Ancient religions and Mythologies Books
University of California Press The Wandering Holy Man The Life of Barsauma
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
£64.00
University of California Press The Life of the Syrian Saint Barsauma Eulogy of a
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction Overview of the Life of Barsauma The Life of Barsauma
£64.00
University of California Press The Life of the Syrian Saint Barsauma
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
£18.90
University of California Press Constantinople
Book SynopsisTrade Review"An impressive work of scholarship. . . . This is a fascinating, well-executed book that I will use in my undergraduate lectures and assign in my graduate courses for the foreseeable future." * Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies *"Compelling." * The Middle Ground Journal *Table of ContentsList of Maps Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. Religion in Late Antiquity 2. The Founding of a City 3. Violence and the Politics of Memory 4. Cult Practice as a Technology of Social Construction 5. Imperial Piety and the Writing of Christian History Conclusion: The Making of a Christian City Selected Bibliography Index
£999.99
University of California Press Translating Wisdom HinduMuslim Intellectual
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 *
£27.00
University of California Press Phases in the Religion of Ancient Rome
Book Synopsis
£64.00
University of California Press Epiphanius of Cyprus
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
£27.00
University of California Press Fractured Tablets
Book Synopsis
£27.00
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Dictionary of Classical Mythology
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.
£38.90
Harvard University Press Our Divine Double
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 *
£41.61
Harvard University Press The Roman Empire
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
£25.16
Princeton University Press Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion
Book SynopsisExamines the festivals of ancient Greek religion to identify the primitive 'substratum' of ritual and its persistence in the realm of classical religious observance and literature.Trade Review"Harrison's Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion is a book that breathes life. It is an exciting, deeply felt intellectual quest, with a broad view of the role of religion in life, ancient and modern. Harrison is not afraid to look for relevance in archaic cult, and doesn't flinch on finding it. From a study of Greek anthropomorphism, she can conclude, like a seeress looking beyond the early twentieth century: 'to be human is not necessarily to be humane.'"—Richard Martin, Princeton University
£999.99
Princeton University Press Orpheus and Greek Religion
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
£38.25
Princeton University Press Drawing Down the Moon
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"
£37.80
Princeton University Press The Devils Tabernacle
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
£36.00
Princeton University Press The Origins of Monsters
Book SynopsisCan cognitive science explain the potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies? This title deals with these questions.Trade Review"Few archaeologists would venture into as many regions or across as many disciplinary boundaries as David Wengrow does in his eloquent and ambition analysis."--Christina Riggs, Times Literary Supplement "The Origins of Monsters is a fascinating exposition of the archaeology of the ancient world as a topic that has current resonance. Well written and presented, wonderfully informed and confident, it is well placed to achieve Wengrow's worthy ambition to start a particular dialogue between disciplinary approaches to the topic of monsters."--Michael Punt, Leonardo ReviewsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi Acknowledgments xv Introduction 1 1 Image and Economy in the Ancient World: The Bronze Age of Mikhail Rostovtzeff 8 2 Materials for an Epidemiology of Culture 19 3 The Hidden Shaman: Fictive Anatomy in Paleolithic and Neolithic Art 33 4 Urban Creations: The Cultural Ecology of Composite Animals 50 5 Counterintuitive Images and the Mechanical Arts 74 6 Modes of Image Transfer: Transformative, Integrative, Protective 88 CONCLUSION Persistent, but Not Primordial: Emergent Properties of Cognition 108 Notes 113 References 133 Index 161
£999.99
Princeton University Press Divination and Human Nature
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£38.25
Princeton University Press A Place at the Altar Priestesses in Republican
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
£38.25
Princeton University Press Divination and Human Nature
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
£27.00
Cornell University Press The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife
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 *
£97.20
Cornell University Press Libanius the Sophist
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
£44.10
Cornell University Press The Priests of Ancient Egypt
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.
£24.69
Johns Hopkins University Press The Ancient City
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
£24.75
University of Pennsylvania Press The Gods the State and the Individual
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
£48.60
University of Pennsylvania Press Heavenly Stories
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
£49.30
University of Hawai'i Press Oedipal God
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.
£40.50
Liverpool University Press Greek Personal Religion A Reader
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.
£33.00
John Wiley and Sons Ltd A Companion to Roman Religion
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
£154.76
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Ancient Greek Religion
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.
