Tyrannical Ambitions The Symbiotic Sovereignty of Greeks and Persians The Mother of the Gods Accepted The Mother of the Gods and the Sovereignty of the Laws The Names of the Mother The Mother of the Gods in Greek Historiography The Mother of the Gods, Spartan Hegemony, and War The Mother of the Gods, Athenian Hegemony, and Peace Conclusions Bibliography General Index Index of Select Greek Terms Index Locorum

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Book SynopsisA free open access ebook is upon publication. Learn more atwww.luminosoa.org. Flight during times of persecution has a long and fraught history in early Christianity. In the third century, bishops who fled were considered cowards or, worse yet, heretics. On the face, flight meant denial of Christ and thus betrayal of faith and community. But by the fourth century, the terms of persecution changed as Christianity became the favored cult of the Roman Empire. Prominent Christians who fled and survived became founders and influencers of Christianity over time. Bishops in Flightexamines the various ways these episcopal leaders both appealed to and altered the discourse of Christian flight to defend their status as purveyors of Christian truth, even when their exiles appeared to condemn them. Their stories illuminate how profoundly Christian authors deployed theological discourse and the rhetoric of heresy to respond to the phenomenal political instability of the fourth and fifth centuries.Trade Review"An excellent contribution to our understanding of a period rife with theologico-political competition that resulted in numerous, complex situations of episcopal displacement." * Reading Religion *"This slim, elegant volume constitutes a noteworthy and welcome contribution to our understanding of exilic discourse and the construction of the figure of the bishop in the fourth and fifth centuries. A stimulating read." * Plekos *"Barry is an excellent guide on how to read late antique polemic texts.…this enjoyable book fully achieves its objective of showing why ‘Tertullian's critique…was eventually replaced by Athanasius' promotion of the bishop in flight’. It was through telling the right exile stories, at the right place, at the right time." * Early Medieval Europe *Table of ContentsPrologue Abbreviations Introduction The Discourse of Flight Explorations of Exile Episcopal Exile Models of Exile Heresiology and Exile Episcopal Exile and Displacement Outline of Book 1. Athanasius of Alexandria in Flight How to Construct a Model City: Alexandria If These Walls Could Talk: Defense Before Constantius A Wall-Less Desert: Defense of His Flight A Model City without Walls: Life of Antony Conclusion Contents 2. How to Return from Flight How to Rehabilitate a Failed Bishop: Gregory of Nazianzus How to Construct a Model City: Constantinople A Model Exile: In Praise of Basil the Great A Model Return: In Praise of Athanasius Conclusion 3. John Chrysostom in Flight A Man in Flight: John Chrysostom How to Construct a Model City: Antioch Bishops Who Die in Flight: Meletius of Antioch How Not to Flee: Theophilus of Alexandria Bishops Who Do Not Return Conclusion 4. To Rehabilitate and Return a Bishop in Flight How to Diagnose Exile: Ps.-Martyrius’s Funerary Speech How to Interpret Exile: Palladius of Helenopolis’s Dialogue on the Life of John Chrysostom How to Return from Exile: Athanasius and John Chrysostom Conclusion 5. To Condemn a Bishop in Flight How to Condemn a Model City: Nicomedia An Unorthodox Return from Flight: Eusebius of Nicomedia How to Rehabilitate a Bishop: Philostorgius of Cappadocia’sEcclesiastical History How to Condemn a Model Exile: Socrates of Constantinople’sEcclesiastical History How to Rehabilitate a Condemned City: Theodoret of Cyrrhus’sEcclesiastical History Conclusion Contents 6. Remembering Exile Remembering a Not-So-Model City: Antioch Martyrs and Bishops in Flight How to Remember Orthodox Flight: Sozomen of Constantinople’sEcclesiastical History Competing Memories: Socrates and Sozomen ConclusionEpilogue Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisChristian Reading shifts the assumption that study of the Bible must be about the content of the Bible or aimed at confessional projects of religious instruction. Blossom Stefaniw focuses on the lesson transcripts from the Tura papyri, which reveal verbatim oral classroom discourse, to show how biblical texts were used as an exhibition space for the traditional canon of general knowledge about the world. Stefaniw demonstrates that the work of Didymus the Blind in the lessons reflected in the Tura papyri was similar to that of other grammarians in late antiquity: articulating the students' place in time, their position in the world, and their connection to their heritage. But whereas other grammarians used revered texts like Homer and Menander, Didymus curated the cultural patrimony using biblical texts: namely, the Psalms and Ecclesiastes. By examining this routine epistemological and pedagogical work carried out through the Bible, Christian Reading generates a new model of the relationship of Christian scholarship to the pagan past.Trade Review"Stefaniw deserves credit for drawing attention back to the classroom setting of these texts, because they are precious evidence of how one real classroom worked in antiquity. . . . Stefaniw’s vivid and lively study returns attention to the teaching of a learned Alexandrian whose texts remain understudied." * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *"In sum, an orienting narrative, original translations of understudies texts, and thoughtful engagement with theory make this book required reading for anyone interested in ancient Christian reading practices. Its prose will make that requirement a joy." * Church History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue 1. A Narrative History of the Tura Papyri 2. Reading with a Grammarian 3. The Textual Patrimony: Knowledge, Language, and Reading 4. The Intellectual Patrimony: Ethics, Logic, and the Order of Things 5. Christian Reading: Chronography, Cartography, and Genealogy EpilogueBibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBarsauma was a fifth-century Syrian ascetic, archimandrite, and leader of monks, notorious for his extreme asceticism and violent anti-Jewish campaigns across the Holy Land. Although Barsauma was a powerful and revered figure in the Eastern church, modern scholarship has widely dismissed him as a thug of peripheral interest. Until now, only the most salacious bits of the Life of Barsaumaa fascinating collection of miracles that Barsauma undertook across the Near Easthad been translated. This pioneering study includes the first full translation of the Life and a series of studies by scholars employing a range of methods to illuminate the text from different angles and contexts. This is the authoritative source on this influential figure in the history of the church and his life, travels, and relations with other religious groups. Table of ContentsList of Illlustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Volker Menze 1. Barsauma and the Emperors Simon Corcoran 2. Ascetic History and Rhetoric in the Life of Barsauma Cornelia B. Horn 3. Barsauma’s Travels to the Holy Land and Jewish History Günter Stemberger 4. Barsauma, Eudocia, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount Jan Willem Drijvers 5. Cleansing the Sacred Space: The Holy Land and Its Inhabitants in the Pilgrimage Narrative of Barsauma Reuven Kiperwasser and Serge Ruzer 6. “It is not lawful for Samaritans to have dealings with Christians!” Samaritans in the Life of Barsauma Johannes Hahn 7. Wandering Monks Remembered: Hagiography in the Lives of Alexander the Sleepless and Barsauma the Mourner Daniel F. Caner Conclusion: Barsauma between Hagiography and History Johannes Hahn Appendix: The Life of Barsauma Andrew Palmer Bibliography List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction Overview of the Life of Barsauma The Life of Barsauma

