Philip Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146165
- eISBN:
- 9780199834341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146166.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter addresses the myth of Western Christianity and outlines the true origins and development of Christianity, as opposed to those presented in the history books. Accounts are given of the ...
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This chapter addresses the myth of Western Christianity and outlines the true origins and development of Christianity, as opposed to those presented in the history books. Accounts are given of the early Eastern churches, particularly those in Ethiopia and Armenia, and of the survival of Christian traditions in Asia and Africa through the Middles Ages, and under Islamic (Muslim) rule. Next, an analysis is presented of the size of Christian communities that survived under Muslim rule in ancient and medieval times and up to the early twentieth century, and the question addressed as to why, when Christians survived Muslim conquests so successfully, they form such a small minority in the modern Middle East. Further sections of the chapter discuss the Catholic missions that took place from about 1500 and the different ways in which Christianity developed in countries beyond the reach of the European empires, where missionaries where not able to enforce their will politically, and in those countries where this was not the case; and the adaptation of the gospel to local cultures, customs, and practices in countries where there was no imperial backing is described, with particular reference to the “silk strategy” in Japan (where the priests dressed in silk in preference to cotton and thus identified themselves with the social elite, who were able to assist in the spread of Christianity), and Jesuit missions to China. The last part of the chapter looks at Protestant missions from the late eighteenth century in Africa and China.Less
This chapter addresses the myth of Western Christianity and outlines the true origins and development of Christianity, as opposed to those presented in the history books. Accounts are given of the early Eastern churches, particularly those in Ethiopia and Armenia, and of the survival of Christian traditions in Asia and Africa through the Middles Ages, and under Islamic (Muslim) rule. Next, an analysis is presented of the size of Christian communities that survived under Muslim rule in ancient and medieval times and up to the early twentieth century, and the question addressed as to why, when Christians survived Muslim conquests so successfully, they form such a small minority in the modern Middle East. Further sections of the chapter discuss the Catholic missions that took place from about 1500 and the different ways in which Christianity developed in countries beyond the reach of the European empires, where missionaries where not able to enforce their will politically, and in those countries where this was not the case; and the adaptation of the gospel to local cultures, customs, and practices in countries where there was no imperial backing is described, with particular reference to the “silk strategy” in Japan (where the priests dressed in silk in preference to cotton and thus identified themselves with the social elite, who were able to assist in the spread of Christianity), and Jesuit missions to China. The last part of the chapter looks at Protestant missions from the late eighteenth century in Africa and China.
Philip Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146165
- eISBN:
- 9780199834341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146166.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This first chapter of the book introduces the transformation that is occurring in Christianity worldwide. It describes how, over the past century, the center of gravity of the Christian world has ...
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This first chapter of the book introduces the transformation that is occurring in Christianity worldwide. It describes how, over the past century, the center of gravity of the Christian world has shifted inexorably southward and forecasts that this trend will continue apace, so that, in contrast to earlier predictions that Western (“European”) Christianity (seen by some as the ideological arm of Western imperialism) is in its dying days and that Islam is the global faith of the future, Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom in the twenty-first century. The different sections of the chapter discuss the new tradition of Christianity in the South–pointing out that most writers are neglecting this reality, and focusing on Western Christianity; the implications of this for theology and religious practice since Southern Christianity is far more conservative, even reactionary, and supernatural (charismatic, visionary, and apocalyptic); earlier predictions forecasting the death of orthodox (Western) Christianity, which did not allow for the globalization of the religion; the possible rise of a new Southern Christendom and the conflicts and struggles that this might cause; and the future responses of Northern/Western and Southern Christians to the rise of the Southern Christianity.Less
This first chapter of the book introduces the transformation that is occurring in Christianity worldwide. It describes how, over the past century, the center of gravity of the Christian world has shifted inexorably southward and forecasts that this trend will continue apace, so that, in contrast to earlier predictions that Western (“European”) Christianity (seen by some as the ideological arm of Western imperialism) is in its dying days and that Islam is the global faith of the future, Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom in the twenty-first century. The different sections of the chapter discuss the new tradition of Christianity in the South–pointing out that most writers are neglecting this reality, and focusing on Western Christianity; the implications of this for theology and religious practice since Southern Christianity is far more conservative, even reactionary, and supernatural (charismatic, visionary, and apocalyptic); earlier predictions forecasting the death of orthodox (Western) Christianity, which did not allow for the globalization of the religion; the possible rise of a new Southern Christendom and the conflicts and struggles that this might cause; and the future responses of Northern/Western and Southern Christians to the rise of the Southern Christianity.
