Description
A provocative and contrarian religious history that charts the upward push of Christianity from the point of view of traditional” religion from the religious scholar and critically acclaimed creator of Augustine.
Pagans explores the upward push of Christianity from a surprising and unique viewpoint: that of the people who witnessed their ways of life destroyed by what seemed then a powerful religious cult. These “pagans” were in reality pious Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Gauls who observed the traditions of their ancestors. To these devout polytheists, Christians who worshipped only one deity were immoral atheists who believed that a splash of water on the deathbed could erase a lifetime of sin.
Religious scholar James J. O’Donnell takes us on a full of life tour of the Ancient Roman world through the fourth century CE, when Romans of each nationality, social class, and religious preference found their world suddenly constrained by rulers who preferred a peculiar new god. Some joined this new cult, whilst others denied its power, erroneously believing it was once little more than a passing fad.
In Pagans, O’Donnell brings to life more than a few pagan rites and essential features of Roman religion and life, offers fresh portraits of iconic historical figures, including Constantine, Julian, and Augustine, and explores important themes—Rome as opposed to the east, civilization as opposed to barbarism, plurality as opposed to unity, rich as opposed to poor, and tradition as opposed to innovation—in this startling account.
