On Roman Religion

Lived Religion and the Individual in Ancient Rome

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Rome, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book On Roman Religion by Jörg Rüpke, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jörg Rüpke ISBN: 9781501706790
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: October 19, 2016
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: Jörg Rüpke
ISBN: 9781501706790
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: October 19, 2016
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

Was religious practice in ancient Rome cultic and hostile to individual expression? Or was there, rather, considerable latitude for individual initiative and creativity? Jörg Rüpke, one of the world’s leading authorities on Roman religion, demonstrates in his new book that it was a lived religion with individual appropriations evident at the heart of such rituals as praying, dedicating, making vows, and reading. On Roman Religion definitively dismantles previous approaches that depicted religious practice as uniform and static. Juxtaposing very different, strategic, and even subversive forms of individuality with traditions, their normative claims, and their institutional protections, Rüpke highlights the dynamic character of Rome’s religious institutions and traditions.

In Rüpke’s view, lived ancient religion is as much about variations or even outright deviance as it is about attempts and failures to establish or change rules and roles and to communicate them via priesthoods, practices related to images or classified as magic, and literary practices. Rüpke analyzes observations of religious experience by contemporary authors including Propertius, Ovid, and the author of the "Shepherd of Hermas." These authors, in very different ways, reflect on individual appropriation of religion among their contemporaries, and they offer these reflections to their readership or audiences. Rüpke also concentrates on the ways in which literary texts and inscriptions informed the practice of rituals.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Was religious practice in ancient Rome cultic and hostile to individual expression? Or was there, rather, considerable latitude for individual initiative and creativity? Jörg Rüpke, one of the world’s leading authorities on Roman religion, demonstrates in his new book that it was a lived religion with individual appropriations evident at the heart of such rituals as praying, dedicating, making vows, and reading. On Roman Religion definitively dismantles previous approaches that depicted religious practice as uniform and static. Juxtaposing very different, strategic, and even subversive forms of individuality with traditions, their normative claims, and their institutional protections, Rüpke highlights the dynamic character of Rome’s religious institutions and traditions.

In Rüpke’s view, lived ancient religion is as much about variations or even outright deviance as it is about attempts and failures to establish or change rules and roles and to communicate them via priesthoods, practices related to images or classified as magic, and literary practices. Rüpke analyzes observations of religious experience by contemporary authors including Propertius, Ovid, and the author of the "Shepherd of Hermas." These authors, in very different ways, reflect on individual appropriation of religion among their contemporaries, and they offer these reflections to their readership or audiences. Rüpke also concentrates on the ways in which literary texts and inscriptions informed the practice of rituals.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book The Theban Plays by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book The Edge of Extinction by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book My Reach by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book The Eccentric Realist by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book The Templars, the Witch, and the Wild Irish by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book Paradigms for a Metaphorology by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book Losing Hearts and Minds by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book Romantic Catholics by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book For the Common Good by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book Holding the Line by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book History and Power in the Study of Law by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book New York Amish by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book Russia's Unfinished Revolution by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book Strategic Adjustment and the Rise of China by Jörg Rüpke
Cover of the book The Political Unconscious by Jörg Rüpke
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy