Against Celsus: Piety in Context
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RICE, CARL ROSS. Diocletian's “Great
ABSTRACT RICE, CARL ROSS. Diocletian’s “Great Persecutions”: Minority Religions and the Roman Tetrarchy. (Under the direction of Prof. S. Thomas Parker) In the year 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian and the other members of the Tetrarchy launched a series of persecutions against Christians that is remembered as the most severe, widespread, and systematic persecution in the Church’s history. Around that time, the Tetrarchy also issued a rescript to the Pronconsul of Africa ordering similar persecutory actions against a religious group known as the Manichaeans. At first glance, the Tetrarchy’s actions appear to be the result of tensions between traditional classical paganism and religious groups that were not part of that system. However, when the status of Jewish populations in the Empire is examined, it becomes apparent that the Tetrarchy only persecuted Christians and Manichaeans. This thesis explores the relationship between the Tetrarchy and each of these three minority groups as it attempts to understand the Tetrarchy’s policies towards minority religions. In doing so, this thesis will discuss the relationship between the Roman state and minority religious groups in the era just before the Empire’s formal conversion to Christianity. It is only around certain moments in the various religions’ relationships with the state that the Tetrarchs order violence. Consequently, I argue that violence towards minority religions was a means by which the Roman state policed boundaries around its conceptions of Roman identity. © Copyright 2016 Carl Ross Rice All Rights Reserved Diocletian’s “Great Persecutions”: Minority Religions and the Roman Tetrarchy by Carl Ross Rice A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History Raleigh, North Carolina 2016 APPROVED BY: ______________________________ _______________________________ S. -
Persuasive Rhetoric in Origen's Contra Celsum
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 8-2003 Persuasive Rhetoric in Origen’s Contra Celsum. Daniel Charles Headrick University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Headrick, Daniel Charles, "Persuasive Rhetoric in Origen’s Contra Celsum.. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2003. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/1972 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Daniel Charles Headrick entitled "Persuasive Rhetoric in Origen’s Contra Celsum.." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in Philosophy. David Dungan, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: David Linge, James Fitzgerald Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Daniel Charles Headrick entitled “Persuasive Rhetoric in Origen’s Contra Celsum.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in Philosophy. -
From the Garden of Eden to the New Creation in Christ : a Theological Investigation Into the Significance and Function of the Ol
The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theses 2017 From the Garden of Eden to the new creation in Christ : A theological investigation into the significance and function of the Old estamentT imagery of Eden within the New Testament James Cregan The University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses Part of the Religion Commons COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further copying or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Publication Details Cregan, J. (2017). From the Garden of Eden to the new creation in Christ : A theological investigation into the significance and function of the Old Testament imagery of Eden within the New Testament (Doctor of Philosophy (College of Philosophy and Theology)). University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/181 This dissertation/thesis is brought to you by ResearchOnline@ND. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@ND. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO THE NEW CREATION IN CHRIST: A THEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE SIGNIFICANCE AND FUNCTION OF OLD TESTAMENT IMAGERY OF EDEN WITHIN THE NEW TESTAMENT. James M. Cregan A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. School of Philosophy and Theology, Fremantle. November 2017 “It is thus that the bridge of eternity does its spanning for us: from the starry heaven of the promise which arches over that moment of revelation whence sprang the river of our eternal life, into the limitless sands of the promise washed by the sea into which that river empties, the sea out of which will rise the Star of Redemption when once the earth froths over, like its flood tides, with the knowledge of the Lord. -
Depending on Evil an Analysis of Late Antique Christian Demonologies
Depending on Evil An Analysis of Late Antique Christian Demonologies Thomas Andruszewski 2/17/2008 Table of Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................................... i Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................1 Part I - In Support of Apocalypse Chapter I - Justin Martyr, Athenagoras and Tertullian................................................................................7 Chapter II - Origen .....................................................................................................................................23 Chapter III - Augustine of Hippo ................................................................................................................33 Part II - Demonizing Demons: the Construction of Evil in Late Antiquity Chapter IV - Taking Aim, the Role of Demons in the Polemical Arsenal of Early Church Fathers...........39 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................55 1 Preface This thesis provides an analysis of the demonologies included in the writings of some of the early Church Fathers. They include: Justin Martyr’s Apology (150 CE),1 Athenagoras’ Legatio (177 CE),2 Tertullian’s Apology (197 CE),3 Origen’s On First Principles (218 CE)4 and Against Celsus (248 CE),5 -
Theology As Academic Discourse in Greco-Roman Late Antiquity1
