The making of human dignity in Christian antiquity / Jadwiga Guerrero van der Meijden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Guerrero van der Meijden, Jadwiga, author.

Series:

Contexts of ancient and medieval anthropology ; v. 9.

Contexts of ancient and medieval anthropology, 2698-3079 ; vol. 9

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dignity--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Dignity.

Theological anthropology--Christianity.

Theological anthropology.

Physical Description:

xii, 294 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Paderborn [Germany] : Brill Schöningh, [2024]

Summary:

"The book examines the late ancient history of one pivotal concept of contemporary culture, that of human dignity, with the view to identifying the moment in history when European culture worked out a systematic category for human axiological status. Whereas some studies concentrate on the notion of dignity in the Renaissance, suggesting that the earlier Christian thought emphasized human insignificance, this analysis reveals that it was the patristic writers who undertook the decisive rethinking of human dignity, primarily in light of the incarnation and the introduction of the feast of Christmas. The volume traces the transformation of the culturally prevalent ancient maxim of self-knowledge (“know thyself”) into an axiological appeal (“know thy dignity”), claiming that it was within that tradition that “dignitas hominis” was popularized and entered the European mindset. In order to demonstrate the lasting changes, the volume outlines patristic axiology’s reception in the Middle Ages."-- Brill website.

Contents:

Forgotten Christian Antiquity

Ancient Greek East. Lumen Orientale

The Latin West. Magistra Latinitas

Leo the Great and His Secretary. Spiritus Movens

The End of an Era. Continuitas

The Patristic Idea of Human Dignity.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-289) and indexes.

Other Format:

e-book version

ISBN:

9783506796707

3506796704

OCLC:

1474439767

Publisher Number:

9783506796707