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This book provides an engaging, systematic introduction to religion in the Roman empire. Covers both mainstream Graeco-Roman religion and regional religious traditions, from Egypt to Western Europe. Examines the shared assumptions and underlying dynamics that characterized religious life as a whole.

Original and comprehensive, Magic in the Ancient Greek World takes the reader inside both the social imagination and the ritual reality that made magic possible in ancient Greece. * Explores the widespread use of spells, drugs, curse tablets, and figurines, and the practitioners of magic in the ancient world * Uncovers how magic worked.

The first English-language survey of ancient Greek divinatory methods Offers in-depth discussions of oracles, wandering diviners, do-it-yourself methods of foretelling the future, magical divinatory techniques, and much more Illustrates how the study of divination illuminates the mentalities of ancient Greek religions and societies.

This book explores the development of tombs as a cultural phenomenon in ancient Egypt and examines what tombs reveal about ancient Egyptian culture and Egyptians belief in the afterlife.

Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt offers a stimulating overview of the study of ancient Egyptian religion by examining research drawn from beyond the customary boundaries of Egyptology and shedding new light on entrenched assumptions. .

In The Origins of Christianity and the New Testament, distinguished scholar Rebecca I. Denova explores how the first followers of Jesus arrived at their faith, the way their sacred texts developed into the New Testament, and how their movement eventually became the religion of Christianity. This accessible volume examines the concepts, beliefs, issues, and events that gave rise to institutional Christianity--providing readers with the historical context of the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, the Acts of the Apostles, the Book of Revelation, the letters of Paul, and other foundational New Testament documents.Approaching the subject from the multidisciplinary perspective of Religious Studies, the author addresses topics including the ethnic and religious background of "Jesus the Jew," the New Testament's different portraits of Jesus, the genesis of Christian concepts such as the divine incarnation and "second coming" of Jesus, Paul the Apostle's contributions to Christian dogma, how ancient Judaism, Greco-Roman culture, and early philosophy was incorporated into the Christian tradition, and more.Containing maps, timelines, figures of archaeological sites, a brief history of ancient Judaism, and a wealth of pedagogical features, The Origins of Christianity and the New Testament is an excellent textbook for all undergraduate and graduate courses in the study of ancient Christianity, as well as lay readers with interest in tracing the roots of the Christian faith.

Ancient Greek Religion provides an introduction to the fundamental beliefs, practices, and major deities of Greek religion. While the focus is on Athens in the Classical Period, the book also includes discussion of major panhellenic cults at Delphi and Olympia.

Provides a broad and balanced understanding of how Christianity originated in the first five centuriesVarieties of Early Christianity: The Formation of the Western Christian Tradition traces the origins and evolution of Christian concepts from the first through the sixth century CE, exploring the events, issues, and individuals that helped shape the beliefs and practices of Christianity. With a multidisciplinary Religious Studies approach, this reader-friendly textbook places the early sources of Christian teaching within their historical and cultural contexts to highlight what gave rise to the beliefs and rituals that Christians follow in the present day.Chronologically organized chapters analyse the ways in which Christians absorbed and adapted ancient concepts from Judaism and Greco-Roman religion and culture from the first through the sixth centuries. Combining both traditions, early bishops, Church Fathers, and theologians added innovations that contributed to the establishment of a unique systematic theology (dogma) that became "Christianity."Throughout the text, readers are encouraged to consider how the ways early Christians integrated their worldviews, politics, and daily lives can help articulate their own "systems of meaning" in the modern world.* Helps readers navigate the vast amount of Christian literature produced in the early centuries of the Church* Provides the religious and cultural background of Judaism and Greco-Roman religion and culture, the two major contributors to Christian thought* Describes the methodology used to analyze the gospels in relation to ancient literature* Explores topics such as Christian martyrs in the Roman Empire, the role of women in Mediterranean society, Gnostic Christians, the Christianization of the Roman Empire, the work of Saint Augustine, and the Council of Chalcedon* Includes excerpts from primary documents, definitions of words and concepts, further readings, and numerous figures, timelines, and mapsFeaturing concise analyses of key scholarly and archaeological research, Varieties of Early Christianity: The Formation of the Western Christian Tradition is an excellent textbook for secondary school classes and college undergraduate courses on the history of Christianity, as well as a valuable resource for general readers interested in examining the history of Christian ideas in their historical context.