Description
A provocative and contrarian religious history that charts the rise of Christianity from the point of view of traditional religion from the religious scholar and critically acclaimed author of Augustine.
Pagans explores the rise of Christianity from a surprising and unique viewpoint: that of the people who witnessed their ways of life destroyed by what seemed then a powerful religious cult. These pagans were actually pious Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Gauls who observed the traditions of their ancestors. To these devout polytheists, Christians who worshipped only one deity were immoral atheists who believed that a splash of water on the deathbed could erase a lifetime of sin.
Religious scholar James J. ODonnell takes us on a lively tour of the Ancient Roman world through the fourth century CE, when Romans of every nationality, social class, and religious preference found their world suddenly constrained by rulers who preferred a strange new god. Some joined this new cult, while others denied its power, erroneously believing it was little more than a passing fad.
In Pagans, ODonnell brings to life various pagan rites and essential features of Roman religion and life, offers fresh portraits of iconic historical figures, including Constantine, Julian, and Augustine, and explores important themesRome versus the east, civilization versus barbarism, plurality versus unity, rich versus poor, and tradition versus innovationin this startling account.
Author: James J. ODonnell
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Ecco Press
Published: 03/01/2016
Pages: 288
Weight: 0.4lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780061845390
Language: English
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.