From Jesus to his first followers : continuity and discontinuity : anthropological and historical perspectives /
:
From Jesus to His First Followers examines to what extent early Christian groups were in continuity or discontinuity with respect to Jesus. Adriana Destro and Mauro Pesce concentrate on the transformation of religious practices. Their anthropological-historical analysis focuses on the relations between discipleship and households, on the models of contact with the supernatural world, and on cohabitation among distinct religious groups. The book highlights how Matthew uses non-Jewish instruments of legitimation, John reformulates religious experiences through symbolized domestic slavery, Paul adopts a religious practice diffused in Roman-Hellenistic environments. The book reconstructs the map of early Christian groups in the Land of Israel and explains their divergences on the basis of an original theory of the local origin of Gospels' information.
:
Compilation of essays originally published by the authors in English, German, or Italian, most previously published at conferences, in journals, or as chapters of other publications. :
1 online resource (vi, 335 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [273]-324) and indexes. :
9789004337664 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Didache in context : essays on its text, history, and transmission /
:
The Didache in Context contains an intriguing look into the background of the Didache, exploring the influence of the text upon the development of early Christianity. It offers an insightful collection of essays that have been gathered from the research efforts of numerous biblical and patristic scholars from around the world. The book seeks to explore questions that relate to the composition of the text itself, the history of the role and function of the Didache within early Christian circles, and the influence of the manuscript upon early Christian traditions and trends of thought. In addition to the numerous, individual investigations that are featured here, the collection includes a fresh translation of the text in English and a comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography of literature on the Didache.
:
English, French, German, and Greek; includes English translation of the Didache. :
1 online resource (xviii, 420 pages, 2 pages of plates) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [368]-399) and indexes. :
9789004267237 :
0167-9732 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Early Christianity in the Lycus Valley /
:
In Early Christianity in the Lycus Valley , Ulrich Huttner explores the way Christians established communities and defined their position within their surroundings from the first to the fifth centuries. He shows that since the time of Paul the apostle, the cities Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea allowed Christians to expand and develop in their own way. Huttner uses a wide variety of sources, not only Christian texts - from Pauline letters to Byzantine hagiographies - but also inscriptions and archeological remains, to reconstruct the religious conflicts as well as cooperation between Christians, Jews and Pagans. The book reveals the importance of local conditions in the development of Early Christianity.
:
1 online resource (ca. 480 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004264281 :
1871-6636 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The apostolic age in patristic thought /
:
This volume deals with how Christians of the first centuries looked back on the period of the nascent Church. Thanks to the incomparable stature of its founder, Jesus Christ, who had descended from heaven and commissioned his Apostles, this period was authorative for all Christians in matters of doctrine, institutions, rites and morality, a new phenomenon in the Graeco-Roman world. Its implications are explored in sixteen essays dealing with various subjects such as liturgy, the canon of Scriptures, the role of miracles, art, monasticism, and ministry. All contributions, taking into account both the views of individual Church fathers and Gnostic and Manichaean texts, make a large amount of primary material available.
:
1 online resource (xi, 257 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047404293 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Violence in ancient Christianity : victims and perpetrators /
:
Ancient Christianity had an ambivalent stance toward violence. Jesus had instructed his disciples to love their enemies, and in the first centuries Christians were proud of this lofty teaching and tried to apply it to their persecutors and to competing religious groups. Yet at the same time they testify to their virulent verbal criticism of Jews, heretics and pagans, who could not accept the Christian exclusiveness. After emperor Constantine had turned to Christianity, Christians acquired the opportunity to use violence toward competing groups and pagans, even though they were instructed to love them personally and Jewish-Christian relationships flourished at grass root level. General analyses and case studies demonstrate that the fashionable distinction between intolerant monotheism and tolerant polytheism must be qualified.
:
1 online resource (viii, 252 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004274907 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The impact of scripture in early Christianity /
:
One of the most conspicuous innovations of early Christianity within Greco-Roman culture is its reliance upon a collection of authoritative texts. The ultimate author of Scripture was thought to be God Himself, whose will could and should be sought and found in these holy writings. For this reason it is not surprising that very soon these texts not only became the object of careful attention and scholarly study, but also put their stamp on the various forms and manifestations of early Christian life, such as martyrdom, asceticism, liturgy, art, and literature. This multifarious influence of Scripture is the subject of The Impact of Scripture in Early Christianity . It contains fourteen contributions, predominantly in English, by Belgian and Dutch scholars which have been gathered in a thematically ordered collection.