Philip Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146165
- eISBN:
- 9780199834341
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146166.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter traces the development of Southern Christianity in the post-colonial era and notes that with few exceptions and despite Western Christian concern, the new churches have survived and ...
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This chapter traces the development of Southern Christianity in the post-colonial era and notes that with few exceptions and despite Western Christian concern, the new churches have survived and flourished. Some of the greatest triumphs have been enjoyed precisely by the structures created by colonial authorities–the mainstream Catholic and Protestant mission churches. However, although these older churches and missions are the primary fact, there are also many smaller independent indigenous Christian cults/denominations, which have arisen where older groupings have proved inadequate for a changing society; these are often Pentecostal and may be either indigenous or Northern in origin. This type of growth is particularly evident in Latin America, where there has been a major defection from Catholicism to Protestantism (including Pentecostalism); the boom in Pentecostal sects in Latin America and the Catholic response to this are described, and similar Protestant and Pentecostal expansion in the African independent churches/denominations and in Asia outlined. The last part of the chapter investigates the reasons for the expansion of Christianity in diverse cultures, looking in particular at some of the radical Pentecostal communities that have developed and at the common characteristics of Pentecostal sects and what people want from them, the critical idea being that God intervenes directly in everyday life and provides solutions to problems; this is a clear differentiation from Northern Christianity.Less
This chapter traces the development of Southern Christianity in the post-colonial era and notes that with few exceptions and despite Western Christian concern, the new churches have survived and flourished. Some of the greatest triumphs have been enjoyed precisely by the structures created by colonial authorities–the mainstream Catholic and Protestant mission churches. However, although these older churches and missions are the primary fact, there are also many smaller independent indigenous Christian cults/denominations, which have arisen where older groupings have proved inadequate for a changing society; these are often Pentecostal and may be either indigenous or Northern in origin. This type of growth is particularly evident in Latin America, where there has been a major defection from Catholicism to Protestantism (including Pentecostalism); the boom in Pentecostal sects in Latin America and the Catholic response to this are described, and similar Protestant and Pentecostal expansion in the African independent churches/denominations and in Asia outlined. The last part of the chapter investigates the reasons for the expansion of Christianity in diverse cultures, looking in particular at some of the radical Pentecostal communities that have developed and at the common characteristics of Pentecostal sects and what people want from them, the critical idea being that God intervenes directly in everyday life and provides solutions to problems; this is a clear differentiation from Northern Christianity.
Amanda Porterfield
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195157185
- eISBN:
- 9780199850389
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157185.003.0015
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
The global expansion of Western Christianity coincided with the development of scientific medicine. As scientific discoveries involving asepsis, anesthesia, and infectious disease increased the ...
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The global expansion of Western Christianity coincided with the development of scientific medicine. As scientific discoveries involving asepsis, anesthesia, and infectious disease increased the effectiveness of Western medicine, medical missions became increasingly useful as a means of showing the positive benefits of Christianity and to emulate the compassion of Jesus and his healing ministry.Less
The global expansion of Western Christianity coincided with the development of scientific medicine. As scientific discoveries involving asepsis, anesthesia, and infectious disease increased the effectiveness of Western medicine, medical missions became increasingly useful as a means of showing the positive benefits of Christianity and to emulate the compassion of Jesus and his healing ministry.
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856688546
- eISBN:
- 9781800343016
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856688546.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in ...
