Biblical Studies & Religious Studies – serie

This book brings together studies on the most common designations for God in the New Testament, considering their use in ancient Jewish tradition as well as in Greek religion and Roman imperial cult.The introducing chapter on “the Father” is followed by studies on “the Lord” and different designations expressing sovereignty (pantokrator, basileus, despotes, dynastes etc.), on “the Creator”, “the living God” and “the life giving God” as well as on the genuine Christian designation “God, who has risen Jesus from the dead”. The two final chapters are on “the one and only God” and on “the highest God”.This compendium is not only a reference work full of interesting philological and religio-historical material, but also lays the foundation for future studies on the way in which the different New Testament- and other early Christian texts express their views on God. Conclusions at the end of each chapter facilitate the reading of the book, which aims to sharpen the view on the long neglected importance of God in the scriptures of the New Testament.***„Die Namen des Vaters” geben einen Überblick über die häufigsten neutestamentlichen Gottesbezeichnungen unter Berücksichtigung ihrer frühjüdischen Tradition, aber auch der zeitgenössischen paganen Sprachkonvention in der griechischen Religion und im römischen Herrscherkult.Nach der Behandlung der „Vater“-Bezeichnung folgen die Analyse der Bezeichnungen Gottes als „Herr“ und „Herrscher“ (Allherrscher, König, Despotes, Dynastes etc.), als „Schöpfer“, als „lebendiger“ und „lebendigmachender“ sowie Gott als dem, „der Jesus von den Toten auferweckt hat“ als genuin christlicher Redeweise. Den Abschluss bilden Studien zu „Der einzige Gott“ und „Der höchste Gott“.Dieser grundlegende Überblick eignet sich nicht nur als materialreiches Nachschlagewerk, sondern bildet zugleich einen hilfreichen Ausgangspunkt für alle weiteren Untersuchungen zu den Gottes-Vorstellungen einzelner Autoren der neutestamentlichen und weiterer frühchristlicher Schriften. Zahlreiche Zusammenfassungen erleichtern die Lektüre dieses Werks, das den Blick für die – lange vernachlässigte – Bedeutung Gottes in den neutestamentlichen Texten schärfen möchte.Originally published in hardcover

Manichaeism, once a gnostic world religion, soon spread to the Roman West. Here, the life and the work of the future (and, without doubt, most influential) Church Father Augustine (354-430) became inextricably connected with Manichaean teachings and practices. In view of the many new Manichaean texts in particular, it turns out that, without a thorough knowledge of the ‘Religion of Light’, Augustine’s theology and philosophy are hardly conceivable.This volume brings together the selected papers of the Fribourg-Utrecht symposium Augustine and Manichaeism in the Latin West, organized on behalf of the International Association of Manichaean Studies in Fribourg (Switzerland) in the summer of 1998. It contains a considerable number of contributions by leading authorities on the subject, focussing on the diffusion of Mani’s religion in the Latin West and on its impact upon St Augustine.Originally published in hardcover.

The Encyclopedia of Religious and Philosophical Writings in Late Antiquity offers easily accessible introductions to the content and historical setting of the main writings of Greco-Roman paganism, early Judaism, and formative Christianity from the period of Alexander the Great to Mohammed. Examining over seven hundred ancient texts, the Encyclopedia provides for each document details of authorship and provenance, a statement of the text’s content and place within its religious tradition, a listing of editions and commentaries, and a bibliography of the pertinent scholarly literature. The Encyclopedia of Religious and Philosophical Writings in Late Antiquity is an unparalleled resource both for general readers and for scholars of ancient religion and philosophy.Originally published in hardcover.

Leo the Great was a major figure of the late Roman world whose life and work were profoundly intertwined with the political crisis of his day. As the western empire gradually succumbed to the advancing barbarian kingdoms, Leo understood that the papacy needed to expand its authority in order for the church to survive the demise of the political system. This book argues that his achievement was to transform the church not only in the practical level of administrative organization, but in the more fluid realm of thought and idea. The secular Rome that was crumbling was replaced with a Christian, universal Rome that he fashioned by infusing his theology with humanitarian ideals.Originally published in hardcover.