Orphism and Christianity in Late AntiquityMany recent discoveries have confirmed the importance of Orphism for ancient Greek religion, philosophy, and literature. However, its nature and role are still very controversial. The key problem of its relationship to Christianity has been discussed by ancient and modern authors from many different viewpoints, albeit too often tainted with apologetic interests and unconscious projections. This free and thorough study of the ancient sources sheds light on these questions and illuminates the complexity of the encounter between Classical culture and Jewish-Christian tradition. New perspectives on the relationship between Classical and Jewish-Christian culture On the avowed subject of Orphism Author is specialist within the field. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Orphic religious presence in the Imperial Age | 31 |
Fields of intersection | 87 |
Orphic Tradition in Christian Apologetic Literature | 127 |
Christian Strategies | 219 |
Orphism as a bridge between Christianity and Paganism | 275 |
Orphism in the light of Christian apologetics | 295 |
The ritual experience | 344 |
Causes of the parallels | 358 |
Appendices | 375 |
Bibliography | 393 |
| 421 | |
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Common terms and phrases
addition already ancient apologetic apologists appears attacks attributed authors Bacchic become beginning belief biblical body called century Christ Christian clear clearly Clement common considered continuity creation cults death Derveni described Dionysus direct divine doctrine eschatology evidence example existence expression fact figure fragments gives Gnostic gods Greek hand Hellenistic Homer hymn idea important influence initiation inspired interest interpretation Jewish late later lines literary literature Logos magic meaning mention metaphor mysteries myth nature origin Orpheus Orpheus’s Orphic Orphic poems Orphism pagan parallels passage philosophical Plato poems poetry poets possible practice precisely present principle probably Protr Pythagorean question quotations quoted reason references relation religion religious result revealed Rhapsodies rites ritual says seems shows similar song soul Stoic Testament texts theogonies theological tion Titans tradition truth various verses Zeus