The Jews Among Pagans and Christians: In the Roman Empire

The Jews Among Pagans and Christians: In the Roman Empire
ISBN-10
0415049725
ISBN-13
9780415049726
Category
Religion
Pages
198
Language
English
Published
1992
Publisher
Psychology Press
Authors
Judith Lieu, Tessa Rajak, John A. North

Description

The religious life within and around the Roman Empire, and the context into which Christianity emerged and where it spread, provides a topic of the widest interest. Yet this context was not that of a completely pagan world, for Judaism was already firmly established and continued as a vigorous contender in the field throughout the first four centuries after the death of Christ - a fact not always well recognized. Historically, Christianity's relationship with Judaism continued to be intimate but ambivalent long after their separation. This has distorted scholarly perceptions right down to our own day, when the religious history of the period still tends to be written from a Christianizing perspective. The suggestion of this book is that we can and should reassess, from a more neutral position, how the competition between these three religions influenced the development of each of them. The Jews Among Pagans and Christians offers a model of this complex area by drawing on a variety of types of material and method.

Similar books