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This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Before his conversion to Christianity in 386, Augustine had devoted himself to the study of Platonism. In books VIII and IX of De Civitate Dei, Augustine renews his acquaintance with this philosophy, which had played such a fundamental role in his conversion. The main topic of these books is demonology, with Augustine using the De Deo Socratis of Apuleius, which places demons as the intermediaries between gods and men, as the foundation of his exploration into this theme. Augustine is keen to point out the similarities between Platonism and Christianity and therefore puts forward the theory that the ideal mediator between God and man is Christ — he who shares temporary mortality with humans and permanent blessedness with God and can therefore lead men from wretchedness to eternal bliss. The volume presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.Less
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Before his conversion to Christianity in 386, Augustine had devoted himself to the study of Platonism. In books VIII and IX of De Civitate Dei, Augustine renews his acquaintance with this philosophy, which had played such a fundamental role in his conversion. The main topic of these books is demonology, with Augustine using the De Deo Socratis of Apuleius, which places demons as the intermediaries between gods and men, as the foundation of his exploration into this theme. Augustine is keen to point out the similarities between Platonism and Christianity and therefore puts forward the theory that the ideal mediator between God and man is Christ — he who shares temporary mortality with humans and permanent blessedness with God and can therefore lead men from wretchedness to eternal bliss. The volume presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856688782
- eISBN:
- 9781800343009
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856688782.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in ...
More
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Books VI and VII focus on the figure of Terentius Varro, a man revered by Augustine's pagan contemporaries. By exploiting Varro's learned researches on Roman religion, Augustine condemns Roman religious practices and beliefs in order to refute pagan claims that the Roman deities had guaranteed a blessed life in the hereafter for their devotees. These books are therefore not only an invaluable source for the study of early Christianity but also for any student of Classical Rome, who is provided here with a detailed account of one of the most learned figures of Roman antiquity, whose own works have not survived in the same state. The volume presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.Less
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Books VI and VII focus on the figure of Terentius Varro, a man revered by Augustine's pagan contemporaries. By exploiting Varro's learned researches on Roman religion, Augustine condemns Roman religious practices and beliefs in order to refute pagan claims that the Roman deities had guaranteed a blessed life in the hereafter for their devotees. These books are therefore not only an invaluable source for the study of early Christianity but also for any student of Classical Rome, who is provided here with a detailed account of one of the most learned figures of Roman antiquity, whose own works have not survived in the same state. The volume presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.
Geoffrey Rowell
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198205968
- eISBN:
- 9780191676871
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205968.003.0020
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History, History of Religion
The English Reformation was essentially an event within the history of Western Christianity. The theological and political debates in England as on the continent of Europe were debates conditioned by ...
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The English Reformation was essentially an event within the history of Western Christianity. The theological and political debates in England as on the continent of Europe were debates conditioned by the history of Latin Christendom, the development of the papacy, the struggle between pope and emperor, and the failure of a quest for reform in the Conciliar Movement. Eastern Christianity was far away and for the most part under the Muslim domination of the Ottoman Empire. Yet the appeal of developing Anglican apologetic to the undivided Church of the early centuries and to the writings of the Fathers as interpreters of scripture, ensured that Greek patristic theology became one of the well-springs of the theology of the Caroline divines, and found remarkable expression in the sermons and devotions of Lancelot Andrewes.Less
The English Reformation was essentially an event within the history of Western Christianity. The theological and political debates in England as on the continent of Europe were debates conditioned by the history of Latin Christendom, the development of the papacy, the struggle between pope and emperor, and the failure of a quest for reform in the Conciliar Movement. Eastern Christianity was far away and for the most part under the Muslim domination of the Ottoman Empire. Yet the appeal of developing Anglican apologetic to the undivided Church of the early centuries and to the writings of the Fathers as interpreters of scripture, ensured that Greek patristic theology became one of the well-springs of the theology of the Caroline divines, and found remarkable expression in the sermons and devotions of Lancelot Andrewes.
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856688492
- eISBN:
- 9781800342972
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856688492.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in ...
More
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Following on from Book IX, this book discusses the issue of demons and their role in Platonism as being partly identical with the lesser gods. Having previously argued that in order to achieve the blessed life, we must worship one true God alone, Augustine now continues his discussion using the celebrated Neoplatonist Porphyry as his main source. Whilst applauding aspects of Porphyry's views, Augustine's main concern is to deliver his message that the sole path to blessedness after death is acknowledgement of the Incarnation and Christ as Mediator. Increasingly concerned with promoting the Christian message, Augustine cites the Bible frequently in Book X. The edition presents Latin text with facing-page translation, introduction and commentary.Less
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Following on from Book IX, this book discusses the issue of demons and their role in Platonism as being partly identical with the lesser gods. Having previously argued that in order to achieve the blessed life, we must worship one true God alone, Augustine now continues his discussion using the celebrated Neoplatonist Porphyry as his main source. Whilst applauding aspects of Porphyry's views, Augustine's main concern is to deliver his message that the sole path to blessedness after death is acknowledgement of the Incarnation and Christ as Mediator. Increasingly concerned with promoting the Christian message, Augustine cites the Bible frequently in Book X. The edition presents Latin text with facing-page translation, introduction and commentary.
