The Passion of the Greeks: Christianity and the Rape of the Hellenes - Hardcover

Evaggelos G. Vallianatos

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1593860390 ISBN 13: 9781593860394

Publisher: Clock & Rose Press, 2006

Synopsis

This book tells the secret story of the conflict between Greeks and Christians in late antiquity, especially from the fourth to the sixth centuries. It reveals how Christianity, assisted and funded by the Roman Empire, conspired to kill the Greeks whom it had dehumanized, branding them idolaters and pagans. Christianity s genocidal policies against the Greeks and their civilization almost succeeded; the "converted" Greeks were forced to abandon even their name and call themselves Romans from the fifth to the nineteenth centuries. Moreover, the Christianization of Greece was a catastrophe that precipitated the fall of Rome and engendered the dark ages of Western civilization. The Christians made Greece a cemetery, which quite unintentionally preserved the aftermath of their murder and genocide. At a time of religious conflict between Christianity and Islam, this book highlights the intolerant nature of monotheism. It tells a story never told before, opening the possibility we may get closer to the Greeks, understanding their passion and their achievements. The Greeks resisted Christianity for centuries. Like god Prometheus who gave them fire and the arts, so did the Greeks create our world through the Renaissance, which brought to light the remnants of Greek culture long ago buried by Christianity. Illustrated with two maps of Ancient Greece in color. Designed, printed, and bound in the USA.

About this title

About the Author:

E.G. Vallianatos holds a doctorate in history from the University of Wisconsin. The Academy of Athens published his doctoral thesis, From Graikos to Hellene, in 1987. He is also the author of three books on agrarian issues; Fear in the Countryside (1976), Harvest of Devastation (1994) and This Land is Their Land: How Corporate Farms Threaten the World (2006). Vallianatos is a passionate scholar of Ancient Hellenic culture (philosophy, poetry, drama and theater, literature, history, science, art, and religion). He believes that Hellenic philosophy s unfettered search for the truth and the Hellenes respect for nature are more relevant now than ever in our perilous modern times. It is his contention that this bedrock legacy of civilization is absolutely essential for the preservation and protection of Western culture and the continuing search for a peaceful, democratic, ecological and sustainable world.

Review:

Evaggelos Vallianatos argues for a modern paganism based on the possibility of rational argument and of philosophical self-knowledge. In the manner of Gibbon and other Enlightenment critics of religion, he documents and decries the excesses of organized religions and the fanaticism, superstition, and love of despotism that characterizes those who most zealously wish to spread their doctrines. His plea for reason, moderation, liberty, and a general world view that he finds best defended in the traditions of Hellenic philosophical thought is especially timely in a world increasingly disturbed by religious fanaticism and sectarian violence. Rather than giving into despair, however, Vallianatos tries to chart an optimistic map of human and political possibilities and calls for a general renewal of individual and societal reason based on modern pagan principles. --Phillip Mitsis, Alexander S. Onassis Professor of Hellenic Culture and Civilization

Professor Vallianatos's book dramatically portrays the immense conflict between Christianity and Hellenism from its beginnings to the present, and is structured with a backbone of extensive documentation. It also estimates our great loss for essentially abandoning the political and humanistic principles the Greeks shaped for a civilized sustenance of our world. One wishes that more books were written in the same vein, for the wisdom of the Greeks can provide the guidance we desperately need to rescue us from the present disastrous courses our leaders and their allied forces have chosen, motivated by power acquisition and greed. --Thanasis Maskaleris, Emeritus Profess of Comparative Literature & Classics, San Francisco State University

The Passion of the Greeks is a book which proposes to sail into the highly controversial early centuries when the Christian faith made every possible effort to prevail over the deeply-embedded Hellenic religion. Quite a few people think that this happened through gentle persuasion and charismatic preaching. There was, of course, some of that. However, violence, political conspiracy, and downright destruction of the great religious centers of antiquity were much more the order of the day. It took the spirit of Hellenism eight to ten centuries to recover from all of this and then mainly in the form of scholarly debate. I have no doubt that Dr. Vallianatos will delight some of his readers through his fearless quest for the truth and shock others precisely because of it. --Apostolos N. Athanassakis, Argyropoulos Chair in Hellenic Studies

The Passion of the Greeks is a book which proposes to sail into the highly controversial early centuries when the Christian faith made every possible effort to prevail over the deeply-embedded Hellenic religion. Quite a few people think that this happened through gentle persuasion and charismatic preaching. There was, of course, some of that. However, violence, political conspiracy, and downright destruction of the great religious centers of antiquity were much more the order of the day. It took the spirit of Hellenism eight to ten centuries to recover from all of this and then mainly in the form of scholarly debate. I have no doubt that Dr. Vallianatos will delight some of his readers through his fearless quest for the truth and shock others precisely because of it. --Apostolos N. Athanassakis, Argyropoulos Chair in Hellenic Studies

Evaggelos Vallianatos argues for a modern paganism based on the possibility of rational argument and of philosophical self-knowledge. In the manner of Gibbon and other Enlightenment critics of religion, he documents and decries the excesses of organized religions and the fanaticism, superstition, and love of despotism that characterizes those who most zealously wish to spread their doctrines. His plea for reason, moderation, liberty, and a general world view that he finds best defended in the traditions of Hellenic philosophical thought is especially timely in a world increasingly disturbed by religious fanaticism and sectarian violence. Rather than giving into despair, however, Vallianatos tries to chart an optimistic map of human and political possibilities and calls for a general renewal of individual and societal reason based on modern pagan principles. --Phillip Mitsis, Alexander S. Onassis Professor of Hellenic Culture and Civilization

About this edition

• Publisher: Clock & Rose Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1593860390
• ISBN 13: 9781593860394
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 245