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Book SynopsisAndrew N. Palmer's vivid translation of the Syriac Life of Barsauma opens a fascinating window onto the ancient Middle East, seen through the life and actions of one of its most dramatic and ambiguous characters: the monk Barsauma, ascetic hero to some, religious terrorist to others. The Life takes us into the eye of the storm that raged around Christian attempts to define the nature of Christ in the great Council of Chalcedon, the effect of which was to split the growing Church irrevocably, with the Oriental Orthodox on one side and Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic on the other. Previously known only in extracts, this ancient text is now finally brought to readers in its entirety, casting dramatic new light on the relations among pagans, Jews, and Christians in the Holy Land and on the role of religious violence, real or imagined, in the mental world of a Middle East as shot through with conflict as it is today.Table of ContentsIntroduction Overview of the Life of Barsauma The Life of Barsauma

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Nair contributes to establishing a new model for what consequential scholarship on South Asia looks like. . . . Translating Wisdom will make a substantial contribution to the intellectual jet streams occupied by interested parties worldwide." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *

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Book SynopsisEpiphanius, Bishop of Constantia on Cyprus from 367 to 403 CE, was incredibly influential in the last decades of the fourth century. Whereas his major surviving textthe Panarion, an encyclopedia of heresiesis studied for lost sources, Epiphanius himself is often dismissed as an anti-intellectual eccentric, a marginal figure of late antiquity. In this book, Andrew S. Jacobs moves Epiphanius from the margin back toward the center and proposes we view major cultural themes of late antiquity in a new light altogether. Through an examination of the key cultural concepts of celebrity, conversion, discipline, scripture, and salvation, Jacobs shifts our understanding of late antiquity from a transformational period open to new ideas and peoples toward a Christian Empire that posited a troubling, but ever-present, otherness at the center of its cultural production.Trade Review"A creative, valuable contribution to scholarship on Epiphanius particularly, and fourth-century Christianity generally. Jacobs’s 'cultural biography' idea is noteworthy, and while his bridge between Epiphanius and his culture could be more explicit, this volume manageably realizes that method. Good scholarship merits critical scrutiny, but this reviewer wholeheartedly recommends this book—ingenious, analytic, and readable—to today’s generation of ancient Christian scholars." * Reading Religion *"This is a well-written and well-argued book which all scholars of Late Antiquity and Early Christianity can read with benefit." * Studies in Late Antiquity *"Jacobs offers a theoretically sophisticated cultural biography that places this maligned figure at the center of late antiquity rather than (comfortably) at its margins." * Church History *"In his study of the fourth-century bishop and ascetic Epiphanius, Andrew Jacobs makes another illuminating intervention into the history of ancient Christianity. . . . Exemplary and brilliant." * Bryn Mawr Classic Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: Epiphanius, Now and Then 1. Celebrity 2. Conversion 3. Discipline 4. Scripture 5. Salvation 6. After Lives Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis dictionary of classical mythology distills into brief form a single-source dictionary of Ancient Greek and Roman myths and legends. This concise version covers virtually all major characters, and eight genealogical tables present the principal complex relationships between gods and men.Trade Review"This substantial and attractive book should be warmly welcomed . . . a work at once authoritative and complete with an impressive standard of accuracy: the generous cross-referencing given makes browsing an almost mandatory pleasure, and it will indeed be a learned reader who does not find something he did not previously know on almost every page." Times Literary Supplement "There has been nothing in English like Grimal's authoritative dictionary... this text will be an essential source for specialists and general readers alike... invaluable and sorely needed." Library JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Translator's Preface. Maps. The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. References. Table of Sources. Genealogical Tables. Index.