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856688720
- eISBN:
- 9781800343023
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856688720.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In books I–V of De Civitate Dei, St. Augustine rejects the claim that worship of the pagan gods had brought success in this life, and in books VI–X, the prospect of a happy afterlife. In books ...
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In books I–V of De Civitate Dei, St. Augustine rejects the claim that worship of the pagan gods had brought success in this life, and in books VI–X, the prospect of a happy afterlife. In books XI–XII, Augustine turns from attack to defence, for at this point he initiates his apology for the Christian faith. Books XI and XII document the initial phase of the rise of the two cities, the city of God and the city of this world, beginning with the Creation of the world and the human race. In Book XI, Augustine rejects the theories of Aristotle, Plato and the Epicureans on the creation of the universe and addresses the creation of angels, Satan, the role of the holy Trinity and the importance of numerology in the Genesis account. In Book XII, Augustine is chiefly concerned with refuting standard objections to the Christian tradition, returning to discussion of the Creation, including his calculation, based on the scriptures, that the world was created less than 6,000 years ago. This book is the only edition in English to provide not only a text but also a detailed commentary on one of the most influential documents in the history of western Christianity. It presents Latin text, with facing-page English translation, introduction, notes and commentary.Less
In books I–V of De Civitate Dei, St. Augustine rejects the claim that worship of the pagan gods had brought success in this life, and in books VI–X, the prospect of a happy afterlife. In books XI–XII, Augustine turns from attack to defence, for at this point he initiates his apology for the Christian faith. Books XI and XII document the initial phase of the rise of the two cities, the city of God and the city of this world, beginning with the Creation of the world and the human race. In Book XI, Augustine rejects the theories of Aristotle, Plato and the Epicureans on the creation of the universe and addresses the creation of angels, Satan, the role of the holy Trinity and the importance of numerology in the Genesis account. In Book XII, Augustine is chiefly concerned with refuting standard objections to the Christian tradition, returning to discussion of the Creation, including his calculation, based on the scriptures, that the world was created less than 6,000 years ago. This book is the only edition in English to provide not only a text but also a detailed commentary on one of the most influential documents in the history of western Christianity. It presents Latin text, with facing-page English translation, introduction, notes and commentary.
Augustine
P.G. Walsh (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856687594
- eISBN:
- 9781800342996
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856687594.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in ...
More
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, Augustine offers a Christian perspective on the growth of Rome, which its pagan apologists attribute to the providential protection of its gods. Book III spotlights both the injustices inflicted and the privations endured by the Romans, thus rebutting such claims. Book IV offers a withering account of the Roman deities, basing its analysis on the researches of Terentius Varro. This section of The City of God is a vital document for students of Roman history, and especially of Roman religion, for it provides the most detailed evidence of Varro's learned works. The volume presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.Less
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, Augustine offers a Christian perspective on the growth of Rome, which its pagan apologists attribute to the providential protection of its gods. Book III spotlights both the injustices inflicted and the privations endured by the Romans, thus rebutting such claims. Book IV offers a withering account of the Roman deities, basing its analysis on the researches of Terentius Varro. This section of The City of God is a vital document for students of Roman history, and especially of Roman religion, for it provides the most detailed evidence of Varro's learned works. The volume presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856687525
- eISBN:
- 9781800342989
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856687525.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This edition of Books I & II of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only edition in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most ...
