The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: Mysteries of the Unconquered Sun [Paperback]

Roger Beck (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199216134 | ISBN-13: 978-0199216130 | Publication Date: May 17, 2007

This volume is a study of the religious system of Mithraism, one of the "mystery cults" popular in the Roman Empire contemporary with early Christianity. Roger Beck describes Mithraism from the point of view of the initiate engaging with the religion and its rich symbolic system in thought, word, ritual action, and cult life. He employs the methods of anthropology of religion and the new cognitive science of religion to explore in detail the semiotics of the Mysteries' astral symbolism, which has been the principal subject of his many previous publications on the cult.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Given Beck's credentials and his reputation as an erudite scholar of the enigmatic mysteries of Mithras, one might rightly expect that this book would break new ground. Beck does not disappoint. The book is engagingly written and is an exemplar of how scholarship can be pursued in a fair, engaging manner. Richard S. Ascough, Studies in Religion This makes for an interesting eclectic journey through one of the most mysterious cults in the Roman Empire... Throughout the book this interpretative scheme is filled out with impressively meticulous analysis of the textual evidence, the symbolic structutre of the mithraeum, and the tauroctony. Anders Lisdorf, Journal of Roman Studies In learned and fascinationg detail, he explains the mithraeum as both symbolically and actually as a representation of the universe. Inga Mantle, The Journal of Classics Teaching

About the Author

Roger Beck is Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199216134
• ISBN-13: 978-0199216130
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,194,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read for academics, but not accessible for non experts., January 16, 2008

By 

Perses - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: Mysteries of the Unconquered Sun (Paperback)

An excellent book on understanding the 3D structure of Mithraeums. However, this is a highly academic and technical book, and is aimed at experts in the field.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Author spends too much time justifying his methods, October 13, 2010

By 

Diane Brzozowski "Diane B." (Montpelier, VT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: Mysteries of the Unconquered Sun (Paperback)

As the previous reviewer stated, the book is academic. However, I feel that even so it is of little value. The author spends more than three quarters of the book justifying his methods and applying them to other cultures and systems to show that they "work." He spends very little time actually talking about Mithraism. An entire section of the book is devoted to analyzing the Chamula tribe in Mexico.