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Book SynopsisWhat if you were to discover that you were only one half of a whole—that you had a divine double? In the second and third centuries CE, Charles Stang shows, this idea gripped the religious imagination of the Eastern Mediterranean, offering a distinctive understanding of the self that has survived in various forms down to the present.Trade ReviewOur Divine Double is intellectually rich and historically detailed. Stang asks readers to contemplate a theological and philosophical ‘road not taken,’ one that might challenge various Christian orthodoxies of the self and the divine. The book is a triumph; Stang has uncovered an unacknowledged but vital strain of thinking about God and the cosmos that generated centuries of productive thinking about the ‘I’ and the ‘Other.’ -- Andrew Jacobs, Scripps CollegeIn this lively, insightful book, Stang tackles a major problem in the history of ancient religion, and sheds much light on a forgotten chapter in the archaeology of the person. Major instances, such as Thomas, Jesus’s twin brother, and Mani’s heavenly twin, are studied in the context of a Platonic tradition going from Socrates’s daimon to Plotinus. -- Guy Stroumsa, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of OxfordStang breathes life into scholarship and provides a new understanding of traditions about which we thought there was nothing new to learn…There is something wild, infectious, even mad in this book. Stang embraces cognitive and existential impossibilities under the rubric of ‘our divine double,’ and yet, through his careful and cadenced presentation of these paradoxes, Stang tames the madness and leads his readers in; he offers us a taste of bi-unity; he allows us to feel the touch of Plato’s heaven-sent madness. -- Gregory Shaw * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *This work is a top-class piece of scholarship and Stang is to be commended for his hands-on approach to primary materials—Coptic, Syriac, and Middle Persian are just a few of the languages he employed to bring this study to fruition…Our Divine Double can truly be called an original contribution to scholarship and it is a most captivating read. -- Daniel J. Tolan * Reading Religion *Stang’s book is compelling in its devotion to an ancient search for a way to ‘our higher self’…Opening his own creative process in formulating Our Divine Double has proven a distinctive and valuable achievement, partly because it also lays open philological disintegrations, and significant reorientations in the house of intellect. -- Karl F. Morrison * Medieval Review *

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Book SynopsisThis compact book—which appeared earlier in the multivolume series A History of Private Life—is a history of the Roman Empire in pagan times. It is an interpretation setting forth in detail the universal civilization of the Romans—so much of it Hellenic—that later gave way to Christianity.Trade ReviewThe new emphasis on the history of everybody has now been consecrated in [this] ambitious five-volume series… Copious illustrative materials—paintings, drawings, caricatures, and photographs, all cannily chosen and wittily captioned to display domestic life… Magnificent. -- Roger Shattuck (reviewing A History of Private Life) * New York Times Book Review *This series has deservedly attracted huge praise from historians of all hues for its scholarly imagination and beautiful presentation. -- Andrew Freedman (reviewing A History of Private Life) * Financial Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction From Mother's Womb to Last Will and Testament Marriage Slavery The Household and Its Freed Slaves Where Public Life Was Private "Work" and Leisure Patrimony Public Opinion and Utopia Pleasures and Excesses Tranquilizers Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisThe tales told of Orpheus are legion. He is said to have been an Argonaut - and to have saved Jason's life. Did Orpheus, in fact, exist? His influence on Greek thought is undeniable, but his disciples left little of substance behind them. This work attempts to uncover and define Orphism by following its circuitous path through ancient history.Trade Review[T]he books ascribed to Hermes ... fall into two divisions, the technical and the philosophical, which Fowden treats separately... [His] scholarly survery makes an excellent foundation for further study of points of detail and of paganism in general. ShadowTable of ContentsList of illustrationsForeword to the Mythos editionPrefaceCh. IFamous OrpheusCh. IIWhat Is Meant by Orphism?Ch. IIIOrpheus and His StoryCh. IVThe Creation and the Gods as Presented by OrpheusCh. VThe Future Life as Seen by OrpheusCh. VILife and Practices of the Follower of OrpheusCh. VIIOrpheus and Other Greek Religious ThinkersCh. VIIIOrpheus in the Hellenistic and Graeco-Roman WorldBibliographyNotesGeneral IndexBibliographical Index