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This edition of Books I & II of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only edition in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. It begins with a focus on Augustine, who was the sole bishop of Hippo from 396 to 397 and had achieved cult status as the leading apologist for Christian orthodoxy in Africa. It explains how Augustine wrote an extended contrast between Jerusalem and Babylon, the city of God and the secular city. It also mentions Augustine's City of God, which culminated the patristic tradition of Christian apology in the West during the mid-second century. The book then looks at Augustine's central criticism of Roman religion, which implies that the Roman gods are demonic spirits that impersonate humans. It explores the basic belief on which Augustine constructs his work, the contrast between the city where injustice and violence reign and the city of justice and peace. The edition contains Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary for both books.Less
This edition of Books I & II of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only edition in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. It begins with a focus on Augustine, who was the sole bishop of Hippo from 396 to 397 and had achieved cult status as the leading apologist for Christian orthodoxy in Africa. It explains how Augustine wrote an extended contrast between Jerusalem and Babylon, the city of God and the secular city. It also mentions Augustine's City of God, which culminated the patristic tradition of Christian apology in the West during the mid-second century. The book then looks at Augustine's central criticism of Roman religion, which implies that the Roman gods are demonic spirits that impersonate humans. It explores the basic belief on which Augustine constructs his work, the contrast between the city where injustice and violence reign and the city of justice and peace. The edition contains Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary for both books.
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856687983
- eISBN:
- 9781800342965
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856687983.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in ...
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This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In Book V, Augustine searches out and presents an answer to the question which lies behind the earlier books. In spite of the moral bankruptcy of the Roman state, and in spite of the disasters and injustices which have marked her history since the foundation, Rome has extended her imperial sway throughout Europe and the Near East. If the pagan gods have not guided her to this terrestrial eminence, how has this success been achieved? Augustine divides his response into four main sections: addressing the pagan notion of fate; arguing that God aided the Romans to imperial glory because a minority of them were virtuous even though they did not worship him; stating explicitly that the Roman Empire was set in place by God and is governed by his providence; and devoting the final section to the advent of Christian Emperors. The edition presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.Less
This edition of St. Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only one in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In Book V, Augustine searches out and presents an answer to the question which lies behind the earlier books. In spite of the moral bankruptcy of the Roman state, and in spite of the disasters and injustices which have marked her history since the foundation, Rome has extended her imperial sway throughout Europe and the Near East. If the pagan gods have not guided her to this terrestrial eminence, how has this success been achieved? Augustine divides his response into four main sections: addressing the pagan notion of fate; arguing that God aided the Romans to imperial glory because a minority of them were virtuous even though they did not worship him; stating explicitly that the Roman Empire was set in place by God and is governed by his providence; and devoting the final section to the advent of Christian Emperors. The edition presents Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.
Sherman A. Jackson
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195180817
- eISBN:
- 9780199850259
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195180817.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This book offers a trenchant examination of the career of Islam among the blacks of America. No one has offered a convincing explanation of why Islam spread among Blackamericans (a coinage he ...
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This book offers a trenchant examination of the career of Islam among the blacks of America. No one has offered a convincing explanation of why Islam spread among Blackamericans (a coinage he explains and defends) but not among white Americans or Hispanics. The assumption has been that there is an African connection. In fact, the book shows, none of the distinctive features of African Islam appear in the proto-Islamic, black nationalist movements of the early 20th century. Rather, Islam owes its momentum to the distinctively American phenomenon of “Black Religion,” a God-centered holy protest against anti-black racism. This book begins as part of a communal search for tools with which to combat racism and redefine American blackness. The 1965 repeal of the National Origins Quota System led to a massive influx of foreign Muslims, who soon greatly outnumbered the blacks whom they found here practicing an indigenous form of Islam. Immigrant Muslims would come to exercise a virtual monopoly over the definition of a properly constituted Islamic life in America. For these Muslims, the nemesis was not white supremacy, but “the West”. In their eyes, the West was not a racial, but a religious and civilizational threat. American blacks soon learned that opposition to the West and opposition to white supremacy were not synonymous. Indeed, states the book, one cannot be anti-Western without also being on some level anti-Blackamerican. Like the Black Christians of an earlier era struggling to find their voice in the context of Western Christianity, Black Muslims now began to strive to find their black, American voice in the context of the super-tradition of historical Islam. The book argues that Muslim tradition itself contains the resources to reconcile blackness, American-ness, and adherence to Islam.Less
This book offers a trenchant examination of the career of Islam among the blacks of America. No one has offered a convincing explanation of why Islam spread among Blackamericans (a coinage he explains and defends) but not among white Americans or Hispanics. The assumption has been that there is an African connection. In fact, the book shows, none of the distinctive features of African Islam appear in the proto-Islamic, black nationalist movements of the early 20th century. Rather, Islam owes its momentum to the distinctively American phenomenon of “Black Religion,” a God-centered holy protest against anti-black racism. This book begins as part of a communal search for tools with which to combat racism and redefine American blackness. The 1965 repeal of the National Origins Quota System led to a massive influx of foreign Muslims, who soon greatly outnumbered the blacks whom they found here practicing an indigenous form of Islam. Immigrant Muslims would come to exercise a virtual monopoly over the definition of a properly constituted Islamic life in America. For these Muslims, the nemesis was not white supremacy, but “the West”. In their eyes, the West was not a racial, but a religious and civilizational threat. American blacks soon learned that opposition to the West and opposition to white supremacy were not synonymous. Indeed, states the book, one cannot be anti-Western without also being on some level anti-Blackamerican. Like the Black Christians of an earlier era struggling to find their voice in the context of Western Christianity, Black Muslims now began to strive to find their black, American voice in the context of the super-tradition of historical Islam. The book argues that Muslim tradition itself contains the resources to reconcile blackness, American-ness, and adherence to Islam.
