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Christianity, philosophy, and Roman power : Constantine, Julian, and the bishops on exegesis and empire / Lea Niccolai.

Van Pelt Library BR170 .N53 2023
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Niccolai, Lea, 1991- author.
Series:
Greek culture in the Roman world
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Julian, Emperor of Rome, 331-363--Religion.
Julian.
Julian, Emperor of Rome, 331-363.
Church and state--Rome.
Church and state.
Education and state--Rome.
Education and state.
Church and education--Rome.
Church and education.
Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600--Political aspects.
Church history.
Hermeneutics--Religious aspects--Christianity.
Hermeneutics.
Rome--Religion.
Rome.
Rome--Politics and government--284-476.
Rome--Civilization--Greek influences.
Civilization--Greek influences.
Politics and government.
Religion.
Rome (Empire).
Physical Description:
xix, 359 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm.
Place of Publication:
Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Summary:
This book rethinks the Christianisation of the late Roman empire as a crisis of knowledge, pointing to competitive cultural re-assessment as a major driving force in the making of the Constantinian and post-Constantinian state. Emperor Julian's writings are re-assessed as key to accessing the rise and consolidation of a Christian politics of interpretation that relied on exegesis as a self-legitimising device to secure control over Roman history via claims to Christianity's control of paideia. This reconstruction infuses Julian's reaction with contextual significance. His literary and political project emerges as a response to contemporary reconfigurations of Christian hermeneutics as controlling the meaning of Rome's culture and history. At the same time, understanding Julian as a participant in a larger debate re-qualifies all fourth-century political and episcopal discourse as a long knock-on effect reacting to the imperial mobilisation of Christian debates over the link between power and culture. -- Provided by publisher.
Contents:
How philosophers should take compliments when they happen to become kings
Climbing the ladder
Holy hermeneutics
A life for a life
Those who know if the emperor knows
Wisdom for the many, and wisdom for the few.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 308-344) and indexes.
Other Format:
Online version: Niccolai, Lea, 1991- Christianity, philosophy, and Roman power
ISBN:
9781009299299
1009299298
9781009299275
1009299271
OCLC:
1363103357

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