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Book SynopsisOne of the foremost experts on magic, religion, and the occult in the ancient world provides an unparalleled exploration of magic in the Greco-Roman world, giving insight into the shifting ideas of religion and the divine in the ancient past and in the later Western tradition.Trade Review"[An] ambitious and enthusiastic study of magic in classical antiquity."---Marina Warner, New York Review of Books"An insightful and approachable survey of magical (or non-normative) practices and the beliefs thereto attached in Greco-Roman antiquity. The reasonable price and the attractive design of the volume, with high-quality pictures, make it particularly useful to students and general readers."---Leonardo Constantini, Classical Review"[Edmonds] does a terrific job of covering a vast amount of ground, adducing a phenomenal amount of evidence, and providing a synoptic but detailed overview of the most significant magical phenomena. . . . [Drawing Down the Moon] should, from now on, be the first port of call for anyone who wants to be introduced to the field."---Andrej Petrovic, Greece and Rome"Drawing Down the Moon can be recommended as an updated gateway into ancient 'magic' for English-speaking academic and public readers. Edmonds offers a rich overview of the present state of knowledge in the field announced by the subtitle: Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman World."---Bryn Mawr Classical Review, Thomas Galoppin"In Drawing Down the Moon, Edmonds has produced an extensive, engaging and, crucially, accessible overview which is likely to establish itself quickly as essential reading for anyone seeking to learn more about the vast array of topics that fall under the sweeping category of magic. . . . Ultimately, this work should be considered a resounding success and Edmonds is to be congratulated for providing an extensive and accessible introduction to such a wide-ranging and complex subject."---Jack Lennon, Bryn Mawr Classical Review"[A] careful scholarly study of ancient Mediterranean ‘magical’ practices and discourses of alterity—a significant advance in conceptualizing these historical subjects."---David Frankfurter, Review of Biblical Literature"Not only is Drawing Down the Moon for readers interested in magic, it is also one for readers interested in social history. An unmissable one, at that."---Owain Williams, Ancient History"Wide-ranging and meticulously researched."---Andrew Teverson, Folklore"A fresh approach and welcome comprehensive account. . . . [Drawing Down the Moon] will undoubtedly become a benchmark in the field of ancient magic scholarship.—David B. Levy, Classical World"

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Book SynopsisRevision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Warburg Institute, 2011.Trade Review"What is refreshing in Ossa-Richardson's approach is that it is free of the smugness, born of hindsight and sense of historical superiority, that is exhibited by many historians when looking back on past scholarly controversies."--Clive Prince, Magonia Review of Books "Ossa-Richardson has used the pagan oracles to rewrite an important part of early modern intellectual history. His erudition and judgment seem exemplary, and his book should be held up as a monument of modern learning and discretion."--H. C. Erik Midelfort, Renaissance Quarterly "Ossa-Richardson's book should become a foundational work for exploring the changing shape of the relationship between erudition and cultural change, as well as for understanding the changing perceptions of the history of religion, and by consequence the development of a critique of contemporary religions."--Justin Champion, Reviews in History "This is an erudite, complicated and ultimately rewarding book."--Michael Hunter, European History QuarterlyTable of ContentsList of Plates ix Acknowledgements xi INTRODUCTION 1 PART ONE 11 CHAPTER ONE Authorities 13 CHAPTER TWO Demons 46 PART TWO 83 CHAPTER THREE Nature 87 CHAPTER FOUR Imposture 136 PART THREE 203 CHAPTER FIVE Enlightenment? 205 CHAPTER SIX Solutions 247 CONCLUSION Les lauriers sont coupes 285 Bibliography 291 Index 327

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA Winner of the 2017 CAMWS First Book Award, Classical Association of the Middle West and South "DiLuzio addresses a topic both well-known and understudied. Numerous scholars have investigated the role of women in Roman religion, but have focused almost exclusively on the vestal virgins. DiLuzio, however, offers the first detailed treatment of all attested female priesthoods in the Roman Republic. Her book is the most comprehensive treatment of the topic and a valuable contribution to the study of Roman religion."--ChoiceTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 1 The Flamen and Flaminica Dialis 17 2 Priestly Couples 52 3 Salian Virgins, Sacerdotes, and Ministrae 79 4 The Vestal Virgins 119 5 The Costume of the Vestal Virgins 154 6 The Ritual Activities of the Vestal Virgins 185 7 The Vestal Virgins in Roman Politics 223 Conclusion 240 Bibliography 245 Index 273

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of a 2017 Charles Goodwin Award of Merit, Society for Classical Studies""The core of this beautifully researched and lucidly argued book is a study of the most important and influential philosophical analyses of divination from the ancient world."---Brad Inwood, Times Literary Supplement"An absorbing work of intellectual history, demonstrating a confident command of the philological and philosophical issues, and lucidly exploring Greek philosophical engagement with the epistemological and theological puzzles presented by divination. The book offers a fresh approach to the topic of divination by juxtaposing it with ancient and modern theories of cognition, and by moving past the debate over the (ir)rationality of the practice. . . . I hope that this excellent study will stimulate further research into such questions."---Jennifer Larson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review"[Struck] opens up an amazing clear view of the diverse epistemologies and ontologies of the Classical era. . . . Struck offers an account of Classical divination which is more than detailed enough to satisfy fellow Classicists while also offering insights to those outside the discipline."---Bob Trubshaw, Time & Mind"There is much in Struck’s carefully argued and well researched volume to attract the attention of anyone seriously interested in ancient philosophy, and particularly in the figures of Plato, Aristotle, Posidonius, and Iamblicus. . . . The book truly is a historical and philosophical treasure trove, and it deserves wide attention."---Massimo Pigliucci, Journal of Cognitive Historiography"A fascinating book and an important contribution to the history of intuition in the ancient world, since Struck takes a significantly different set of texts and assumptions than previous studies of divination/intuition."---Larry Swain, Mythlore