Amanda Porterfield
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195157185
- eISBN:
- 9780199850389
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157185.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Exorcism and healing are among the most prominent of all the miraculous acts ascribed to Jesus Christ in the New Testament gospels. There are seventy-two accounts of exorcisms and healings, ten of ...
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Exorcism and healing are among the most prominent of all the miraculous acts ascribed to Jesus Christ in the New Testament gospels. There are seventy-two accounts of exorcisms and healings, ten of them refer to crowds of witnesses, an indication of the gospel writers' understanding that Jesus' ministry included highly visible, public acts of exorcism and healing. Only recently have scholars found ways of understanding Jesus' exorcisms and healings that do justice to the gospel writers' insistence on their centrality without violating modern scientific understandings of material reality. To appreciate the significance of these new insights, this chapter examines them in an historical context, as part of an ongoing intellectual struggle in Western Christianity to develop a rational understanding of miracles.Less
Exorcism and healing are among the most prominent of all the miraculous acts ascribed to Jesus Christ in the New Testament gospels. There are seventy-two accounts of exorcisms and healings, ten of them refer to crowds of witnesses, an indication of the gospel writers' understanding that Jesus' ministry included highly visible, public acts of exorcism and healing. Only recently have scholars found ways of understanding Jesus' exorcisms and healings that do justice to the gospel writers' insistence on their centrality without violating modern scientific understandings of material reality. To appreciate the significance of these new insights, this chapter examines them in an historical context, as part of an ongoing intellectual struggle in Western Christianity to develop a rational understanding of miracles.
Lian Xi
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300123395
- eISBN:
- 9780300162837
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300123395.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter focuses on the nineteenth century, which saw a tantalizing potential for Western Christianity to become the faith of the Chinese through the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Though disavowed by ...
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This chapter focuses on the nineteenth century, which saw a tantalizing potential for Western Christianity to become the faith of the Chinese through the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Though disavowed by most mainline Christians, the Taiping movement, with its proclamation of raw supernatural power and its messianic visions, foreshadowed the development of a viable Chinese species of Protestantism during the twentieth century. The chapter also explores the innovative opium-refuge churches of “Xi the Overcomer of Demons” in the 1880s, along with other forerunners of the mass Christianity of the Republican era. It presents an account of the faltering efforts of Protestant missions to foster a Chinese Christianity, including the establishment of the interdenominational and nominally Chinese-led National Christian Council of China and the Church of Christ in China during the 1920s.Less
This chapter focuses on the nineteenth century, which saw a tantalizing potential for Western Christianity to become the faith of the Chinese through the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Though disavowed by most mainline Christians, the Taiping movement, with its proclamation of raw supernatural power and its messianic visions, foreshadowed the development of a viable Chinese species of Protestantism during the twentieth century. The chapter also explores the innovative opium-refuge churches of “Xi the Overcomer of Demons” in the 1880s, along with other forerunners of the mass Christianity of the Republican era. It presents an account of the faltering efforts of Protestant missions to foster a Chinese Christianity, including the establishment of the interdenominational and nominally Chinese-led National Christian Council of China and the Church of Christ in China during the 1920s.
Taraneh Wilkinson
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- January 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781474441537
- eISBN:
- 9781474464871
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474441537.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Middle Eastern Studies
Discussions of Turkish Islam are still frequently dominated by political considerations and dualistic paradigms: modern vs. traditional, secular vs. religious. Yet there exists a body of Muslim ...
