Heirs of Roman Persecution

Éric Fournier

ISBN 10: 1032088192 / ISBN 13: 9781032088198

Published by Routledge Jun 2021, 2021

About this Item

This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The subject of this book is the discourse of persecution used by Christians in Late Antiquity (c. 300-700 CE).Through a series of detailed case studies covering the full chronological and geographical span of the period, this book investigates how the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity changed the way that Christians and para- Christians perceived the hostile treatments they received, either by fellow Christians or by people of other religions. A closely related second goal of this volume is to encourage scholars to think more precisely about the terminological difficulties related to the study of persecution. Indeed, despite sustained interest in the subject, few scholars have sought to distinguish between such closely related concepts as punishment, coercion, physical violence, and persecution. Often, these terms are used interchangeably. Although there are no easy answers, an emphatic conclusion of the studies assembled in this volume is that 'persecution' was a malleable rhetorical label in late antique discourse, whose meaning shifted depending on the viewpoint of the authors who used it.This leads to our third objective: to analyze the role and function played by rhetoric and polemic in late antique claims to be persecuted. Late antique Christian writers who cast their present as a repetition of past persecutions often aimed to attack the legitimacy of the dominant Christian faction through a process of othering. This discourse also expressed a polarizing worldview in order to strengthen the group identity of the writers' community in the midst of ideological conflicts and to encourage steadfastness against the temptation to collaborate with the other side. 364 pp. Englisch.

Seller Inventory # 9781032088198

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Heirs of Roman Persecution
• Publisher: Routledge Jun 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1032088192
• ISBN 13: 9781032088198
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 234W x 156H x 20D millimeters 234 millimeters width by 156 millimeters height by 20 millimeters depth
• Weight: 553 grams

About this title

Synopsis

The subject of this book is the discourse of persecution used by Christians in Late Antiquity (c. 300–700 CE).

Through a series of detailed case studies covering the full chronological and geographical span of the period, this book investigates how the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity changed the way that Christians and para- Christians perceived the hostile treatments they received, either by fellow Christians or by people of other religions. A closely related second goal of this volume is to encourage scholars to think more precisely about the terminological difficulties related to the study of persecution. Indeed, despite sustained interest in the subject, few scholars have sought to distinguish between such closely related concepts as punishment, coercion, physical violence, and persecution. Often, these terms are used interchangeably. Although there are no easy answers, an emphatic conclusion of the studies assembled in this volume is that “persecution” was a malleable rhetorical label in late antique discourse, whose meaning shifted depending on the viewpoint of the authors who used it.

This leads to our third objective: to analyze the role and function played by rhetoric and polemic in late antique claims to be persecuted. Late antique Christian writers who cast their present as a repetition of past persecutions often aimed to attack the legitimacy of the dominant Christian faction through a process of othering. This discourse also expressed a polarizing worldview in order to strengthen the group identity of the writers’ community in the midst of ideological conflicts and to encourage steadfastness against the temptation to collaborate with the other side.

About the Author

Éric Fournier is Professor of History at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Wendy Mayer is Associate Dean for Research and Professor at University of Divinity, Australian Lutheran College.