THEOLOGY AS ACADEMIC DISCOURSE IN GRECO-ROMAN 1 LATE ANTIQUITY Josef Lössl, Cardiff University ([email protected]) Abstract: Following conventional wisdom Theology as an academic discipline (taught at Universities) is something which developed only in the Middle Ages, or in a certain sense even as late as the 19th century. The present essay in contrast traces its origins to Classical Antiquity and outlines its development in early Christianity, especially with a view to institutions of higher education that existed in Late Antiquity, e. g. in rhetoric and philosophy. It concludes that there were forms of academic theological discourse in Late Antiquity which were to become the basis of later developments in the discipline. Introduction The title of this paper may seem problematic in the sense that Classical Antiquity knew neither an academic discipline called “theology”2 nor a secular institution of higher education that could be compared with what we understand by “university”.3 1 An earlier version of this paper was presented on 16 April 2013 at a symposium on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität, Frankfurt am Main. I thank the organi-sers of the symposium, in particular Prof. Dr. Knut Wenzel, for inviting me to speak on that occasion. 2 Of course, early Christian discourse as reflected in the extant literary remains of early Christianity is generally assumed to be, at least to a large part, also in some sense theology; for a discussion of this point see Chr. Markschies, Die kaiserzeitliche christliche Theologie und ihre Institutionen (Tübingen, 2009), now translated as Chr. -
The Routledge Companion to Early Christian Thought Greco-Roman
This article was downloaded by: 10.3.98.104 On: 27 Sep 2021 Access details: subscription number Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG, UK The Routledge Companion to Early Christian Thought D. Jeffrey Bingham Greco-Roman Understanding of Christianity Publication details https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203864517.ch3 Paul Hartog Published online on: 21 Dec 2009 How to cite :- Paul Hartog. 21 Dec 2009, Greco-Roman Understanding of Christianity from: The Routledge Companion to Early Christian Thought Routledge Accessed on: 27 Sep 2021 https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203864517.ch3 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR DOCUMENT Full terms and conditions of use: https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/legal-notices/terms This Document PDF may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproductions, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The publisher shall not be liable for an loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 23:14 27 Sep 2021; For: 9780203864517, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203864517.ch3 First published 2010 by Routledge 2 park square, milton park, abingdon, oxon oX14 4Rn simultaneously published in the usa and Canada by Routledge 270 madison ave., new york, ny 100016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010. -
Review: [Untitled] Reviewed Work(S): Savior Et Salut: Gnoses De L'antiquité Tardive by Gedaliahu Guy Stroumsa Paula Fredriksen
Review: [Untitled] Reviewed Work(s): Savior et Salut: Gnoses de l'Antiquité Tardive by Gedaliahu Guy Stroumsa Paula Fredriksen The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Ser., Vol. 86, No. 1/2. (Jul. - Oct., 1995), pp. 195-197. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-6682%28199507%2F10%292%3A86%3A1%2F2%3C195%3ASESGDL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-F The Jewish Quarterly Review is currently published by University of Pennsylvania Press. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/journals/upenn.html. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. The JSTOR Archive is a trusted digital repository providing for long-term preservation and access to leading academic journals and scholarly literature from around the world. The Archive is supported by libraries, scholarly societies, publishers, and foundations. It is an initiative of JSTOR, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to help the scholarly community take advantage of advances in technology. For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. -
Justifying Religious Freedom: the Western Tradition
Justifying Religious Freedom: The Western Tradition E. Gregory Wallace* Table of Contents I. THESIS: REDISCOVERING THE RELIGIOUS JUSTIFICATIONS FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.......................................................... 488 II. THE ORIGINS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN EARLY CHRISTIAN THOUGHT ................................................................................... 495 A. Early Christian Views on Religious Toleration and Freedom.............................................................................. 495 1. Early Christian Teaching on Church and State............. 496 2. Persecution in the Early Roman Empire....................... 499 3. Tertullian’s Call for Religious Freedom ....................... 502 B. Christianity and Religious Freedom in the Constantinian Empire ................................................................................ 504 C. The Rise of Intolerance in Christendom ............................. 510 1. The Beginnings of Christian Intolerance ...................... 510 2. The Causes of Christian Intolerance ............................. 512 D. Opposition to State Persecution in Early Christendom...... 516 E. Augustine’s Theory of Persecution..................................... 518 F. Church-State Boundaries in Early Christendom................ 526 G. Emerging Principles of Religious Freedom........................ 528 III. THE PRESERVATION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION EUROPE...................................................... 530 A. Persecution and Opposition in the Medieval -
A Commentary on Jerome's Contra Vigilantium by Amy