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Discussions of Turkish Islam are still frequently dominated by political considerations and dualistic paradigms: modern vs. traditional, secular vs. religious. Yet there exists a body of Muslim institutions in Turkey, Turkish theology faculties, or ilahiyat faculties, whose work cannot always be so easily reduced to political considerations or black and white paradigms. By taking Turkish theology up on its theological rather than political concerns, this book sheds light on complex Muslim theological voices already entangled in encounters with a largely Western and Christian modernity.
Rather than ask whether or not Turkish Muslim theology is “modern,” this book aims to re-frame the binary implied in such a question by delving into the conceptual worlds of Turkish Muslim theologians. As part of this reframing, this book examines how Turkish theology dialectically mediates multiple intellectual traditions, lending particular focus to Turkish Muslim engagement with Western Christian thought.
Featuring the work of RecepAlpyağıl (Istanbul University) and Şaban Ali Düzgün (Ankara University), this study provides a concise survey of Turkish Muslim positions on religious pluralism and atheism as well as detailed treatments of both critical and appreciative Turkish Muslim perspectives on Western Christianity. The result is a critical reframing of the category of modernity through responses of Turkish theologians to the Western intellectual tradition alongside a detailed exploration of an ongoing chapter in Muslim-Christian relations.Less
Discussions of Turkish Islam are still frequently dominated by political considerations and dualistic paradigms: modern vs. traditional, secular vs. religious. Yet there exists a body of Muslim institutions in Turkey, Turkish theology faculties, or ilahiyat faculties, whose work cannot always be so easily reduced to political considerations or black and white paradigms. By taking Turkish theology up on its theological rather than political concerns, this book sheds light on complex Muslim theological voices already entangled in encounters with a largely Western and Christian modernity.
Rather than ask whether or not Turkish Muslim theology is “modern,” this book aims to re-frame the binary implied in such a question by delving into the conceptual worlds of Turkish Muslim theologians. As part of this reframing, this book examines how Turkish theology dialectically mediates multiple intellectual traditions, lending particular focus to Turkish Muslim engagement with Western Christian thought.
Featuring the work of RecepAlpyağıl (Istanbul University) and Şaban Ali Düzgün (Ankara University), this study provides a concise survey of Turkish Muslim positions on religious pluralism and atheism as well as detailed treatments of both critical and appreciative Turkish Muslim perspectives on Western Christianity. The result is a critical reframing of the category of modernity through responses of Turkish theologians to the Western intellectual tradition alongside a detailed exploration of an ongoing chapter in Muslim-Christian relations.
Jakob De Roover
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804775366
- eISBN:
- 9780804780704
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804775366.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History
This chapter examines how secular law is drawn into defining religion. It argues that in making such determinations, secular authorities are bound to smuggle in one particular theological conception ...
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This chapter examines how secular law is drawn into defining religion. It argues that in making such determinations, secular authorities are bound to smuggle in one particular theological conception of religion. It examines the dynamic expansion of Western Christianity and the creation of a secular legal system in India. The Christian opposition of true religion to false religion or “idolatry,” as well as of both kinds of religion to a third category of matters “indifferent” to religion, enabled the European accommodation between religion and the secular. The discussion argues that the realm of false religion has not really disappeared, but remains embedded implicitly in the practice of secular law.Less
This chapter examines how secular law is drawn into defining religion. It argues that in making such determinations, secular authorities are bound to smuggle in one particular theological conception of religion. It examines the dynamic expansion of Western Christianity and the creation of a secular legal system in India. The Christian opposition of true religion to false religion or “idolatry,” as well as of both kinds of religion to a third category of matters “indifferent” to religion, enabled the European accommodation between religion and the secular. The discussion argues that the realm of false religion has not really disappeared, but remains embedded implicitly in the practice of secular law.
Ralph Keen
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719061042
- eISBN:
- 9781781700358
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719061042.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
Johannes Cochlaeus stands among the prominent members of the Catholic reaction to the Reformation during its first three decades. His work serves as valuable evidence for scholars of the division of ...
