Christian Divination in Late Antiquity
Routledge (Verlag)
978-1-041-17691-6 (ISBN)
In Late Antiquity, people commonly sought to acquire hidden knowledge about the past, the present, and the future, using a variety of methods. While Christians acknowledged that these methods could work effectively, in theory they were not allowed to make use of them. In practice, they behaved in diverse ways. Some probably renounced any hope of learning about the future. Others resorted to old practices regardless of the consequences. A third option was to construct divinatory methods that were effective yet religiously tolerable. This book is devoted to the study of such practices and their practitioners, and provides answers to essential questions concerning Christian divination. How did it develop? How closely were Christian methods related to older, traditional practices? Who used them and in which situations? Who offered oracular services? And how were they perceived by clerics, intellectuals, and common people? This book studies a phenomenon which is most interesting in itself, but also helps to understand religious and social life in the period in which they were swiftly changing, o covers the entire field, and not a single method, o deals with the evidence from all parts of Christendom.
Robert Wisniewski (University of Warsaw) researches the religious transformations of Late Antiquity, and particularly the cult of saints and relics, clergy, demonology, and divination. He is the author of The Beginnings of the Cult of Relics, Oxford University Press 2018.
INTRODUCTION, The current state of research, The evidence and its intricacies, Objectives and plan of the book, CHAPTER 1 - ATTITUDES TO DIVINATION, Pagan divination, Attitudes to non-pagan divination, Legal background, CHAPTER 2 - PROPHETS, The twilight of prophecy in early Christianity, A resurgence of prophecy, Consultation with prophets, Questions and questioners, Self-perception of the prophets, CHAPTER 3 - TAKE AND READ: READING THE FUTURE FROM THE BIBLE, First words heard, First words read, Examination of biblical prophecies, CHAPTER 4 - BOOKS AND BONES, Sortes sanctorum, Sortes Monacenses, The Gospel of the Lots of Mary, Sortes Sangallenses, Codices with hermeneiai, Other divinatory books, Experts and clients, CHAPTER 5 - DIVINATORY LOTS, Oracular tickets, Origins, Inquirers, attitudes and popularity, CHAPTER 6 - INTERROGATING DEMONIACS, Saints and energumens, A Gallic female seer and spiritus pythonis, Pythones, engastrimythoi, ventriloqui, arrepticii, Consultations in Constantinople and Egypt, CHAPTER 7 - INCUBATION, Early developments, 'Pagan' and Christian Incubation, Incubation sanctuaries, Incubation in practice, Popularity, resistance and discussions, CONCLUSIONS, BIBLIOGRAPHY, Abbreviations, Primary sources, Secondary sources, INDEX.
| Erscheinungsdatum | 03.12.2025 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | Social Worlds of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages |
| Verlagsort | London |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 234 mm |
| Gewicht | 530 g |
| Themenwelt | Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Mittelalter |
| Geschichte ► Teilgebiete der Geschichte ► Religionsgeschichte | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-041-17691-0 / 1041176910 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-041-17691-6 / 9781041176916 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
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