Among the Gentiles · Greco-Roman Religion and Christianity by Johnson, Luke Timothy -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Contents Preface 1. Beyond Attack and Apology: A New Look at an Old Debate

Ancient attack and apology The mixing of elements The need for a new approach

2. Beginning a New Conversation

New perspectives New knowledge Challenging old reconstructions

3. A Preliminary Profile of Greco-Roman Religion

General features Specific religious phenomena

Prophecy Healing Mysteries Pilgrimage Magic

Ways of being religious

The way of participation in divine benefits The way of moral transformation The way of transcending the world The way of stabilizing the world

4. Religion as Participation in Divine Benefits: Aelius Aristides

Aelius Aristides and the Second Sophistic A sketch of Aristides' life Participation in divine benefits The sacred tales

5. Religion as Moral Transformation: Epictetus

The life of Epictetus The Stoic teacher Religion as moral transformation The philosopher as God's messenger

6. Religion as Transcending the World: Poimandres

Early traces The Hermetic literature Poimandres

7. Religion as Stabilizing the World: Plutarch

Maintaining the city of gods and men The many-sided Plutarch Piety and the preservation of civilization

Superstition Atheism Piety

8. Ways of Being Jewish in the Greco-Roman World

Judaism in the Greco-Roman world A united and divided people Ways of being religious as Jews

Religion as participation in divine benefits Religion as moral transformation Religion as transcending the world Religion as stabilizing the world

9. The Appearance of Christianity in the Greco-Roman World

Christianity's first expansion Religious experience and confession Social settings Ways of being religious

10. New Testament Christianity as Participation in Divine Benefits

The enthusiastic Corinthians Ritual imprinting in Phrygia Jesus the bringer of benefits The man from heaven

11. New Testament Christianity as Moral Transformation

Paul as moral teacher James and "pure religion" Hebrews and moral education Other forms of religion in the New Testament

12. Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries: Participation in Divine Benefits

Historical and social framework The apocryphal acts of apostles Apocryphal narrative gospels Montanism Martyr piety

13. Moral Transformation in Second- and Third-Century Christianity

First steps: Clement of Rome and Polycarp of Smyrna Symbolic figure: Justin Martyr Christianity as philosophy: Clement of Alexandria The Christian philosopher: Origen of Alexandria

14. Transcending the World in Second- and Third-Century Christianity

Irenaeus on the Gnostics Writings from Nag-Hammadi

15. Stabilizing the World in Second- and Third-Century Christianity

Bishops and cult Early church orders The Quartodeciman Controversy Irenaeus of Lyons Cyprian of Carthage

16. After Constantine: Christianity as Imperial Religion

The Constantinian era Participation in benefits Stabilizing the world Moral transformation Transcending the world

Epilogue

Implications of the study A final word

Notes

Scripture Index Index of Ancient Authors Index of Modern Authors Subject Index