Religions of the Constantinian Empire

Religions of the Constantinian Empire
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 380
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780199687725
ISBN-13 : 0199687722
Rating : 4/5 (722 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Religions of the Constantinian Empire by : Mark Edwards

Download or read book Religions of the Constantinian Empire written by Mark Edwards and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religions of the Constantinian Empire provides a synoptic review of Constantine's relation to all the cultic and theological traditions of the Empire during the period from his seizure of power in the west in 306 CE to the end of his reign as autocrat of both east and west in 337 CE. Divided into three parts, the first considers the efforts of Christians to construct their own philosophy, and their own patterns of the philosophic life, in opposition to Platonism. The second assembles evidence of survival, variation or decay in religious practices which were never compulsory under Roman law. The "religious plurality" of the second section includes those cults which are represented as demonic burlesques of the sacraments by Firmicus Maternus. The third reviews the changes, both within the church and in the public sphere, which were undeniably prompted by the accession of a Christian monarch. In this section on "Christian polyphony," Mark Edwards expertly moves on from this deliberate petrifaction of Judaism to the profound shift in relations between the church and the civic cult that followed the Emperor's choice of a new divine protector. The material in the first section will be most familiar to the historian of philosophy, that of the second to the historian of religion, and that of the third to the theologian. All three sections make reference to such factors as the persecution under Diocletian, the so-called "edict of Milan,"the subsequent legislation of Constantine, and the summoning of the council of Nicaea. Edwards does not maintain, however, that the religious and philosophical innovations of this period were mere by-products of political revolution; indeed, he often highlights that Christianity was more revolutionary in its expectations than any sovereign could afford to be in his acts.This authoritative study provides a comprehensive reference work for those studying the ecclesiastical and theological developments and controversies of the fourth century.


Religions of the Constantinian Empire Related Books

Religions of the Constantinian Empire
Language: en
Pages: 380
Authors: Mark Edwards
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2015 - Publisher:

GET EBOOK

Religions of the Constantinian Empire provides a synoptic review of Constantine's relation to all the cultic and theological traditions of the Empire during the
Defending Constantine
Language: en
Pages: 374
Authors: Peter J. Leithart
Categories: Religion
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-09-24 - Publisher: InterVarsity Press

GET EBOOK

Peter Leithart weighs what we've been taught about Constantine and claims that in focusing on these historical mirages we have failed to notice the true signifi
Constantine
Language: en
Pages: 290
Authors: Timothy D. Barnes
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-11-13 - Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

GET EBOOK

Drawing on recent scholarly advances and new evidence, Timothy Barnes offers a fresh and exciting study of Constantine and his life. First study of Constantine
Christianity, Empire, and the Making of Religion in Late Antiquity
Language: en
Pages: 264
Authors: Jeremy M. Schott
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-04-23 - Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

GET EBOOK

In Christianity, Empire, and the Making of Religion in Late Antiquity, Jeremy M. Schott examines the ways in which conflicts between Christian and pagan intelle
Athanasius and Constantius
Language: en
Pages: 368
Authors: Timothy David Barnes
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 1993 - Publisher: Harvard University Press

GET EBOOK

Barnes's reconstruction of Athanasius's career analyzes the nature and extent of the Bishop's power, especially as it intersected with imperial policies. Untang