£32.25
Johns Hopkins University Press Science and Eastern Orthodoxy
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
£45.00
Pennsylvania State University Press Life and Mortality in Ugaritic: A Lexical and
Book SynopsisWhile topics such as death, funerary cult, and the netherworld have received considerable scholarly attention in the context of the Ugaritic textual corpus, the related concept of life has been relatively neglected. Life and Mortality in Ugaritic takes as its premise that one cannot grasp the significance of mwt (“to die”) without first having wrestled with the concept of ḥyy (“to live”). In this book, Matthew McAffee takes a lexical approach to the study of life and death in the Ugaritic textual corpus. He identifies and analyzes the Ugaritic terms most commonly used to talk about life and mortality in order to construct a more representative framework of the ancient perspective on these topics, and he concludes by synthesizing the results of this lexical study into a broader literary discussion that considers, among other things, the implications for our understanding of the first-millennium Katumuwa stele from Zincirli.McAffee’s study complements previous scholarly work in this area, which has tended to rely on conceptual and theoretical treatment of mortality, and advances the discussion by providing a more focused lexical analysis of the Ugaritic terms in question. It will be of interest to Semitic scholars and those who study Ugaritic in particular, in addition to students of the culture of the ancient Levant.Trade Review“McAffee . . . brings much-needed nuance to past philological discussions and is able to confirm and reject previous proposals based on both etymological and literary analysis. McAffee’s most important contribution, however, is drawing attention to the relevance of [concepts related to life and mortality] to the realm of the living, which provides a significant expansion on past research that has primarily addressed them in the context of funerary cult.”—Timothy Hogue Review of Biblical Literature“Although it is ‘primarily a lexical study,’ the very detailed lexical analysis also provides the basis for elucidating aspects of the literary material and . . . what the people of Ugarit believed about living and dying.”—Adrian Curtis Journal for the Study of the Old TestamentTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroductionLexicography and MethodA Lexical Analysis of Life and Mortality in UgariticChapter 1. An Analysis of Words for “Life” in Ugaritic1.1. Introduction1.2. The Roots ḥwy/ḥyy1.3. SummaryChapter 2. NPŠ and Other Terms for Body Parts Especially Associated with the Concept of Life2.1. Introduction 672.2. Life and Body Parts: npš = “Neck” and “throat”2.3. Life and Body Parts: brlt as a Parallel of npš2.4. Life and Other Body Parts: kbd, lb, and aʾp2.5. SummaryChapter 3. An Analysis of Words for “Death” in Ugaritic3.1. Introduction3.2. The Root m-w-t3.3. Substantive Forms3.4. SummaryChapter 4. The Ugaritic Rapaʾūma 4.1. Introduction4.2. The Root rpʾ 1924.3. The rpʾum 2004.4. SummaryChapter 5. Life and Mortality at Ugarit: A Synthesis 5.1. Introduction5.2. Mythology and the Language of Correspondence5.3. Life and Revivification 2745.4. The Anatomy of Life5.5. The Life and Death of Physical Objects5.6. The Intersection of Mythology and Burial5.7. The Royal Dead5.8. SummaryAppendix. First Millennium BC Funerary Monuments6.1. Introduction6.2. The Phoenician Royal Funerary Inscriptions6.3. The Zincirli Funerary Inscriptions6.4. Defining Disembodied npš/nbš6.5. SummaryBibliographyIndex of AuthorsIndex of ScriptureIndex of Ugaritic SourcesIndex of Subjects
£999.99
Pennsylvania State University Press Divine Doppelgängers: YHWH’s Ancient Look-Alikes
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
£26.96
Pennsylvania State University Press A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient
Book SynopsisFrom the tragic young Adonis to Zašhapuna, first among goddesses, this handbook provides the most complete information available on deities from the cultures and religions of the ancient Near East, including Anatolia, Syria, Israel, Sumer, Babylonia, Assyria, and Elam. The result of nearly fifteen years of research, this handbook is more expansive and covers a wider range of sources and civilizations than any previous reference works on the topic. Arranged alphabetically, the entries range from multiple pages of information to a single line—sometimes all that we know about a given deity. Where possible, each record discusses the deity’s symbolism and imagery, connecting it to the myths, rituals, and festivals described in ancient sources. Many of the entries are accompanied by illustrations that aid in understanding the iconography, and they all include references to texts in which the god or goddess is mentioned.Appropriate for both trained scholars and nonacademic readers, this book collects centuries of Near Eastern mythology into one volume. It will be an especially valuable resource for anyone interested in Assyriology, ancient religion, and the ancient Near East.Trade Review“A must for every scholar of the ancient religions of western Asia.”—Gary Beckman,author of The babilili-Ritual from Hattusa
£999.99
Chelsea House Publishers Zoroastrianism
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.
