This book explores the construction of Christian identity in fourth and fifth centuries through inventing, fabricating and sharpening binary oppositions. Binary oppositions, such as Christians - pagans; truth - falsehood; the one true god - the multitude of demons; the right religion - superstition, served to create and reinforce the Christian self-identity. The book examines how the Christian argumentation against pagans was intertwined with self-perception and self-affirmation. Discussing the relations and interaction between pagan and Christian cultures, this book aims at widening historical understanding of the cultural conflicts and the otherness in world history and thus, to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the historical and conceptual basis of cultural tolerance and intolerance. This book offers a valuable contribution to contemporary scholarly debate about Late Antique religious history and the relationship between Christianity and other religions.
Author(s): Kahlos
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 213
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 8
List of Abbreviations......Page 10
1 Introduction......Page 12
Demarcation of Boundaries and the Problem of Incerti......Page 13
Polemic and Polarization......Page 14
2 Constructing and Deconstructing Dichotomies......Page 22
Between the Darkness and the Light......Page 24
Naming the Otherness......Page 26
The Birth of Paganism......Page 29
Dichotomous Presuppositions and Grey Areas......Page 37
Subversions......Page 40
Incerti on the move......Page 41
Divided Loyalties or the Necessity of Choice?......Page 46
Leading a Double Life......Page 49
Opportunists and Turncoats – Attitudes towards Incerti......Page 53
Feigned Conversions and ‘Cryptopagans’......Page 57
The Two Cities......Page 59
Interwovenness and Separation......Page 62
Identity and Otherness......Page 66
The Rhetoric of Boundaries......Page 69
Debate, Polemic and Otherness......Page 73
Dialogue and Otherness......Page 86
Dialogue and Mission......Page 89
Conversion......Page 94
Between the Old and the New......Page 97
Wretched Christians and Good Pagans......Page 99
Big Fish......Page 102
The Boundaries of Religio......Page 104
Relocating the Boundaries......Page 107
Paganism becomes Superstitio......Page 110
Continuity and Change......Page 114
Paganism, superstitio and Magic......Page 121
Corrupt and Shameful Rituals......Page 124
Unclean Purificatory Rites......Page 126
Public versus Private......Page 127
Acts of Sacrifice......Page 130
Blood versus Spirit......Page 134
Pompa diaboli – Condemning Spectacles......Page 137
The Grey Area of Urban Festivals......Page 140
Redefining Content and Boundaries......Page 143
Ignobilis turba deorum – the Multitude of Gods......Page 148
Between Monotheism and Polytheism......Page 152
Shared Premises and Monotheistic Tendencies......Page 156
The Paradox of Monotheism......Page 161
II: Gods......Page 162
The Gods of the Civic Religion......Page 164
Deceased Humans......Page 165
Anthropomorphic Gods and Suffering Saviours......Page 169
The Depraved Gods......Page 172
Inadequate Gods and Empty Idols......Page 177
Signa and the Threat of Idols......Page 180
From Gods to Demons......Page 183
There are only Evil Demons......Page 185
Divine Miracles and Demonic Magic......Page 188
Associates – Angels and Demons......Page 190
The Creator and the Creation......Page 192
One God, one Emperor, one Empire......Page 194
Bibliography......Page 196
E......Page 216
M......Page 217
T......Page 218
C......Page 219
G......Page 220
M......Page 221
S......Page 222
M......Page 223
T......Page 224
