Destroyer of the Gods Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World

  • en
  • Broché
  • 9781481304740
  • 31 mai 2017
  • 304 pages
Toutes les spécifications de l'article

Résumé

Called atheists and suspected of political subversion, Christians earned Roman disdain and suspicion in equal amounts. Yet, as this book demonstrates, the very features of early Christianity that rendered it distinctive and objectionable in Roman eyes have now become so commonplace in Western culture as to go unnoticed.



Silly,"" ""stupid,"" ""irrational,"" ""simple."" ""Wicked,"" ""hateful,"" ""obstinate,"" ""anti-social."" ""Extravagant,"" ""perverse."" The Roman world rendered harsh judgments upon early Christianity - including branding Christianity ""new."" Novelty was no Roman religious virtue.

Nevertheless, as Larry W. Hurtado shows in Destroyer of the gods, Christianity thrived despite its new and distinctive features and opposition to them. Unlike nearly all other religious groups, Christianity utterly rejected the traditional gods of the Roman world. Christianity also offered a new and different kind of religious identity, one not based on ethnicity. Christianity was distinctively a ""bookish"" religion, with the production, copying, distribution, and reading of texts as central to its faith, even preferring a distinctive book-form, the codex. Christianity insisted that its adherents behave differently: unlike the simple ritual observances characteristic of the pagan religious environment, embracing Christian faith meant a behavioral transformation, with particular and novel ethical demands for men. Unquestionably, to the Roman world, Christianity was both new and different, and, to a good many, it threatened social and religious conventions of the day.

In the rejection of the gods and in the centrality of texts, early Christianity obviously reflected commitments inherited from its Jewish origins. But these particular features were no longer identified with Jewish ethnicity and early Christianity quickly became aggressively trans-ethnic - a novel kind of religious movement. Its ethical teaching, too, bore some resemblance to the philosophers of the day, yet in contrast with these great teachers and their small circles of dedicated students, early Christianity laid its hard demands upon all adherents from the moment of conversion, producing a novel social project.

Christianity's novelty was no badge of honor. Called atheists and suspected of political subversion, Christians earned Roman disdain and suspicion in equal amounts. Yet, as Destroyer of the gods demonstrates, in an irony of history the very features of early Christianity that rendered it distinctive and objectionable in Roman eyes have now become so commonplace in Western culture as to go unnoticed. Christianity helped destroy one world and create another.

Spécifications produit

Contenu

Langue
en
Version
Broché
Date de sortie initiale
31 mai 2017
Nombre de pages
304
Illustrations
Non

Personnes impliquées

Auteur principal
Larry W Hurtado
Editeur principal
Baylor University Press

Informations sur le fabricant

Informations sur le fabricant
Les informations du fabricant ne sont actuellement pas disponibles

Autres spécifications

Hauteur de l'emballage
20 mm
Hauteur du produit
20 mm
Largeur d'emballage
139 mm
Largeur du produit
140 mm
Livre d‘étude
Oui
Longueur d'emballage
213 mm
Longueur du produit
213 mm
Poids de l'emballage
358 g
Police de caractères extra large
Non

EAN

EAN
9781481304740

Sécurité des produits

Opérateur économique responsable dans l’UE
Afficher les données
Pas encore d'avis
Choisissez la version souhaitée
Version : Broché
Informations sur les prix et commande
Le prix de ce produit est de 27 euros et 99 cents.
Attendu dans environ 4 semaines
Vendu par bol
  • Livraison comprise avec bol
  • Retrait possible dans un point-relais bol
  • 30 jours de réflexion et retour gratuit
  • Garantie légale via bol
  • Service client 24h/24

Souvent achetés ensemble

  • Story Of Christianity
    12,30
    Vendu par bol