CONTENTS

  1. Preface xiii
  2. Maps xix
  3. 1. THE IDEA OF ISRAEL 1
  4. The Second Temple Matrix 2
  5. Israel among the Nations 3
  6. The Spread of the Gospel 6
  7. Jews and Jesus 11
  8. Who Is Israel? 16
  9. Rhetorical “Jews” and Historical Jews 23
  10. 2. THE DILEMMAS OF DIVERSITY 30
  11. The War of Words 31
  12. The Knowledge of God 36
  13. Strategies of Control 46
  14. Neither Male nor Female 49
  15. Mani and Pelagius: The Politics of Orthodoxy 53
  16. Etiologies of Error 56
  17. 3. PERSECUTION AND MARTYRDOM 60
  18. Celestial Diplomacy 61
  19. Pre-Christian “Christian” Persecutions 63
  20. The Matrix of Martyrdom 66
  21. Spectacles of Death 70
  22. Turning Points 76
  23. The Communion of Saints 83
  24. Rhetoric of Martyrdom 87
  25. 4. THE FUTURE OF THE END 90
  26. The Second Coming 91
  27. Taming the Apocalypse 95
  28. Apocalypse Now 101
  29. Different Endings: Heaven and Hell 105
  30. 5. CHRIST AND EMPIRE 113
  31. Theology 114
  32. Divine Sonship 118
  33. Constantine, Nicaea, and After 121
  34. Julian 130
  35. Continuing Controversies 133
  36. The Imperial Church 138
  37. 6. THE REDEMPTION OF THE FLESH 144
  38. Ascetic Preludes 145
  39. The Ascetic Laboratory 148
  40. Ascetic Alternatives 153
  41. Marriage, Celibacy, and Virginity 160
  42. The Body, the Soul, and the Flesh 162
  43. Ideology and Identity, Rhetoric and Reality 169
  44. 7. PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN 172
  45. The Mediterranean Matrix 173
  46. Demons, Rituals, and “Magic” 175
  47. Neutralizing Pagan Tradition 182
  48. The Christian Capital 186
  49. The “Second” Church 190
  50. Identities and Boundaries 194
  51. Conclusion 198
  52. Acknowledgments 207
  53. Timeline 211
  54. Glossary 219
  55. Supplementary Reading 223
  56. Sources Index 245
  57. Names and Places Index 255
  58. Subject Index 260