The present volume is focused on the interactions and syncretistic tensions between religion and philosophy in Late Antiquity. The contributors examine issues of personal religious attitudes, initiation to the mysteries, Orphism, theurgy, magic, the Neoplatonist philosopher's quest for intimacy or union with the divine, magic and Christianity, and oracles, dream-visions and divination.
The present volume is focused on the interactions and syncretistic tensions between religion and philosophy in Late Antiquity. A variety of papers examine issues of personal religious attitudes, initiation to the mysteries, Orphism, notions of theurgy, magic, the philosopher's quest for intimacy or union with the divine, magic and Christianity, the role of prayer in philosophical texts, and oracles, dream-visions and divination. The contributions include a wide range of specialisations, such as Neoplatonism, Chaldaean Oracles, Theurgy, Patristic literature, Christian religious texts and Manichaeism.
Table of contents:
John Dillon: Prayer and Contemplation in the Neoplatonic and Sufi Traditions -
Eleni Pachoumi: Magico-religious and Philosophical Interactions in Proclus' Theurgic Unions -
John Finamore: Reason and Irrationality: Iamblichus on Divination through Dreams -
Mark Wildish: Iamblichus on the Language of Prayer -
Wayne Hankey: Prayer's Mediation in Boethius' Consolation -
John Hilton: Public and Private Prayer in the Works of the Emperor Julian -
Mark Edwards: Primitive Christianity and Magic -
Bronwen Neil: Dream-visions, Prophecy and Contemplation in Origen's Contra Celsum -
Annemaré Kotzé: Augustine Addressing God and Man in the Confessions -
Matthew Dickie: The Meaning of Initiation in Late Antiquity -
Lech Trzcionkowski: Hieroi Logoi in 24 Rhapsodies. The Orphic Codex? -
Philip Bosman: The End of the Ancient Oracles: From Deception to Dangerous Demons