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Book SynopsisAncient Egyptians held a rich and complex vision of the afterlife and codified their beliefs in books that were to be discovered more than two millennia later in royal tombs. Erik Hornung, the world's leading authority on these religious texts...Trade ReviewIt is a fortunate circumstance that Eric Hornung... has rendered the invaluable service of producing a complete guide and manual to the texts... It now appears in an admirable English translation by David Lorton. -- Leo Depuydt, Brown University * Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt *

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Book SynopsisLibanius of Antioch was a rhetorician of rare skill and eloquence. So renowned was he in the fourth century that his school of rhetoric in Roman Syria became among the most prestigious in the Eastern Empire. In this book, Raffaella Cribiore draws on her unique knowledge of the entire body of Libanius's vast literary outputincluding 64 orations, 1,544 letters, and exercises for his studentsto offer the fullest intellectual portrait yet of this remarkable figure whom John Chrystostom called the sophist of the city.Libanius (314ca. 393) lived at a time when Christianity was celebrating its triumph but paganism tried to resist. Although himself a pagan, Libanius cultivated friendships within Antioch's Christian community and taught leaders of the Church including Chrysostom and Basil of Caesarea. Cribiore calls him a gray pagan who did not share the fanaticism of the Emperor Julian. Cribiore considers the role that a major intellectual of Libanius's caliber played in this religiously diTrade Review"The present volume—a revised version of the 2010 Townsend Lectures at Cornell University—extends Cribiore's authoritative reevaluation of this major figure by addressing issues well beyond pedagogy. Most notablyshe explores the religious beliefs of this complex characterwho was both an associate of Julian the Apostate and a teacher of Saints Basil and John Chrysostom. As usualCribiorie offers lucidnuanced rhetorical analysis of well-selected textsdisplaying an unsurpassed familiarity with the sophist's vast (and largely untranslated) body of writings. Whether she is relating Libanius's autobiography to the genre of saints' lives or evaluating the role of sexual slander in sophistic oratoryCribiore's clearcareful exposition allows a broad range of readers to benefit from her arguments. * Choice *The strength of this volume is in the portrait that Cribiore paints of Libanius. Providing an in-depth study of a prominent sophist gives us the opportunity to move beyond macroscopic generalizations about the period and away from sweeping characterizations of pagans and Christians as polar opposites. Cribiore paints a vivid, if not flattering, picture of Libanius. -- Richard Leo Enos * Rhetoric Review *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Rhetoric and the Distortion of Reality 2. A Rhetor and his Audience: The Role of Invective 3. A Man and his Gods 4. God and the Gods Conclusion: Julian's School Edict Again Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisUsing as his sources the Egyptian texts and the testimony of classical authors, Serge Sauneron illuminates the role of the priesthood in Ancient Egypt.Trade Review"Lorton's new translation fills a substantial need for students of Egyptian religion. The book is aimed at non-specialists as well as students and is written in a highly accessible style."—Denise M. Doxey, Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Religious Studies Review, Vol. 27, No. 3, July 2001"This 1957 classic originally written in French is finally made available in English, thanks to David Lorton's excellent translation. Widely illustrated in black and white, this book should be recommended reading for everyone."—Frankie's Bibliography of Ancient Egypt.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Ancient or modern, the city is among man's most complex creations and probably the most illustrative of both his best and worst qualities. The Ancient City, originally published in the 1870s, provides a 19th-century French view of Greek and Roman metropolises. Washington Post

