christian supplements » christian elements (Expand Search), christian opponents (Expand Search)
Poetry and exegesis in premodern Latin Christianity : the encounter between classical and Christian strategies of interpretation /
:
This volume investigates various exegetical possibilities in Christian Latin poetry during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. In the Latin West poetry was mainly associated with the powerful pagan tradition of writers like Vergil and Ovid, and by many poetry was considered to tell lies and provide mere entertainment potentially corrupting the soul. Therefore, Christians initially had reservations about this genre and believed it to be incompatible with Christian worship, literacy and intellectual activity. In practice, however, forms of specifically Christian poetry developed from the end of the third century onwards; theoretical reconciliations were developed around 400 A.D. This collection examines specimens of Christian poetry from Juvencus (the first biblical epicist shortly after 300) up to the thirteenth century. Its particular usefulness lies in the combination of literary theory and hermeneutics, close readings of the texts and new readings on a sound philological basis.
:
1 online resource (xi, 360 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047421320 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Verleiblichung und Synergie : Grundzüge der Bibelhermeneutik bei Maximus Confessor /
:
This volume examines the biblical hermeneutics of Maximus the Confessor (579/580-662). Although some aspects of the Confessor's hermeneutical approach had already been tackled, a comprehensive analysis was still missing. Accordingly, this book fills a gap in Patristic studies. The study consists of three chapters. The first one deals with the logoi theory of Maximus being the ontological nucleus around which his whole theological thinking is organized. The second chapter examines Maximus' understanding of mystical ascension. Equipped with the \'ontological\' and \'mystical\' foundation, the third chapter analyzes thoroughly the hermeneutics of Maximus as such, attempting to show its coherence and rootedness in the general christological perspective of the Confessor. This book will be of benefit not only for byzantinists and patrologists, but also for biblical scholars interested in the history of hermeneutics and exegesis as well as for historians of philosophy and medieval ideas.
:
1 online resource (lxv, 323 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 281-315) and indexes. :
9789004313286 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Origen : cosmology and ontology of time /
:
Origen's Cosmology and Ontology of Time constitute a major catalyst and a massive transformation in the development of Christian doctrine. The author challenges the widespread impression about this theology being bowled head over heels by its encounter with Platonism, Gnosticism, or Neoplatonism, and casts new light on Origen's grasp of the relation between Hellenism, Hebrew thought and Christianity. Against all ancient and modern accounts, the ingrained claim that Origen sustained the theory of a beginningless world is disconfirmed. He is argued to be the anticipator and forerunner of critical notions, with his innovations never having been superseded. While some of the accounts afforded by subsequent Christian writers were more extended, they were not fuller. Of them, Augustine just fell short of even accurately echoing this Theory of Time, since he introduced affinity with Platonism at points where Origen had instituted a radical dissimilarity. With his background fruitfully brought into the study of these questions, Origen's propositions are genuine innovations, not mere advances, however massive.
:
1 online resource (xiii, 417 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 377-392) and indexes. :
9789047417637 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The earliest history of the Christian gathering : origin, development and content of the Christian gathering in the first to third centuries /
:
Recent research has made a strong case for the view that Early Christian communities, sociologically considered, functioned as voluntary religious associations. This is similar to the practice of many other cultic associations in the Greco-Roman world of the first century CE. Building upon this new approach, along with a critical interpretation of all available sources, this book discusses the social and religio-historical background of the weekly gatherings of Christians and presents a fresh reconstruction of how the weekly gathering originated and developed in both form and content. The topics studied here include the origins of the observance of Sunday as the weekly Christian feast-day, the shape and meaning of the weekly gatherings of the Christian communities, and the rise of customs such as preaching, praying, singing, and the reading of texts in these meetings.
:
Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Leiden University, 2009. :
1 online resource (xvii, 342 pages) : illustrations, plans. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-321) and indexes. :
9789004190702 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
God in early Christian thought : essays in memory of Lloyd G. Patterson /
:
While the diversity of early Christian thought and practice is now generally assumed, and the experiences and beliefs of Christians beyond the works of great theologians increasingly valued, the question of God is perennial and fundamental. These essays, individually modest in scope, seek to address that largest of questions using particular issues and problems, or single thinkers and distinct texts. They include studies of doctrine and theology as traditionally conceived, but also of understandings of God among the early Christians that emerge from study of liturgy, art, and asceticism, and in relation to the social order and to nature itself.
:
1 online resource (vi, 407 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 361-373) and index. :
9789047427582 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Recovering Jewish-Christian sects and gospels /
:
The mystery of lost, apocryphal Jewish-Christian gospels has intrigued scholars for centuries. Scholars have also debated whether the Ebionites with their low Christology or the more "orthodox" Nazarenes are the genuine successors of the early Jerusalem church. This book provides a fresh assessment of the patristic sources and the scholarly theories on the number and contents of Jewish-Christian gospels. A new approach, the study of indicators of Jewish-Christian profiles, shows the artificial nature of the church fathers' heretical discourse, bringing forth previously neglected connections between various Jewish-Christian movements. This book also challenges the widely accepted theory of three Jewish-Christian gospels bringing the Gospel of the Hebrews closer to its synoptic cousins-not, however, as a witness of the earliest Jesus traditions but as a post-synoptic composition.