:
1 online resource (xiii, 278 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004313118 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Christians shaping identity from the Roman Empire to Byzantium : studies inspired by Pauline Allen /
:
The essays collected in Christians Shaping Identity celebrate Pauline Allen's significant contribution to early Christian, late antique, and Byzantine studies, especially concerning bishops, heresy/orthodoxy and christology. Covering the period from earliest Christianity to middle Byzantium, the first eighteen essays explore the varied ways in which Christians constructed their own identity and that of the society around them. A final four essays explore the same theme within Roman Catholicism and oriental Christianity in the late 19th to 21st centuries, with particular attention to the subtle relationships between the shaping of the early Christian past and the moulding of Christian identity today. Among the many leading scholars represented are Averil Cameron and Elizabeth A. Clark.
:
1 online resource (xv, 520 pages) :
"Publications by Pauline Allen"--Pages 13-21.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004301573 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Encounters with Hellenism : studies on the First letter of Clement /
:
This volume deals with the encounter of Early Christianity with Hellenistic culture, particularly with the question of ancient rhetorical influence on the First Letter of Clement. It contains reprints of two classical studies by A. von Harnack and W. Jaeger, which were seminal for the understanding the letter against a Hellenistic background, furthermore it makes an important essay of the Dutch scholar W.C. van Unnik on the literary and rhetorical genre of First Clement ( genos symbouleutikon ) for the first time available in English. The editors also present two new studies: Breytenbach describes the Hellenistic background of Clement's use of metaphorical language and Welborn questions the traditional dating of First Clement on the basis of an analysis of the rhetorical situation.
:
1 online resource (viii, 231 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047401445 :
0169-734X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
From temple to church : destruction and renewal of local cultic topography in late antiquity /
:
Destruction of temples and their transformation into churches are central symbols of late antique change in religious environment, socio-political system, and public perception. Contemporaries were aware of these events' far-reaching symbolic significance and of their immediate impact as demonstrations of political power and religious conviction. Joined in any "temple-destruction" are the meaning of the monument, actions taken, and subsequent literary discourse. Paradigms of perception, specific interests, and forms of expression of quite various protagonists clashed. Archaeologists, historians, and historians of religion illuminate "temple-destruction" from different perspectives, analysing local configurations within larger contexts, both regional and imperial, in order to find an appropriate larger perspective on this phenomenon within the late antique movement "from temple to church".
:
1 online resource (xi, 378 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047443735 :
0927-7633 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Die Apostelgeschichte und die hellenistische Geschichtsschreibung : Festschrift für Eckhard Plümacher zu seinem 65. Geburtstag /
:
This volume - a Festschrift in honour of the renowned Acts-scholar Eckhard Plümacher - contains thirteen articles on Luke's Acts of the Apostles. Presented are essays concerning Luke's language and style (Alexander, Koch, Steyn, Victor), the literary and historiographical technique applied in Acts (Moessner, Koch, Lindemann), on Luke's theology / Christology (Schröter, Vouga) and on the use (and abuse) of Acts for reconstructing aspects of the history of Early Christianity (Breytenbach, Horn, Schmithals) and for constructing theology relevant to modern culture (Vouga). Furthermore it contains a critical edition and commentary of the Martyrdom of Stephen with a discussion of its relationship to Acts (Bovon/Bouvier) and a presentation and discussion of some unknown Coptic Fragments of Acts (Bethge).
:
1 online resource (xii, 385 pages) :
"Bibliographie Eckhard Plümacher"-Page.
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047413882 :
0169-734X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Arché : a collection of patristic studies /
:
During the past forty years J.C.M. van Winden OFM, Emeritus Professor of Early Christian Literature at Leiden University and editor of Vigiliae Christianae , has built up an impressive body of published research on early Christian thought and related areas of Greek and Jewish philosophy. In this volume in honour of his 75th birthday his more important contributions, originally published in a wide range of journals and other publications, have been collected together. These are grouped together in five categories: The archè in early christian thought, Essays on the Church Fathers, Philonica, Plotiniana, Essays on the relation between Greek and Patristic Thought. The volume includes a hitherto unpublished survey article on early Christian exegesis of 'the beginning' in Gen. 1:1 (in German), English translations of five contributions originally published in Dutch, and a complete bibliography of Pater van Winden's scholarly work.
:
1 online resource (xiii, 331 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004313088 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Christian faith and Greek philosophy in late antiquity : essays in tribute to George Christopher Stead, Ely Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge (1971-1980), in celebrati...
:
This volume is a collection of thirteen essays offered in dedication to Professor C.G. Stead on his 80th birthday. Their theme is the philosophy underlying the presentation of Christian teaching in Late Antiquity. The essays deal with individual theologians (Augustine, Ambrose, Dionysius the Areopagite, Gregory of Nyssa), with ideological background (Christian and Roman universalism), and with the discussion of particular texts. A bibliography and brief appreciation of Professor Stead's contribution to Patristic studies are included.