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Book SynopsisSince the 1970s, John Scheid has been one of the most influential figures reshaping scholarly understanding of ancient Roman religion. The Gods, the State, and the Individual presents a translation of Scheid's work that chronicles the development of his field-changing scholarship.Trade Review"John Scheid has offered an excellent monograph on the civic character of Roman religion . . . [H]is erudition and ability to offer a clear and concise discussion makes the volume an indispensable source for anybody interested in Roman religion." * Religious Studies Review *"John Scheid's The Gods, the State, and the Individual is an impassioned intervention in a contemporary debate in the study of ancient religion." * Clifford Ando, from the foreword *Table of ContentsTranslator's Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter 1. The Critique of Polis-Religion: An Inventory Chapter 2. Polis and Republic: The Price of Misunderstanding Chapter 3. The Individual in the City Chapter 4. Civic Religion: A Discourse of the Elite? Chapter 5. Civic Religion and Identity Chapter 6. For Whom Were the Rituals Celebrated? Chapter 7. Religious Repression Chapter 8. Civic Religion, a Modality of Communal Religion Chapter 9. Emotion and Belief Chapter 10. Why Did Roman Religion Change? Chapter 11. The Gods, the State, and the Individual Notes Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisSalvation is often thought to be an all-or-nothing matter: you are either saved or damned. In the ancient world some figures, including Paul the Apostle, John of Patmos, Hermas, the Sethians, and the Valentinians, did not think this way, however. For them, there were multiple levels of salvation. Examining the reasons and implications for why these important thinkers believed that salvation comes in degrees, Heavenly Stories offers a fresh perspective on ancient thinking about responsibility, especially as it intersects with concerns such as genealogy and determinism. It shows why Jews and Christians of various kindssome eventually declared orthodox, others hereticalcorrelated ethics and soteriology and argued over how this should be done. By constructing a difference between a lower and higher level of salvation, ancient authors devised soteriological hierarchies that could account for ethical imperfections and social differentiation between their communities and outsiders, as well Trade ReviewIn this thoughtful and thought-provoking work, Alexander Kocar assembles an intriguing selection of Late- and post-Second Temple Jewish and early Christian texts around a premier question: How do their concepts of 'salvation' encode a vision of ethical behavior? What emerges is a picture of vigorous variety-in ideas about salvation and its dark obverse, sin; about what it is to be human; about the cosmos as alien exile and as home. How is one 'saved'? And saved from what, to what, for what? Heavenly Stories helps us to hear the ancient answers to these urgent questions. * Paula Fredriksen, author of Paul: The Pagans' Apostle *Table of ContentsIntroduction. Differing Salvations, Differing Ethics Part I. The Salvation of Jews and Gentiles: Higher and Lower Levels of Salvation in the Letters of the Apostle Paul and John of Patmos's Revelation Chapter 1. John's Heavenly City: The Book of Revelation and Jewish Narratives of Salvation Chapter 2. Paul's Olive Tree: Saving Gentiles as Gentiles and Jews as Jews in Christ Part II. Saints and Sinners in Early Christianity: Ethical Differences as Salvific Hierarchies in the Shepherd of Hermas and the Apocryphon of John Chapter 3. In Heaven as It Is on Earth: Ethical and Salvific Differences in the Shepherd of Hermas and the Apocryphon of John Chapter 4. Diagnosing Sin and Saving Sinners: Early Christian Ethical and Soteriological Problem-Solving Part III. The Threefold Division of Humanity: Identity, Soteriology, and Moral Responsibility in the Excerpts of Theodotus, the Tripartite Tractate, and Heracleon's Commentary on John Chapter 5. Mapping the Heavens: The Missionizing Ethics and Soteriology of Valentinians Chapter 6. The Threefold Division and Exegesis: Ethics in Heracleon's Commentary on John Conclusion. Moral Imagination and Ancient Christianity Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisOffers the most comprehensive account in any language of the prodigal deity Nezha. Celebrated for over a millennium, Nezha is among the most formidable and enigmatic of all Chinese gods. In this theoretically informed study Meir Shahar recounts Nezha's riveting tale - which culminates in suicide and attempted patricide - and uncovers hidden tensions in the Chinese family system.

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Book SynopsisThe relationship between the individual and the divine in ancient Greece is a complex one, which has tended to be neglected in favour of studies of state religion, festivals, sanctuaries and oracles.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive treatment of the significant symbols and institutions of Roman religion, this Companion places the various religious symbols, discourses, and practices, including Judaism and Christianity, into a larger framework to reveal the sprawling landscape of the Roman religion.Trade Review"This Companion will in fact be sustaining company as we try to read these signs to find the meaning that compelled such commitment." (Phoenix, 2011) "Utilize[s] an appealing thematic organization.... Riipke's editorial style nimbly shifts the reader's focus from one point to another." (Scholia Reviews, 2009) "I would recommend this volume as worthy reference status in any library for its many valuable gems of information." (Journal of Classics Teaching, Autumn 2008) "Not by any means a volume for beginners, but an admirably full and ambitious reference book to which more advanced students can confidently be directed." (Greece and Rome, 2008) "Issues ... have been explored ... but not in such an erudite, comprehensive collection ... a major contribution ... and a crucial addition to any serious collection. Essential." (CHOICE) "Provides a comprehensive treatment of Roman religion.... Written by international experts, this volume offers a new approach." (Wordtrade.com)Table of ContentsList of Figures x List of Maps xiii Notes on Contributors xiv Acknowledgments xix Abbreviations xxi Maps xxviii 1 Roman Religion – Religions of Rome 1 Jörg Rüpke 2 Approaching Roman Religion: The Case for Wissenschaftsgeschichte 10 C. Robert Phillips, III Part I Changes 29 3 The Religion of Archaic Rome 31 Christopher Smith 4 Pre-Roman Italy, Before and Under the Romans 43 Olivier de Cazanove 5 Urban Religion in the Middle and Late Republic 58 Eric Orlin 6 Continuity and Change: Religion in the Augustan Semi-Century 71 Karl Galinsky 7 Religions and the Integration of Cities in the Empire in the Second Century ad: The Creation of a Common Religious Language 83 William Van Andringa 8 Old Religions Transformed: Religions and Religious Policy from Decius to Constantine 96 Hartmut Leppin 9 Religious Koine and Religious Dissent in the Fourth Century 109 Michele Renee Salzman Part II Media 127 10 The History of Roman Religion in Roman Historiography and Epic 129 Denis Feeney 11 Religion and Roman Coins 143 Jonathan Williams 12 Reliefs, Public and Private 164 Katja Moede 13 Inscriptions as Sources of Knowledge for Religions and Cults in the Roman World of Imperial Times 176 Rudolf Haensch 14 Religion in the House 188 Annemarie Kaufmann-Heinimann Part III Symbols and Practices 203 15 Roman Cult Sites: A Pragmatic Approach 205 Ulrike Egelhaaf-Gaiser 16 Complex Rituals: Games and Processions in Republican Rome 222 Frank Bernstein 17 Performing the Sacred: Prayers and Hymns 235 Frances Hickson Hahn 18 Music and Dance: Forms of Representation in Pictorial and Written Sources 249 Friederike Fless and Katja Moede 19 Sacrifices for Gods and Ancestors 263 John Scheid Part IV Actors and Actions 273 20 Religious Actors in Daily Life: Practices and Related Beliefs 275 Nicole Belayche 21 Republican Nobiles: Controlling the Res Publica 292 Veit Rosenberger 22 Emperors: Caring for the Empire and Their Successors 304 Peter Herz 23 Urban Elites in the Roman East: Enhancing Regional Positions and Social Superiority 317 Athanasios Rizakis 24 Living on Religion: Professionals and Personnel 331 Marietta Horster Part V Different Religious Identities 343 25 Roman Diaspora Judaism 345 Jack N. Lightstone 26 Creating One’s Own Religion: Intellectual Choices 378 Attilio Mastrocinque 27 Institutionalized Religious Options: Mithraism 392 Richard Gordon 28 The Romanness of Roman Christianity 406 Stefan Heid Part VI Roman Religion Outside and Seen from Outside 427 29 Exporting Roman Religion 429 Clifford Ando 30 Religion in the Roman East 446 Ted Kaizer 31 Roman Religion in the Vision of Tertullian 457 Cecilia Ames Bibliography 472 General Index 511 Index of Personal Names 526 Index of Places 537