A COMMENTARY ON JEROME’S CONTRA VIGILANTIUM BY AMY HYE OH DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Classical Philology with a concentration in Medieval Studies in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Danuta Shanzer Professor Ralph Mathisen Professor Jon Solomon Professor Stephan Heilan, University of Osnabrück ABSTRACT Innkeepers inspired this dissertation. After working on ‘innkeepers’ as a topic for a research seminar paper, I soon discovered that the term caupo counted as an insult according to several church fathers, including Jerome. In the Contra Vigilantium, Jerome mocked his enemy, Vigilantius, by calling him a caupo who mixed water with wine; I wondered whether the title was true and the insult was deserved. What remained was to figure out who this man was and why he mattered. The dissertation is comprised of four parts: introductory chapters, a text with an en face translation, a philological/historical commentary, and appendices. The first chapter introduces Vigilantius, discusses why a commentary of the Contra Vigilantium is needed, and provides a biography, supported by literary and historical evidence in response to the bolder and more fanciful account of W.S. Gilly.1 The second chapter treats Vigilantius as an exegete. From a sample of his exegesis preserved in Jerome’s Ep. 61, I determine that Jerome dismissed Vigilantius’ exegesis because he wanted to protect his own orthodoxy. The third chapter situates Vigilantius in the debate on relic worship. His position is valuable because he opposed most of his contemporaries, decrying relics instead of supporting their translation and veneration. -
The Persecution of Christians in the First Century
JETS 61.3 (2018): 525–47 THE PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN THE FIRST CENTURY ECKHARD J. SCHNABEL* Abstract: The Book of Acts, Paul’s letters, 1 Peter, Hebrews, and Revelation attest to nu- merous incidents of persecution, which are attested for most provinces of the Roman empire, triggered by a wide variety of causes and connected with a wide variety of charges against the fol- lowers of Jesus. This essay surveys the twenty-seven specific incidents of and general references to persecution of Christians in the NT, with a focus on geographical, chronological, and legal matters. Key words: persecution, mission, hostility, opposition, Jerusalem, Rome, Peter, Paul, Acts, Hebrews, Revelation This essay seeks to survey the evidence in the NT for instances of the perse- cution of Jesus’ earliest followers in their historical and chronological contexts without attempting to provide a comprehensive analysis of each incident. The Greek term diōgmos that several NT authors use, usually translated as “persecu- tion,”1 is defined as “a program or process designed to harass and oppress some- one.”2 The term “persecution” is used here to describe the aggressive harassment and deliberate ill-treatment of the followers of Jesus, ranging from verbal abuse, denunciation before local magistrates, initiating court proceedings to beatings, flog- ging, banishment from a city, execution, and lynch killings. I. PERSECUTION IN JUDEA, SYRIA, AND NABATEA (AD 30–38/40) 1. Persecution in Jerusalem, Judea (I). Priests in Jerusalem, the captain of the tem- ple, and Sadducees arrested the apostles Peter and John who spoke to a crowd of * Eckhard J. -
Taljaard L 2014.Pdf (1001.Kb)
An analysis of the nature, effectiveness, and reliability of the Bahnsenian method of Presuppositional Apologetics when applied to the South African context L. Taljaard 25711989 Mini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Magister Theologiae in Apologetics at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University Supervisor: Prof Henk G. Stoker November, 2014 Abstract The debate amongst Christian apologists regarding which apologetical method is most useful, continues, and church history not only testifies to this fact, but also displays the variety of ways in which apologetics has been approached by theologians of old (Craig, et all., 2000:7). Closer analyses of the Presuppositional method of Apologetics sheds cardinal light on this debate, and offers possible conclusions and recommendations regarding the way forward for Apologetics (Bahnsen, 1998:467). The nature, effectiveness and reliability of Presuppositionalism become evident through careful analyses of the Bahnsenian method. The views of two South-African opponents of Christianity are apologetically evaluated with the Bahnsenian method. So doing, the Presuppositional method as interpreted by Bahnsen is not only proven effective, but also indispensable to the defence of orthodox Christianity also in South Africa. i Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………… i List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………………. vi Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………….... 1 1.1 Background……………………………………………………………..………. 1 1.2 -
Saint Augustine's Synthesis: a Brief Study of Early Christianity's Debt to Greek Philosophy
Western Oregon University Digital Commons@WOU Student Theses, Papers and Projects (History) Department of History 1999 Saint Augustine's Synthesis: A Brief Study of Early Christianity's Debt to Greek Philosophy Ross Mailhiot Western Oregon University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/his Part of the History of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Mailhiot, Ross, "Saint Augustine's Synthesis: A Brief Study of Early Christianity's Debt to Greek Philosophy" (1999). Student Theses, Papers and Projects (History). 283. https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/his/283 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Theses, Papers and Projects (History) by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Saint Augustine's Synthesis : A Brief Study of Early Christianity's Debt to Greek Philosophy Ross Mailhiot Senior Thesis Spring 1999 1 St. Augustine's Synthesis : A Brief Study of Early Christianity's Debt to Greek Philosophy "You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yoursel{, and our heort is restless until it rests inyou."l This is an often quoted line from the Confessions, written just before the close of the fourth century, and one of many passages pointed to by scholars as evidence of the influence of Greek philosophy in St. Augustine's numerous works. For those of us who need something a little less subtle, Augustine (354-430) spells it out for us by mentioning Plato (428-3478C) and Plotinus QA5-270) on numerous occasions in his wealth of writings.