or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
32 used & new from $7.99

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It must surely stand as one of the most touching moments of rapprochement in western history..." (more)
Key Phrases: locative traditions, disciplina arcani, comparative enterprise, New Testament, New York, Late Antiquity (more...)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Price: $19.00 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 4 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
16 new from $13.00 16 used from $7.99

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover, September 17, 1990 $46.00 $38.50 $21.75
  Paperback, May 27, 1994 $19.00 $13.00 $7.99

Frequently Bought Together

Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity + Map is not Territory: Studies in the History of Religions + Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)
Price For All Three: $58.54

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity by Jonathan Z. Smith

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Map is not Territory: Studies in the History of Religions by Jonathan Z. Smith

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism) by Jonathan Z. Smith

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Relating Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion

Relating Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion

by Jonathan Z. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $15.33
Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)

Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)

by Jonathan Z. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $18.54
To Take Place: Toward Theory in Ritual (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)

To Take Place: Toward Theory in Ritual (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)

by Jonathan Z. Smith
$25.00
Critical Terms for Religious Studies

Critical Terms for Religious Studies

by Mark C. Taylor
3.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $12.20
The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion

The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion

by Mircea Eliade
4.7 out of 5 stars (25)  $10.08
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In this major theoretical and methodological statement on the history of religions, Jonathan Z. Smith shows how convert apologetic agendas can dictate the course of comparative religious studies. As his example, Smith reviews four centuries of scholarship comparing early Christianities with religions of late Antiquity (especially the so-called mystery cults) and shows how this scholarship has been based upon an underlying Protestant-Catholic polemic. The result is a devastating critique of traditional New Testament scholarship, a redescription of early Christianities as religious traditions amenable to comparison, and a milestone in Smith's controversial approach to comparative religious studies.

"An important book, and certainly one of the most significant in the career of Jonathan Z. Smith, whom one may venture to call the greatest pathologist in the history of religions. As in many precedent cases, Smith follows a standard procedure: he carefully selects his victim, and then dissects with artistic finesse and unequaled acumen. The operation is always necessary, and a deconstructor of Smith's caliber is hard to find."—Ioan P. Coulianu, Journal of Religion


About the Author

Jonathan Z. Smith is the Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor of the Humanities in the College of the University of Chicago.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (May 28, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0226763633
  • ISBN-13: 978-0226763637
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #704,527 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

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

Visit Amazon's Jonathan Z. Smith Page

Inside This Book (learn more)




What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity
71% buy the item featured on this page:
Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
$19.00
Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism)
11% buy
Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown (Chicago Studies in the History of Judaism) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
$18.54
Relating Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion
9% buy
Relating Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
$15.33
Critical Terms for Religious Studies
5% buy
Critical Terms for Religious Studies 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)
$12.20

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Expose of early Christian v. Pagan as Protestant v. Catholic, June 5, 2004
By Michael Hoffman (Egodeath.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
In the book Drudgery Divine, J. Z. Smith portrays Christianity and mystery religions in their late-antique phase as similar simultaneous parallel developments. He emphasizes diversity in all the religions, against the monolithic assumption that underlies the usual project of comparing "the" Jewish religion, "the" Christian religion, and "the" Pagan type of religion.

Drudgery Divine is an expose of the biased and flawed nature of the Protestant, anti-Catholic project of portraying early Christianity as completely non-Catholic, non-ritualist, and non-initiatory. This Protestant scholarly project was based on illegitimate approaches to comparison of early, pre-Catholic Christianity to the pagan/Hellenistic religions.

The Protestant project sought to portray Christianity as far from ritual and initiation and mystery-religion as possible, and implicitly equated Catholic practices with Hellenistic ritual, initiation, and mystery, arguing that because pure, original Christianity was not at all like Hellenistic religion, original Christianity was not at all like Catholic Christianity.

According to the Protestant scholars, original Christianity was completely unlike Catholic Christianity, being strictly a matter of revealed, not secret religion; being strictly a matter of straightforward rational ethics, not initiation and ritual; being strictly a matter of sermon study-lectures, not magic-like ritual practices; being strictly a matter of doctrinal principles of pure faith, not ritual activity.

Insofar as the older Jewish religion could be portrayed as unlike Hellenistic secret ritual initiation, the Protestant scholars emphasized that real, original Christianity derived purely and strictly from the Jewish religion, as opposed to having anything to do with pagan/Hellenistic (read 'Catholic') secret ritual initiation.

According to those Protestant scholars, the word 'mysterion' in Jewish writings has only one meaning to consider, and this meaning is purely secular, and simply connotes 'secret', and does not connote secret ritual initiation -- therefore, the use of the word 'mysterion' in original (which is to say, non-Catholic) Christianity had nothing to do with Hellenistic-type (read 'Catholic-type') secret ritual initiation.

Smith's book does not serve the purpose of putting forth an elaborated correct positive model of the nature of earliest Christianities. Its focused purpose is to sweep away the bunk, biased, covert project driven by anti-Catholic concerns, to enable the next generation of scholars to completely re-approach the question of the relationship of early Christianity to Hellenistic religion, including an adequate treatment of multiplicity within Christianity and within the other religions, and development over time.

He points out that some kinds of Christianity were similar to some kinds of Hellenistic religion.

One of many tenets of the Protestant project of comparing original Christianity/Jewish religion against Hellenistic/Catholic religion, Smith briefly points out, is the idea that the Jewish religion was completely unlike secret ritual initiation.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive service, August 30, 2006
The delivery of "Drudgery Divine" was quick, and the packaging was secure. I will definitely recommend this dealer.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Ad
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.