From Jupiter to Christ: On the History of Religion in the Roman Imperial Period

Synopsis

He History Of Roman Imperial Religion Is Of Fundamental Importance To The History Of Religion In Europe. Emerging From A Decade Of Research, From Jupiter To Christ Demonstrates That The Decisive Change Within The Roman Imperial Period Was Not A Growing Number Of Religions Or Changes In Their Ranking And Success, But A Modification Of The Idea Of Religion And A Change In The Social Place Of Religious Practices And Beliefs. Religion Is Shown To Be Transformed From A Medium Serving The Individual Necessities -- Dealing With Human Contingencies Like Sickness, Insecurity, And Death -- And A Medium Serving The Public Formation Of Political Identity, Into An Encompassing System Of Ways Of Life, Group Identities, And Political Legitimation. Instead Of Offering An Encyclopaedic Presentation Of Religious Beliefs, Symbols, And Practices Throughout The Period, The Volume Thematically Presents The Media That Manifested And Diffused Religion (institutions, Texts, And Law), And Analyses Representative Cases. It Asks How Religion Changed In Processes Of Diffusion And Immigration, How Fast (or How Slow) Practices And Institutions Were Appropriated And Modified, And Reveals How These Changes Made Roman Religion 'exportable', Creating Those Forms Of Intellectualisation And Enscripturation Which Made Religion An Autonomous Area, Different From Other Social Fields.-- Introduction: The History Of Religion In The Mediterranean, And The Problem Of Imperial Religion -- Part I: Globalization In A Traditional Form. 'globalization' As A Model For Individual Religious Creativity In The Roman Imperial Age ; Integration And Transformation Of An Immigrant Religion: Observations On The Inscriptions Of The Jupiter Dolichenus Cult In Rome ; A Judaeo-christian Variant Of Professional Religion N Rome: The Shepherd Of Hermas ; Organizational Patterns In Respect Of Religious Specialists In A Range Of Roman Cults -- Part Ii: Media And Vectors Of The Spread Of Religion In The Roman Empire. The Rise Of Provincial Religion ; Religion In The Lex Ursonensis ; The Export Of Calendars And Festivals In The Roman Empire ; Book Religions As Imperial Religions? The Local Limits Of Supraregional Religious Communication -- Part Iii: The Roman World Changes: Religious Change On A Global Scale. Polytheism And Pluralism: Observations On Religious Competition In The Roman Imperial Age ; Religious Pluralism And The Roman Empire ; Representations Of Roman Religion In Christian Apologetic Texts ; Religious Centralization: Traditional Priesthoods And The Role Of The Pontifex Maximus In The Late Imperial Age ; Visual Worlds And Religious Boundaries ; How Does An Empire Change Religion, And How Religion An Empire? Conclusion And Perspectives Regarding The Question Of 'imperial And Provincial Religion.' Jörg Rüpke ; Translated By David M.b. Richardson. This Revised Edition Has Been Translated From The Original German Publication Von Jupiter Zu Christus--title Page Verso. Translated, Expanded And Revised Version Of The German Text Von Jupiter Zu Christus : Religionsgeschichte In Römischer Zeit Published By Wissenschaftliche Buchgellschaft, Darmstadt, 2011. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 285-319) And Index.