One God. Pagan Monotheism in the Roman Empire , and: Monotheism between Pagans and Christians in Late Antiquity (review)

Abstract

One God. the Roman Empire. Edited by Stephen Mitchell and Peter Van Nuffelen. (New York: Cambridge University Press. 2010. Pp. 239- $99-00. ISBN 978-0-521-19416-7.) between Pagans and Christians Late Antiquity. Edited by Stephen Mitchell and Peter Van Nuffelen. [Interdisciplinary Studies Ancient Culture and Religion, 12.] (Leuven: Peeters. 2010. Pp. vi, 225. euro48,00 paperback. ISBN 978-9-042-92242-6.) These two collections of essays are the product of conference entitled Pagan the Roman Empire (1-4 c. AD) that was held at Exeter University July 2006 and represented highlight of triennial research program on the intellectual background to mono theism. The program was conceived as response to the volume Late edited by Michael Frede and the reviewer. The two books differ conception and format. One God an elegantly produced hardcover, containing six basically conceptual essays by recognized authorities the field of religious studies, as well as the contributions of the two editors. on the other hand, paperback volume, apparently less carefully edited, which takes the form more of series of case studies, as the editors themselves note (p. 8). While accepting pagan as heuristic tool, both books give emphasis to the social and political context of religious praxis and the preeminence of cult and over ideology, although the editors point to chronological division between the two. Regarding the Constantinian revolution as watershed, they assign to One God papers dealing with the era before the recognition of Christianity as religio licita and to those relating to the period 350-450. It may also be noted that One God concentrates on the Greek East, whereas draws to an equal extent on Latin sources. The papers One God reflect the fundamental distinctions among (a) soft (inclusive) and hard (exclusive) Judeo-Christian monotheism, (b) numerical and qualitative oneness, and (c) monotheistic thought and polytheistic cult. In well-structured methodological article, Pagan as Religious Phenomenon (pp. 16-33), Peter Van Nuffelen discusses the history and usefulness of such coinages as henotheism, monotheism, and monolatry, together with the neologism megatheism, the context of the study of Greco-Roman religion. All these terms, he argues, point to the changed way of conceiving and worshiping the godhead the Roman Empire as from the first century, change brought about by the interaction between various religious trends under the growing influence of philosophical discourse. Change equally the central issue the analysis of Roman from the first to the fourth century by John North, Pagan Ritual and Monotheism (pp. 34-52), although his emphasis on social and sociological factors (listed on pp. 42 and 51); not only does North minimize the role of philosophy the process of mutation, but he dismisses altogether the idea that the tendency toward monotheism a necessary condition for the religious transformations we are seeking to analyse (p. 51). Frede (The Case for Greek and Graeco-Roman Antiquity, pp. 53-81) and Stephen Mitchell (Further Thoughts on the Cult of Theos Hypsistos, pp. 167-208) remain faithful to the positions adopted their respective essays Monotheism. Emphasizing continuity and intellectuality, Frede brings evidence from Antisthenes, Chrysippus, and Galen to prove that philosophy at the heart of ancient religion, which is not just matter of cult and ritual (p. 81). By adducing new epigraphic evidence, Mitchell restates his thesis that the cult of Theos Hypsistos was in essence and spirit, if not the narrowest definition, form of monotheistic religion (p. 198). With reference to St. Augustine's reception of the Platonic theology, Alfons Furst (Monotheism between Cult and Politics: The Themes of the Ancient Debate between and Christian Monotheism, pp. …