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Johannes Cochlaeus stands among the prominent members of the Catholic reaction to the Reformation during its first three decades. His work serves as valuable evidence for scholars of the division of western Christianity that took place in the sixteenth century. Two qualities give him a special place among the early Catholic respondents to Protestantism: the volume of his work and the rhetorical ferocity of his reaction to the beginnings of Protestantism. He was the most prolific and most acerbic of the Catholic polemicists, and both of these qualities in tandem give him a historical importance that is only now being recognized. This chapter offers the reader of the Commentary an introduction to the main events of Cochlaeus's career and an assessment of his treatment of Luther.Less
Johannes Cochlaeus stands among the prominent members of the Catholic reaction to the Reformation during its first three decades. His work serves as valuable evidence for scholars of the division of western Christianity that took place in the sixteenth century. Two qualities give him a special place among the early Catholic respondents to Protestantism: the volume of his work and the rhetorical ferocity of his reaction to the beginnings of Protestantism. He was the most prolific and most acerbic of the Catholic polemicists, and both of these qualities in tandem give him a historical importance that is only now being recognized. This chapter offers the reader of the Commentary an introduction to the main events of Cochlaeus's career and an assessment of his treatment of Luther.
Terry Lindvall and Andrew Quicke
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814753248
- eISBN:
- 9780814765357
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814753248.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter explores how producers realized that a media-saturated market in the US limited their appeal and envisioned multiplying their investments and effectiveness in communicating to the world. ...
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This chapter explores how producers realized that a media-saturated market in the US limited their appeal and envisioned multiplying their investments and effectiveness in communicating to the world. Grounded in the Great Commission, these producers sought to adapt the medium to other cultures, with mixed results. As communicators, they showed little concern for cross-cultural communication problems. Their films, while targeted at foreign countries, clearly reflected a Western, Christian view of the world, with mostly Caucasian actors and Western music. The chapter also depicts how the impact of showing evangelistic films increased Indian persecution of the Christian minority. At the same time, The Jesus Film and Karunamayudu proved to be very powerful evangelistic tools and have converted many Hindus. Though the Indian constitution guarantees freedom of religion, India has demanded the departure of foreign missionaries.Less
This chapter explores how producers realized that a media-saturated market in the US limited their appeal and envisioned multiplying their investments and effectiveness in communicating to the world. Grounded in the Great Commission, these producers sought to adapt the medium to other cultures, with mixed results. As communicators, they showed little concern for cross-cultural communication problems. Their films, while targeted at foreign countries, clearly reflected a Western, Christian view of the world, with mostly Caucasian actors and Western music. The chapter also depicts how the impact of showing evangelistic films increased Indian persecution of the Christian minority. At the same time, The Jesus Film and Karunamayudu proved to be very powerful evangelistic tools and have converted many Hindus. Though the Indian constitution guarantees freedom of religion, India has demanded the departure of foreign missionaries.
Peter C. Hodgson (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- November 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198719250
- eISBN:
- 9780191788512
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198719250.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, History of Christianity
The intellectual activity of the first six centuries cannot be surpassed, nor prior to the Reformation are there controversies comparable to those of the ancient church. Instead of producing new ...
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The intellectual activity of the first six centuries cannot be surpassed, nor prior to the Reformation are there controversies comparable to those of the ancient church. Instead of producing new content, the major task becomes that of adapting to subjective consciousness dogma as it already exists objectively. The tool for doing so is “reflective understanding,” which means that the content is inwardly reflected but cannot yet be produced by self-consciousness itself. The first part of the second major period is one of inaction and consolidation, holding up specific propositions called “sentences” from the writings of the fathers. Pope Gregory I founds a mission to Christianize the North European peoples, and it is among them that a new epoch in the history of dogma begins. The most important thinkers are John of Damascus and John Scotus Erigena.Less
The intellectual activity of the first six centuries cannot be surpassed, nor prior to the Reformation are there controversies comparable to those of the ancient church. Instead of producing new content, the major task becomes that of adapting to subjective consciousness dogma as it already exists objectively. The tool for doing so is “reflective understanding,” which means that the content is inwardly reflected but cannot yet be produced by self-consciousness itself. The first part of the second major period is one of inaction and consolidation, holding up specific propositions called “sentences” from the writings of the fathers. Pope Gregory I founds a mission to Christianize the North European peoples, and it is among them that a new epoch in the history of dogma begins. The most important thinkers are John of Damascus and John Scotus Erigena.