£33.96
Getty Trust Publications Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum V8
Book SynopsisThis is a new addition to the multivolume reference on all known aspects of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman cults and rituals. "ThesCRA" delivers both a sweeping overview and an in-depth investigation from Homeric times (1000 BCE) to late Roman times (AD 400). Illustrated scholarly articles in English, French, Italian, and German treat such topics as processions, sacrifices, libations, dedications, purification, initiation, divination, prayer, asylum, oaths, maledictions, banquets, music, dance, cult places, cult statues, and cult implements. The forty-one authors of this latest volume write about public and private life, guilds, priesthoods, colleges and other institutions, law, diplomacy, war, festivals, and religious links to neighbouring societies.
£198.00
Kent State University Press The Faun’s Bookshelf: C. S. Lewis on Why Myth
Book SynopsisWhile visiting with Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy Pevensie notices a bookshelf filled with such titles as Nymphs and Their Ways and Is Man a Myth? Beginning with these imaginary texts, Charlie W. Starr offers a comprehensive study of C. S. Lewis’s theory of myth, including his views on Greek and Norse mythology, the origins of myth, and the implications of myth on thought, art, gender, theology, and literary and linguistic theory. For Lewis, myth represents an ancient mode of thought focused in the imagination—a mode that became the key that ultimately brought Lewis to his belief in Jesus Christ as the myth become fact.Beginning with a foreword by Lewis scholar Devin Brown, The Faun’s Bookshelf goes on to discuss the many books Lewis imagined throughout his writings—books whose titles he made up but never wrote. It also presents the sylvan myths central to the first two book titles in Mr. Tumnus’s library, including explorations of the relationshipbetween myth and reality, the spiritual significance of natural conservation, and the spiritual and incarnational qualities of gender.Starr then turns to the definition of myth, the literaryqualities of myth, the mythic nature inherent in divine glory, humanity’s destiny to embrace (or reject) that glory, and a deeper exploration of the epistemological ramifications of myth in relation to meaning, imagination, reason, and truth.Trade Review"This book will be most interesting for those that enjoy Lewis already. It is well-written in accessible prose, so that it should not be consigned to the stacks of academic libraries." — Ethics and Culture
£15.16
Arc Humanities Press Rituals in Slavic Pre-Christian Religion:
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£90.25
Arc Humanities Press John Miles Foley's World of Oralities: Text,
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£136.24
Arc Humanities Press Pagans in the Early Modern Baltic:
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£120.42
Arc Humanities Press John Miles Foley's World of Oralities: Text,
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£33.98
Collective Ink Shaken Path, The – A Christian Priest`s
Book SynopsisDespite modern Paganism being one of the fastest growing new religious movements in Britain and the USA, there is no up-to-date straightforward and informed introduction to modern Paganism from a Christian perspective. The Shaken Path addresses that gap.
£16.14
Classical Press of Wales What is a God
Book SynopsisContains eleven papers on aspects of Greek religion from Minoans to the classical world. This book reveals striking similarities between religious ideas in Greece and non-Greek Asia.
£23.75
De Gruyter Time and Soul: From Aristotle to St. Augustine
Book SynopsisCan time exist independently of consciousness? In antiquity this question was often framed as an enquiry into the relationship of time and soul. Aristotle cautiously suggested that time could not exist without a soul that is counting it. This proposal was controversially debated among his commentators. The present book offers an account of this debate beginning from Aristotle’s own statement of the problem in Book IV of the Physics. Subsequent chapters discuss Aristotle’s Peripatetic followers, Boethus of Sidon and Alexander of Aphrodisias; his Neoplatonic readers, Plotinus and Simplicius; and early Christian authors, Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine. At the centre of the debate stood the relation between the subjective time in the soul and the objective time of the cosmos. Both could be seen as united in the world soul as the seat of subjective time on a cosmic scale. But no solution to the problem was final. No theory gained general acceptance. The book shows the fascinating variety and plurality of ideas about time and soul throughout antiquity. Throughout antiquity, the problem of time and soul remained as intriguing as it proved intractable.
£21.60
de Gruyter Der Polymorphe Bes
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£134.95
de Gruyter Power in the Name
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£92.62
Walter de Gruyter Was vom Himmel kommt
£28.45
de Gruyter Die Heraufkunft Des Transzendenten Gottes in
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£126.64
de Gruyter Der Römische Kaiser Julian in Der
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£126.64