:
1 online resource (xiv, 296 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-276) and indexes. :
9789004217430 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Demons and the Devil in ancient and medieval Christianity /
:
This collection of essays approaches the role of demons and the devil in ancient and medieval Christianity from a variety of scholarly perspectives: historical, philosophical, and theological as well as philological, liturgical, and theoretical. In the opening article Gerd Theissen presents a wide-ranging overview of the role of the devil, spanning the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and patristic literature. The contributions that follow address texts on the devil, demons, and evil, and are drawn from ancient philosophy, the New Testament, early Christian apologetics, hagiography, and history. Covering primarily the patristic period, the volume also contains articles on medieval sources. The introduction discusses the different angles of approach found in the articles in an effort to shed fresh light on this familiar but also uniquely troubling theme.
:
Based on a conference held Oct. 6-7, 2006 in Heeze, Netherlands. :
1 online resource (xii, 257 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004208056 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Die Eucharistie ist Jesus : Anfänge einer Theorie des Sakraments im koptischen Philippusevangelium (NHC II 3) /
:
Given the concept of salvation through knowledge in Valentinian Gnosis, which is basically anti-materialist, one would not expect concrete physical rituals to play a large role in its practice. The Nag Hammadi Gospel of Philip is widely recognized as a Valentinian text, yet it contains portions of a treatise on the value of baptism, anointing, and the eucharist. The text, which arguably comes from the end of the second century, presents the first developed theory and justification of these sacraments in Early Christianity. The present study reconstructs this theory from the fragmentary text and considers its consequences for the organization of the community. Thus, the book is also an attempt to address the problem of institutionalization in early Christian communities.
:
Slightly Revision of the author's thesis--Universität München, 2005. :
1 online resource (xii, 550 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 505-531) and indexes. :
9789047421634 :
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.
The spirit of God : the exegesis of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Pneumatomachian controversy of the fourth century /
:
The Spirit of God examines the use of 1 and 2 Corinthians by two fourth-century Greek Christian authors, Athanasius and Basil of Caesarea, especially as it relates to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The controversy over the nature and status of the Spirit during the latter half of the fourth century is detailed in order to place in context the examination of the way in which the theological concerns of Athanasius and Basil shaped their pneumatological interpretation of the Corinthian correspondence. This examination will be of value to patristic scholars interested in the way that Scripture was employed in the fourth century to hammer out doctrine.
:
1 online resource (xxiv, 253 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-244) and indexes. :
9789004312944 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Living water : images, symbols, and settings of early Christian baptism /
:
This general survey of early Christian baptismal iconography and architecture integrates visual depictions and physical settings of baptism with textual evidence for its practice and purpose. An opening overview of pictorial art (paintings, relief sculpture, mosaics, and ivories) prompts questions about components of the actual ritual which are treated in the literary sources. The study's second half considers selected baptismal structures, examining the symbolism, purpose, and possible meaning of their spatial design and decorative programs. In most instances the synthesis of documentary and material evidence is enriching and complementary. However, even when physical and textual data diverge, their discontinuity demonstrates the variability of ritual performance and the perennial distinction between ideal and actual practice..
:
1 online resource (xxiv, 305 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 283-297) and index. :
9789004189089 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Angelomorphic pneumatology : Clement of Alexandria and other early Christian witnesses /
:
This book discusses the occurrence of angelic imagery in early Christian discourse about the Holy Spirit. Taking as its entry-point Clement of Alexandria's less explored writings, Excerpta ex Theodoto, Eclogae propheticae, and Adumbrationes, it shows that Clement's angelomorphic pneumatology occurs in tandem with spirit christology, within a theological framework still characterized by a binitarian orientation. This complex theological articulation, supported by the exegesis of specific biblical passages (Zech 4: 10; Isa 11 : 2-3; Matt 18:10), reworks Jewish and Christian traditions about the seven first-created angels, and constitutes a relatively widespread phenomenon in early Christianity. Evidence to support this claim is presented in the course of separate studies of Revelation, the Shepherd of Hermas, Justin Martyr, and Aphrahat.
:
1 online resource (xxix, 232 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-215) and indexes. :
9789047444480 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Martha from the margins : the authority of Martha in early Christian tradition /
:
In the popular imagination Martha has become synonymous with the harried housewife, fretting over excessive preparations. The Martha known to early Christians is far removed from this stereotype. Martha was better known for her role in the story of the raising of Lazarus and as apostle and witness of the resurrection. This book gathers and assesses the early traditions about Martha in text, liturgy and iconography. It shows that the significance of Martha has been seriously underestimated and recovers an important and widespread tradition of Martha as apostle and authority figure for early Christians. The analysis of Martha traditions with attention to issues of gender and authority render this book an important contribution to studies on women in early Christianity.
