Religious innovation in the Hellenistic and Roman periods /

The scholarly study of new religious movements focuses on the contemporary period, but religious innovation is nothing new. This Element explores a historical epoch characterized by a multitude of emergent religious concepts and practices - the Hellenistic and Roman periods. A precondition for the i...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Hauptverfasser:
Hammer, Olav, Rothstein, Mikael
Format:
Elektronisch E-Book
Sprache:
Englisch
Veröffentlicht:
Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Ausgabe:
First edition.
Zusammenfassung:
The scholarly study of new religious movements focuses on the contemporary period, but religious innovation is nothing new. This Element explores a historical epoch characterized by a multitude of emergent religious concepts and practices - the Hellenistic and Roman periods. A precondition for the intense degree of religious innovation during this time was a high level of cultural exchange. Religious elements crossed porous cultural borders and were adapted to suit new purposes. The resulting amalgams were presented in a vast corpus of texts, largely produced by a literate elite. Charismatic leaders played a particularly important role in creating new religious options and were described in genres that were infused with ideological agendas. Novel religious developments were accepted by the Roman authorities unless suspected of undermining the social order. The rise of one of the many new religions of the period, Christianity, ultimately changed the religious landscape in profound ways.
Umfang:
1 online resource (69 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).
Anmerkungen:
Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 31 Jul 2023).
Bibliografie:
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN:
9781009035316
1009035312
9781009035514
1009035517
9781009030106
1009030108
ISSN:
2635-232X
Schlagworte:
Cults > Greece > History > To 1500.
Cults > Rome > History > To 1500.
Bezugswerke:
Links: