Legible Religion: Books, Gods, and Rituals in Roman Culture - Couverture rigide

MacRae Jr., Duncan

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0674088719 ISBN 13 : 9780674088719

Editeur : Harvard University Press, 2016

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Scholars have long emphasized the importance of scripture in religion, tacitly separating a few privileged "religions of the Book" from faiths lacking sacred texts, including ancient Roman religion. Looking beyond this distinction, Duncan MacRae delves into Roman religious culture to grapple with a central question: what was the significance of books in a religion without scripture? In the last two centuries BCE, Varro and other Roman authors wrote treatises on the nature of the Roman gods and the rituals devoted to them. Although these books were not sacred texts, they made Roman religion legible in ways analogous to scripture-based faiths such as Judaism and Christianity. Rather than reflect the astonishingly varied polytheistic practices of the regions under Roman sway, the contents of the books comprise Rome's "civil theology"-not a description of an official state religion but one limited to the civic role of religion in Roman life. Tracing the subsequent influence of these religious texts from the late first century BCE to early fifth century CE, MacRae shows how the establishment of the Roman imperial monarchy and the rise of the Christian Church shaped their reception and interpretation.

Revue de presse :

"In this important new book, Duncan MacRae reevaluates the relationship between Roman religion and the works of ancient Roman antiquarians. He cogently argues that the latter are not mere sources of data about Roman religion, but themselves played an active and crucial role in defining that religion. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the relationship between religion and text." --James B. Rives, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Harvard University Press
• Date d'édition: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0674088719
• ISBN 13: 9780674088719
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 272