Authority and the Sacred: Aspects of the Christianisation of the Roman World (Canto original series) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "FACED BY A TOPIC AS LABYRINTHINE AS THE PROBLEM OF Christianisation, it is a relief to begin with a person for whom the problem apparently..." (more)
Key Phrases: later empire, Christian God, Julian the Apostate, Saint Augustine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A brilliant book, by a scholar to whom church historians are already deeply indebted, providing ample material for further debates.' The Expository Times

' ... the treatment is fresh and independent'. The Times Literary Supplement

Product Description

The Christianization of the Roman world lies at the root of modern Europe. Peter Brown's fascinating study examines the factors that proved decisive and the compromises that made the emergence of the Christian conception of existence possible: how the old gods of the Roman Empire could be reinterpreted as symbols to further the message of the Church. Peter Brown also shows how Christian holy men were less representative of a triumphant faith than negotiators of a working compromise between the new faith and traditional ways of dealing with the supernatural worlds.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (August 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521595576
• ISBN-13: 978-0521595575
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #768,017 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Erudite, elegant and satisfying, February 27, 2000

By	Scott Darby (London, England) - See all my reviews

A brilliant analysis of the slow process of Christianising the Roman Empire. Brown writes in a learned yet clear manner, and addresses one directly as if in conversation. He guides the reader through his own considerations over the years, and displays not only his incomparable understanding of this topic, but also his interesting shifts of belief in different areas, as well as challenging or developing the theses of other scholars. A deeply personal and stimulting read, especially for those who enjoyed his 'World of Late Antiquity' and 'Augustine of Hippo'.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Fascinating and Resourceful", February 12, 2002

By	Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Peter Brown's "Authority and the Sacred: Aspects of the Christianization of the Roman World" is a work well-worth its weight in perspective, since it breaks with the customary norm of interpreting the rise and triumph of Christianity through a medium of objective analysis. Brown ignores the inevitable vicissitudes of recorded history and offers a much more personal, subjective, and systematic account of the triumph of Christianity. To Professor Brown, Christianity gradually emerged and ascended amongst a world deeply rooted in traditional Pagan "common sense" belief systems. This process involved a shift in how upper-class Roman society conducted religious and political institutions; these institutions were in turn viewed by the general public, and at last Christianity was accepted and validated by the consensus of both stratums of society. Brown concludes and confirms his view by pointing out the profound effect that the holy men of the fifth and sixth centuries had upon people of all walks of life. This, from Brown's perspective, proves that Christianity needed to have a firm hold upon the psyche of the late Roman world and not merely upon the social and cultural levels. In other words, Constantine's revolution was only half the story. This work is clear and concise, and definitely has something to offer to both scholars and general readers alike.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pagan/Christian interface- not so tidy as you may think, March 26, 2004

By A Customer

This is a gem of a book. Short enough to read in an afternoon, but so packed full of ideas and primary source material that you will return to it repeatedly in your research.

Chapter 1 details the "triumphalist" approach to understanding the suppossed triumph of Christianity ofver paganism, a la Eusebius, but that the defeat of Adrianople shook the beleif in an ordered and understandable "god on our side" worldview. According to Brown, Augustine had a more sober view of reality, which was pessimistic about "this age", and which eventually overtook the former idealism. Augustine laments the encroachment of pagan practices as converts streamed in, akin to Cato the Elder's lament about foreigners in Rome.

Chapter 2 explores the intorlerance for alternate theologies and beliefs in the Theodosian Age, a truly sad chapter in Christian history (IMHO). What is refreshing to me is how Brown points out that in the midst of anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish activites there was a greater than expected (or currently understood and taught) amount of civility and respect. Remember, keeping the empire together was their main priority. So it was the upper class, moreso than the church or state, setting the tone of practice.

Chapter 3 examines the idea of the holy, the saint. Reminescent of paganism, the holy man interceeded for all regardless of religion or creed. Such a man allowed the newly chrsitened, or reluctanly conjoled, to make a familiar trainsition into the new religion.