{"product_id":"religion-and-apuleius-golden-ass-9781032192802","title":"Religion and Apuleius Golden Ass","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis volume examines Apuleius' comic donkey novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Ass\u003c\/i\u003e, within the context of the popular beliefs and Jewish and Christian writings that were part of the intellectual culture of his own day in 2\u003csup\u003end\u003c\/sup\u003e century C.E. North Africa, a culture which can also be glimpsed in some early Arabic writings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe novel was written against a cultural and religious background in which the donkey had various connotations, both positive and negative, but tended to be admired in Jewish, Christian, and later, in Muslim writings. Smith explores the influence of such popular opinions on \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Ass\u003c\/i\u003e and how Apuleius presented Isis and Osiris as desirable alternatives to the claims of both Christianity and magic, offering hope of spiritual renewal partly modelled on contemporary religious apocalyptic literature. Complemented by images of contemporary art, including amulets and terra cotta figures, this volume gives readers a better understanding of how Apuleius, oste\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Smith presents a coherent set of arguments...he has shown surprising, often compelling, correspondences between these texts and the \u003ci\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/i\u003e, and this book will form a valuable addition to our studies of Apuleius’ elusive novel.\"\u003c\/b\u003e - Bryn Mawr Classical Review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"S.’s book is the fruit of a life-long study of The Golden Ass and it is an excellent read. Moreover, it offers a new perspective not only on the relationship between Apuleius and early Christianity, but also on how the pagan elite was perceiving the new religion and reacting to it.\"\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003ci\u003eCensurae Librorum\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. Asinine Thinking; 2. Magical Thinking: The Witchcraft Narrative; 3. Fortune Competes With Providence: The Meaning of Laughter; 4. Robbers Think Like Heroes; 5. Cupid and Psyche: Thinking Like A Winged Creature; 6. Thinking Like A Christian Apologist; 7. Is the Golden Ass a God?; 8. Thinking Like A Christian; 9. Christian and Jewish Apocalyptic Writings; 10. Balancing Judaism and Christianity; Appendix: Lucius ‘Becomes’ Apuleius.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Taylor \u0026 Francis Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51018890248535,"sku":"9781032192802","price":118.75,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781032192802.jpg?v=1750778541","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/religion-and-apuleius-golden-ass-9781032192802","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}