:
English and German. :
1 online resource (x, 266 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-255) and indexes. :
9789004312852 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Martyriumsvorstellungen in Antike und Mittelalter : leben oder sterben für Gott? /
:
Concepts of voluntary death and martyrdom versus the ideal of preserving human life are an essential component of the Ethics of the Abrahamite religions throughout their history. The studies collected in this volume focus on concepts of voluntary death and martyrdom in the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Period Judaism, Early Christianity and its pagan environment, Rabbinic Judaism as well as in Islam. The contributions of scholars of different background present a broad panorama of the varied perspectives of the Abrahamite religions on this phenomenon. The established concepts of martyrdom are challenged as too schematic. Betrachtungen über das Ideal eines freiwilligen Todes für den eigenen Glauben oder eines Martyriums, das in scharfem Gegensatz zum Gebot der Lebensbewahrung steht, ziehen sich durch die Geschichte der abrahamitischen Religionen. Der vorliegende interdisziplinäre Band versammelt Forschungen zu den Vorstellungen eines religiös begründeten freiwilligen Todes oder Martyriums in der Hebräischen Bibel, im Judentum des Zweiten Tempels, im Frühchristentum und seiner paganen Umwelt, im rabbinischen Judentum und im Islam. Die Beiträge verdeutlichen die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven der abrahamitischen Religionen auf dieses Phänomen. Es zeigt sich, dass die übergreifende, verallgemeinernde Charakterisierung jedes religiös bedingten freiwilligen Sterbens als 'Martyrium' der Komplexität des Phänomens nicht gerecht wird.
:
Contributions from a conference held June 9-11, 2010, at the Westfäische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. :
1 online resource (vi, 324 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004234215 :
1871-6636 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Other worlds and their relation to this world : early Jewish and ancient Christian traditions /
:
Is there a future after death and what does this future look like? What kind of life can we expect, and in what kind of world? Is there another, hopefully better world than the one we live in? The articles collected in this volume, all written by leading experts in the field, deal with the question how ancient Jewish and Christian authors describe "otherworldly places and situations". They investigate why various forms of texts were created to address the questions above, how these texts functioned, and how they have to be understood. It is shown how ancient descriptions of the "otherworld" are taking over and reworking existing motifs, forms and genres, but also that they mirror concrete problems, ideas, experiences, and questions of their authors and the first readers.
:
Proceedings of a conference held Mar. 21-23, 2007 at Radboud University. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004190733 :
1384-2161 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Reflections on the early Christian history of religion = Erwägungen zur frühchristlichen religionsgeschichte /
:
Reflections on the Early Christian History of Religion documents the results of two recent workshops on Martin Hengel's and Maria Schwemer's first volume of first volume of Geschichte des frühen Christentums ( Jesus und das Judentum [title of volume 1], Tübingen 2007) and Larry Hurtado's Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity (Grand Rapids 2003). The contributors, including Hengel himself, focus on problems and possibilities of studying and presenting Christian religion in Roman Antiquity. They discuss distinctive features of these two remarkable publications and some material aspects that illustrate the relationship between the historical study of early Christian religion, religious studies in general and New Testament studies in particular. Mit den Erwägungen zur frühchristlichen Religionsgeschichte liegen die Ergebnisse zweier Fachtagungen vor, die sich mit dem ersten Band der Geschichte des frühen Christentums von Martin Hengel und Maria Schwemer ( Jesus und das Judentum , Tübingen 2007) und Larry Hurtados Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity (Grand Rapids 2003) beschäftigt haben. Die Beiträge, u.a. von Hengel selbst, diskutieren Probleme und Möglichkeiten der Erforschung und Darstellung christlicher Religion in der römischen Antike. Sie setzen sich mit den Zugangsweisen dieser beiden Bücher auseinander und zeigen an verschiedenen Sachfragen die Bezüge, die sich bei der historischen Erforschung der frühchristlichen Religion zwischen Geschichtswissenschaft, Religionswissenschaft und Neutestamentlicher Wissenschaft ergeben.
:
Title from PDF title page (viewed on Dec. 3, 2012). :
1 online resource (xiv, 374 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004230675 :
1871-6636 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Fair play : diversity and conflicts in early Christianity : essays in honour of Heikki Räisänen /
:
This collection of essays in honour of Heikki Räisänen, New Testament professor at the University of Helsinki, consists of 22 essays written by his colleagues and students on Jesus, the gospels, Paul, early Christianity, and biblical interpretation. Räisänen's own research has been characterized by methodological awareness combined with a keen interest in ethical issues. Both these aspects come to expression in his insistence on \'fair play\' as a correct scholarly attitude involving an honest dialogue, a real encounter, and a recognition of diverging opinions. In this spirit, most of the essays in this book lay emphasis on issues related to early Christian diversity and conflicts, and to their challenge in modern society. The book is useful for scholars, academic teachers and students interested in various aspects of the New Testament, early Christianity, and hermeneutics.
:
1 online resource (xii, 592 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004268210 :
0167-9732 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.