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Book SynopsisAncient Greek Religion: Historical Sources in Translation presents a wide range of documents relating to the religious world of the ancient Greeks from the earliest surviving literature to around the end of the fourth century BCE. Presents a wide range of documents relating to the religious world of the ancient Greeks, from the earliest surviving literature to around the end of the fourth century BCE Provides extensive background information for readers with no previous knowledge of classical studies Brings together new and rare passages for comparison with occasional new interpretations to appeal to professionals Offers a variety of less frequently examined material and looks at familiar texts in new ways Includes the use of extensive cross-referencing to indicate the interconnectedness of different aspects of religious practice and thought Includes the most comprehensive commentary and updated passages available in a sinTrade Review"To conclude, Kearns' Ancient Greek Religion: A Sourcebook will be highly valuable both to inexperienced students who can read it thoroughly, and to scholars familiar with the subject, who will consult it in a more selective way, but with equal profit." (Bmcreview, 2 November 2010) "To conclude, Kearns' Ancient Greek Religion: A Sourcebook will be highly valuable both to inexperienced students who can read it thoroughly, and to scholars familiar with the subject, who will consult it in a more selective way, but with equal profit." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 5 November 2010) Table of ContentsIntroduction. Abbreviations. List of illustrations/acknowledgements. 1. Gods and Religion. 2. Mythology. 3. Closeness and Distance. 4. Ritual Contexts. 5. Sanctuaries I. 6. Sanctuaries II. Suggestions for further reading.