:
1 online resource (xix, 369 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 307-340) and indexes. :
9789004186873 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Die christlichen Lehrer im zweiten Jahrhundert : ihre Lehrtätigkeit, ihr Selbstverständnis und ihre Geschichte /
: A slight Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 1987. : 1 online resource (x, 279 pages) : Includes bibliographical references (p. 241-267) and index. : 9789004312739 : 0920-623X ; : Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Clement of Alexandria and his use of Philo in the Stromateis : an early Christian reshaping of a Jewish model /
: Includes indexes. : 1 online resource (xii, 261 pages) : illustrations. : Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-247). : 9789004304192 : 0920-623X ; : Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Basil of Caesarea's anti-Eunomian theory of names : Christian theology and late-antique philosophy in the fourth century trinitarian controversy /
:
Basil of Caesarea's debate with Eunomius of Cyzicus in the early 360s marks a turning point in the fourth-century Trinitarian controversies. It shifted focus to methodological and epistemological disputes underlying theological differences. This monograph explores one of these fundamental points of contention: the proper theory of names. It offers a revisionist interpretation of Eunomius's theory as a corrective to previous approaches, contesting the widespread assumption that it is indebted to Platonist sources and showing that it was developed by drawing upon proximate Christian sources. While Eunomius held that names uniquely predicated of God communicated the divine essence, in response Basil developed a "notionalist" theory wherein all names signify primarily notions and secondarily properties, not essence.
:
Revision of the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Emory University, 2009. :
1 online resource (xiv, 300 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-284) and indexes. :
9789004189102 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Die theologischen Fragmente /
:
This volume is the first critical edition of the theological fragments of Asterius of Cappadocia, the so-called Arian Sophist, who lived in the early fourth century. The first part of the volume provides an introduction to the theological thought of Asterius, an important member of the \'Eusebians\'. It also compares the theological thought of Asterius with Origen's and Arius' theology. The second part consists of the 77 theological fragments of Asterius of Cappadocia with a German translation. In the third part a commentary is given for each fragment explaining the content, the language and also the authenticity of the texts.
:
1 online resource (xvi, 375 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 327-347) and indexes. :
9789004312869 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Marriage in the Western Church : the Christianization of marriage during the patristic and early medieval periods /
:
Marriage in the Western Church examines how marriage acquired a specifically Christian identity in the Western Church from the patristic through Carolingian periods. It shows how theologians came to regard marriage as an ecclesiastical institution and how they developed a Christian theology of marriage. The first part of the book deals with marriage and divorce in Roman and Germanic law. Other parts deal with marriage and divorce in ecclesiastical law, with the Latin Fathers' distinction between the divine and human laws of marriage, and with the customary stages by which persons became married. Several chapters are devoted to Augustine's views on marriage and sexuality. The author shows how the doctrine of indissolubility became the West's chief means of christianizing marriage, and how theologians found here their preferred arguments for affirming the holiness and the 'sacramentality' of marriage. The author argues that the Western regime of indissolubility was the product of a fourth century reform movement. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.
:
1 online resource (xxx, 436 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 420-427) and index. :
9789004312913 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Tod und Ritual in den christlichen Gemeinden der Antike /
:
The development of Early Christian rituals in connection with death and burial has so far not sufficiently been explored. Volp's study focuses on the surviving literary sources-both pagan and Christian-, together with inscriptions and other archaeological remains while taking into account recent results from science and humanities. A summary of death and ritual in the ancient Mediterranean religions is followed by detailed analyses of the Christian sources from the 2nd to the 5th century. Thus, basic developments are being discovered which led to and accompanied the forming of Christian rituals, such as ritual purity or the social structure of family and society. Being the first such interdisciplinary approach, it also represents the first monographic work on the topic since 1941.
:
Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bonn, 2001. :
1 online resource (xii, 337 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-309) and indexes. :
9789004313309 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Der Paradox Eine : antignostischer Monarchianismus im zweiten Jahrhundert /
:
These essays propose a new dating of, and historical setting for the letters of \'Ignatius of Antioch\'. In so doing this volume forms an important contribution to the study of Monarchianism and early church history as well. An examination of the fragments of Noëtus of Smyrna, the founder of Monarchianism, leads to the discovery of the oldest Regula fidei , and of its origin as part of anti-gnostic polemics. On the ground of late second-century parallels, especially Melito and Irenaeus, this Regula can be dated between 160 and 180 CE. It is within this context that the so-called Letters of Ignatius fit seamlessly. As a result of these findings this volume argues for a significant revision of our understanding of early church history. Monarchianism (\'Sabellianism\', \'Patripassianism\'), later considered heretical, is shown to have been the almost universally accepted belief within the Church up to the period of the Roman bishops Zephyrinus and Callistus.
:
1 online resource (xviii, 332 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 317-332) and index. :
9789004313163 :
0920-623X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.