Author Description
This Book Presents A Range Of Case-studies Of Pilgrimage In Graeco-roman Antiquity, Drawing On A Wide Variety Of Evidence. It Rejects The Usual Reluctance To Accept The Category Of Pilgrimage In Pagan Polytheism And Affirms The Significance Of Sacred Mobility Not Only As An Important Factor In Understanding Ancient Religion And Its Topographies But Also As Vitally Ancestral To Later Christian Practice.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates the historical validity and cultural significance of pilgrimage within Graeco-Roman polytheism and its subsequent influence on early Christian traditions. The authors, Ian Rutherford and Jas' Elsner, utilize a multidisciplinary approach to challenge the scholarly tendency to exclude the concept of pilgrimage from pagan religious frameworks. By analyzing diverse archaeological and textual evidence, they argue that sacred mobility was a foundational element of ancient religious topographies and a direct precursor to later Christian devotional practices.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Comparative analysis of sacred travel in pagan and Christian contexts
- Case studies of specific religious sites and movement patterns
- Examination of ancient religious topographies and mobility
- Synthesis of archaeological, epigraphic, and literary evidence
Scope Limits
- Does not provide an exhaustive survey of every known ancient pilgrimage site
- Focuses primarily on the transition from pagan to Christian practices rather than medieval developments
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of ancient religious mobility, often citing its success in bridging the gap between pagan and Christian scholarship. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which makes it a specialized resource for historians and classicists.
Page Count:
532
Publication Date:
2007-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191566756
ISBN-13:
9780191566752
History
Religion
Ancient History
Archaeology
Christianity