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Book SynopsisScience and Eastern Orthodoxy provides a wealth of new information concerning Orthodoxy and secular knowledge-and the reactions of the Orthodox Church to modern sciences.Trade ReviewAn excellent contribution to college library world history and religious studies shelves. -- James A. Cox Midwest Book Review A thorough and exacting refutation of the idea that Orthodoxy rejects science outright. -- Katherine Warton Times Literary Supplement This book provides the English-speaking reader with invaluable insights and references which cover nearly a continuous two-thousand year period of interaction between faith and knowledge, science and technology. This book will certainly make a serious contribution to existing scholarship on the history of the relation between science and Christianity. It fills an essential, and inadmissible gap in research related to Byzantium, Eastern Europe, and Russia. -- Alexei V. Nesteruk Perspectives in Science and Christian Faith Nicolaidis is well prepared to take on the difficult topic of science and Eastern Orthodoxy... The author lays an impressive foundation for future work... Highly recommended. Choice Nicolaidis offers not only a hitherto missing reference work, but also a fundamental contribution to the history of medieval science - and a challenging reference for future debates. -- Constantin Canavas Icon This is a very useful book to serve as supportive document for the teaching of the history of science and philosophy. -- Christiaan Sterken Journal of Astronomical Data The book is in general of the highest scholarly standard, and it will be a major resource for students and historians of science and religion for decades to come. -- Christopher C. Knight MetascienceTable of ContentsIntroductionChronology1. The Activist and the Philosopher: The Hexaemerons of Basil and of Gregory of Nyssa2. Two Conceptions of the World: The Schools of Antioch and Alexandria3. No Icons, No Science: The End of a Tradition?4. The Return for Greek Science: The First Byzantine Humanism5. Struggle for Heritage: Science in Nicaea and the Byzantine Renaissance6. Political Debates Become Scientific: The Era of the Palaiologos7. True Knowledge and Ephemeral Knowledge: The Hesychast Debate8. Ancients versus Moderns: Byzantium and Persian, Latin, and Jewish Sciences9. The Fall of the Empire and the Exodus to Italy10. A Rebel Patriarch: Cyril Lucaris and Orthodox Humanism inScience11. Toward Russia: The Slavo-Greco-Latin Academy and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem12. Who Were the Heirs of the Hellenes? Science and the Greek Enlightenment13. The Scientifi c Modernization of an Orthodox State: Greece from Independence to the European Union14. Science and Religion in the Greek State: Materialism and DarwinismConclusionA Note on Secondary SourcesNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Bible says that YHWH alone is God and that there is none like him—but texts and artwork from antiquity show that many gods looked very similar. In this volume, scholars of the Hebrew Bible and its historical contexts address the problem of YHWH’s ancient look-alikes, providing recommendations for how Jews and Christians can think theologically about this challenge.Sooner or later, whether in a religion class or a seminary course, students bump up against the fact that God—the biblical God—was one among other, comparable gods. The ancient world was full of gods, including great gods of conquering empires, dynastic gods of petty kingdoms, goddesses of fertility, and personal spirit guardians. And in various ways, these gods look like the biblical God. Like the God of the Bible, they, too, controlled the fates of nations, chose kings, bestowed fecundity and blessing, and cared for their individual human charges. They spoke and acted. They experienced wrath and delight. They inspired praise. All of this leaves Jews and Christians in a bind: how can they confess that the God named YHWH was (and is) the true and living God, in view of this God’s profound similarities to all these others?The essays in this volume address the theological challenge these parallels create, providing reflections on how Jews and Christians can keep faith in YHWH as God while acknowledging the reality of YHWH’s divine doppelgängers. It will be welcomed by undergraduates studying religion; seminarians and graduate students of Bible, theology, and the ancient world; and adult education classes.Trade Review“A thoughtful book that addresses the strong similarities and differences between Israel's main deity, Yahweh, and other deities in ancient Israel and beyond (especially the Moabite god Chemosh). Readers will benefit from glimpsing the volume's authors attempting to treat the fraught question of Yahweh's apparent lack of uniqueness. The volume additionally discusses a number of related theological problems, including Christian supersessionism. A rich work.”—Mark S. Smith,Helena Professor of Old Testament Literature and Exegesis, Princeton Theological SeminaryTable of ContentsEditor’s PrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsPart 1. The Problem at LargeChapter 1. God and the Gods: History of Religion as an Approach and Context for Biblical TheologyPatrick D. Miller Jr.Chapter 2. Canaan—Israel—Christianity:The Case for a Vertical EcumenismOthmar Keel, translated by Armin SiedleckiChapter 3. More Than One God? Three Models for Construing the Relations Between YHWH and the Other GodsBob BeckingChapter 4. Who Is Like You Among the Gods? Some Observations on Configuring YHWH in the Old TestamentJ. Andrew DearmanChapter 5. Why Should the Look-Alikes Be a Problem?Robert GoldenbergPart 2. Chemosh as a Case StudyChapter 6. Theological Approaches to the Problem of God’s Ancient Look-AlikesCollin CornellChapter 7. Chemosh Looks Like YHWH, but That’s OkayJosey Bridges SnyderChapter 8. YHWH and Chemosh: An Investigation of Look-Alike Gods Using the Moral Foundations TheoryM. Patrick GrahamChapter 9. YHWH, Chemosh, and the Rule of FaithBrent A. StrawnChapter 10. Is There a Counterpart in the Hebrew Bible to New Testament Anti-Semitism?Jon D. LevensonPart 3. Other Case StudiesChapter 11. Miqreh and YHWH: Fate, Chance, Simultaneity, and ProvidenceStephen B. ChapmanChapter 12. “Can a Woman Forget Her Nursing Child?” Divine Breastfeeding and the God of IsraelChristopher B. HaysChapter 13. Bulls and Horses, Gods and Goddesses: The Religious Iconography of Israel’s NeighborsP. M. Michèle DaviauList of ContributorsIndex of AuthorsIndex of ScriptureSubject Index

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Book SynopsisZoroastrianism, the smallest of the world's great religions, is also one of the oldest. Founded more than 3,000 years ago by the prophet Zarathustra, it flourished in ancient Persia during the time of the Persian Empire. Scholars have long acknowledged the contributions of Zoroastrianism to other faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Concepts such as the notion of one God, heaven and hell, the dualism of good and evil, a savior to come, and everlasting life can trace their roots to the religion of Zarathustra. ""Zoroastrianism, Third Edition"" traces the history and beliefs of Zoroastrianism and its followers' determination through centuries of persecution and hardship into the present day. The Iranian and Indian Zoroastrian communities in which the religion has thrived without missionary efforts or vast numbers of believers is also explored. The coverage includes: the message of the prophet Zarathustra; the sacred fire; Zoroastrianism throughout history; the Zoroastrian scripture, the Avesta; rituals, beliefs, and rites of passage; and, traditional versus updated Zoroastrianism.

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