The Omphalos and the Cross: Pagans and Christians in Search of a Divine CenterMercer University Press, 2003 - 513 pages "The Omphalos and the Cross offers a fresh look at the cultural environment of early Christianity. Interdisciplinary in nature, this work establishes a background for Christianity that not only reaches back to the Old Testament but also to the lengthy development of Greco-Roman religious and philosophical traditions that determined part of the path the early church had to follow to stay alive and prosper."--BOOK JACKET. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 61
Page 1
... specific reasons claimed supremacy . Each of these sites boasts of having been a divine center with messages that shaped the religious and cultural outlook of their faithful . In Greco - Roman times Delphi was known as the center of the ...
... specific reasons claimed supremacy . Each of these sites boasts of having been a divine center with messages that shaped the religious and cultural outlook of their faithful . In Greco - Roman times Delphi was known as the center of the ...
Page 7
... specific rites . But it was not until the days of Cicero , and more particularly those of Plutarch that paganism became aware of the liabilities created by a lack of religious definition . Except for some recorded oracles that have been ...
... specific rites . But it was not until the days of Cicero , and more particularly those of Plutarch that paganism became aware of the liabilities created by a lack of religious definition . Except for some recorded oracles that have been ...
Page 8
... specific eschatology , and its special mode of argumenta- tion often dictated by the nature of the supposed enemy they had to convert , if not conquer . It became necessary to prove that Christianity was not borrowing ready - made ...
... specific eschatology , and its special mode of argumenta- tion often dictated by the nature of the supposed enemy they had to convert , if not conquer . It became necessary to prove that Christianity was not borrowing ready - made ...
Page 11
... specific ideology . After Constantine , Christianity became the imperial religion and entered a new era of dogmatic definition , of institutional organization , of religious dominion . This triumph came at the cost of its apostolic ...
... specific ideology . After Constantine , Christianity became the imperial religion and entered a new era of dogmatic definition , of institutional organization , of religious dominion . This triumph came at the cost of its apostolic ...
Page 13
... Specific gods could solve specific problems even when in disagreement with each other . Homeric literature , for example , contains numerous instances of divine rivalries without threatening cultural unity . By contrast , the emerging ...
... Specific gods could solve specific problems even when in disagreement with each other . Homeric literature , for example , contains numerous instances of divine rivalries without threatening cultural unity . By contrast , the emerging ...
Contents
The Death of the Redeemer | 205 |
The Disciples in the PostResurrection Era | 209 |
Stephen and His Contributions to the Early Church | 211 |
The Rise of Paul to Supremacy in Christianity | 214 |
The Early Church and Greek Philosophy | 223 |
Celsuss platonistic Logic | 228 |
Christianity and Neoplatonic Philosophy | 231 |
Christians and Pagans in Their Roman Environment | 241 |
43 | |
55 | |
69 | |
70 | |
73 | |
75 | |
80 | |
84 | |
87 | |
90 | |
96 | |
Divine and Human Law in Delphic Perspective | 101 |
Oracular Religion and Chaldaean Oracles | 104 |
Apollonian Oracles in Christian Perspective | 112 |
The Decline of the Oracle | 119 |
The Sibyl and Sybyline Oracles | 127 |
The Pythia the Sibyl and the Sibyllini Libri | 131 |
The Sibylline Books in Roman History | 135 |
Sibylline Oracles in Jewish Religion | 146 |
Sibylline Oracles in Early Christianity | 150 |
The Rise of Christianity | 173 |
The Old and the New in John the Baptist | 175 |
The Coming of the Messiah | 180 |
The Teaching of Jesus | 187 |
The Miracles of the Kingdom | 194 |
Brief Estimate of Roman Religion | 244 |
Christian Faith in Search of a Home in the Roman Empire | 258 |
Christian Refutations of Paganism | 267 |
The Age of Constantine | 271 |
The Age of Julian | 283 |
The Age of Theodosius | 306 |
From Persecution to Religious Freedom | 323 |
Christians and the Calamities of the Empire | 325 |
From Verbal Assault to Physical violence | 334 |
The Kingdom within the Empire | 364 |
The Quest for Tolerance and Religious freedom | 376 |
Classical Culture and Christian Faith | 393 |
Early Christian Perspectives on Classical Culture | 396 |
The Role of Classical Culture in Julians Reform | 410 |
After JulianTowards a Universalization of Culture | 420 |
When the Gods Are Silent | 441 |
Deus Absconditus | 444 |
The Christianization of Paganism and the Paganization of Christianity | 453 |
Religion without Revelation | 458 |
The Transfiguration of the Gods | 462 |
Epilogue | 469 |
Appendixes | 473 |
Bibliography | 479 |
Index | 495 |
Common terms and phrases
Ambrose Ammianus Marcellinus ANF VII Apol Apollo Apollonian religion apologists appeared argument Arnobius attempt Augustine became believed bishop Celsus century Christ Christian writers Christians church fathers Cicero Clement of Alexandria Constantine cross culture death debate decree Delphi Delphic oracle Delphic religion demons Dionysus disciples divine early church edict emperor empire especially Eusebius fact faith fate Gospel Greek heathen Hebrew Hellenistic human Ibid influence inspiration intellectual interpretation Jerome Jerusalem Jesus Jewish Jews John Judaism Julian Justin Martyr Lactantius learning Libanius literature martyrdom miracles mystery nature Neoplatonic never omphalos oracular original pagan pagans and Christians Paul persecution perspective philosophical Plato Plutarch Porphyry PraepEv praise prophecy prophetic Pythia Python referred refuted reign religious remained role Roman Rome sacrifices senate Sibyl Sibylline books Sibylline oracles Socrates Sozomen spiritual Symmachus teaching temple Tertullian Theodoret Theodosius theological things traditions Translated truth University voice wisdom worship writings
Popular passages
Page 210 - And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Page 189 - He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.
Page 87 - The oracles are dumb, No voice or hideous hum Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving. Apollo from his shrine Can no more divine, With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving. No nightly trance or breathed spell Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.
Page 206 - Cursed is every one -which continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
Page 205 - And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree : his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day ; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God ;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Page 205 - Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us...
Page 209 - He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake-side, He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word:
Page 256 - The various modes of worship which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true; by the philosopher as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful.
Page 444 - Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them...