Iamblichus' Mysteriis-A manifesto of the miraculous (Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Theology & Biblical Studies) [Hardcover]

Emma C. Clarke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001 | ISBN-10: 075460408X | ISBN-13: 978-0754604082 | Edition: 1st

This book redefines our interpretation of Iamblichus' theurgy and religiosity, as revealed in his only complete surviving work, the "De Mysteriis". Clarke argues that the existence and operation of the supernatural, or the miraculous, is the "sine qua non" of this work, and yet this is often overlooked by Iamblichus' philosophical interpreters. The argument is developed through the examination of numerous religious practices described by Iamblichus, most importantly those of animal sacrifice, oracular consultation, divine possession, and the ritual observation of the luminous divine epiphanies. The book seeks to understand Iamblichus' position within the framework of, rather than through the eyes of, other Neoplatonists. Emma Clarke is the chief editor of the only modern English translation of the "De Mysteriis", and in this book she breaks new ground in a growing area of interest.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ashgate Pub Ltd; 1st edition (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075460408X
• ISBN-13: 978-0754604082
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,214,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sober scholarly objective new look at this important document., January 30, 2006

By 

Sky Dragon (Beverly Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iamblichus' Mysteriis-A manifesto of the miraculous (Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Theology & Biblical Studies) (Hardcover)

Scholarly yet easy to read, detailed yet fascinating, this short book helped me to fathom Iamblichus' difficult text. The author extracts key passages and content to create a description of Iamblichus' pratical ideas about religion and spiritual practice as essentially a consitent form of magic, contrary to attempts to portray him as either a rationalist on the one hand or merely superstitious on the other.

Iamblichus' work from about 300 A.D. is a defense of pagan religious theology and worship against rationalist/materialist attacks. However, it is a hard read for a contemporary person trying to understand his ideas of religious practice. Clarke slices it up and chews it for the modern reader.

One quibble: in the introduction, Clarke seems to have a Christian reference frame and attributes aspects of Iamblichus' ideas she sees as positive to Christian influence, e.g. the emphasis on experience of the divine over philosophy and learning.

I believe this is patently false, that pagan religion had a long history of divine revelatory experience, as in the mystery religions that strongly influenced neo-platonists including Iamblichus. In fact any examinition of history shows Christianity inherits ideas from the ancient mystery religions and the Platonists, and not the other way around. Clarke seems to be writing with the agenda of a Christian polemicist who approves of Iamblichus because he appears to echo some Christian values and so show the influence of Christianity on the pagans.

Nevertheless, this agenda does not intrude on the clarity of the reading of Iamblichus, and Clarke's apparent faith enables her to take seriously Iamblichus' supernatural beliefs in a way a sceptical scholar might find difficult.