Theology

Praying and Contemplating in Late Antiquity

Religious and Philosophical Interactions
Ed. by Eleni Pachoumi and Mark Edwards

[Gebet und Kontemplation. Religiöse und philosophische Interaktion in der Spätantike.]

2018. VIII, 229 pages.

Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum / Studies and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity 113

94,00 €
including VAT
sewn paper
ISBN 978-3-16-156119-1
available
Also Available As:
Published in English.
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.
Survey 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
Authors/Editors

Eleni Pachoumi Studied Classical Studies; 2007 PhD; worked as a Lecturer of Classical Philology at the University of Thessaly, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Patras; Research Fellow at North-West University; currently Lecturer at the Open University in Greece and Academic Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford.

Mark Edwards 1984 BA in Literae Humaniores; 1990 BA in Theology; 1988 D.phil.; 1989–93 Junior Fellowship at New College; Tutor in Theology at Christ Church, Oxford and University Lecturer in Patristics in the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford; since 2014 Professor of Early Christian Studies.

Reviews

The following reviews are known:

In: Antigüedad, Religions y Sociedades (ARYS) — https://e-revistas.uc3m.es/index.php/ARYS/issue/view/618 (Maik Patzelt)
In: Church History — 3 (2022), pp. 123–124 (Dominique Sirgy)
In: Zeitschr.f.Antikes Christentum — 24 (2020), pp. 655–658 (Barbara Müller)
More From Author / Editor
More About Subject
More About Series / Multi-volume Works