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Religions of the Hellenistic-Roman Age Paperback – October 30, 2001

by Antonia Tripolitis (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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Religions of the Hellenistic-Roman Age is a superb introduction to the principal Western religions and their philosophical counterparts from the beginnings of Alexander the Great's empire in 331 B.C.E. to the emergence of the Christian world in the fourth century C. E. Anton?a Tripolitis, a noted scholar of Late Antiquity, examines the rise of the Hellenistic-Roman world and presents a comprehensive overview of its beliefs and practices, their socio-psychological and historical development, and the reasons for their success or failure. Her work explores Mithraism, Hellenistic Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism, and the philosophies of Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Middle Platonism. It also includes a review of the principal mystery cults, Demeter in Eleusis, Dionysus, Isis, and Cybele or Magna Mater.

Based on the most reliable and up-to-date research on the ancient world, this volume is valuable both as a general guide to ancient Western religion and as essential background reading for the study of early Christianity.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    175 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
  4. Publication date
    October 30, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.42 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    080284913X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0802849137
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Ronald F. Hock
"An excellent volume. The scope is comprehensive, the treatment is detailed and clear, and the individual sections are succinct, incisive, and authoritative. It is especially welcome to have informed introductions to such diverse phenomena as the Greek mystery cults and philosophical schools, the Jewish synagogue and Jewish wisdom and apocalyptic thought, and the origins, theological development, and eventual success of Christianity all treated clearly, fully, and comprehensively in one book — making it ideal for students studying early Christianity or Late Antiquity in general. As a parachutist's view of the religious landscape of antiquity, this book is able to include all the major religious traditions and see the converging and diverging patterns in the ways they responded to the new world established by Alexander the Great. Highly recommended. "

Expository Times
"If someone is looking for one book which will tell them something about the mystery religions, Stoicism, Middle Platonism, Mithraism, Diaspora Judaism, early Christianity and Gnosticism, then this book does just that. Its strength is in its sweep and its readability."

Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"A useful survey introduction to the religions of classical antiquity. The author's clarity of expression is evident on every page, as she presents the data about classical religions in a lucid, succinct and accessible manner. The book would serve very well as an undergraduate textbook. "

Old Testament Essays
"A splendid introduction for undergraduate students to the world of Hellenistic-Roman thought and religion."

About the Author

Professor of Late Antiquity and Director of the ModernGreek Studies Program at Rutgers University in NewBrunswick, New Jersey. Her other books include TheDoctrine of the Soul in the Thought of Plotinus and Origen,Origen: A Critical Reading, and Kassia: The Legend,the Woman, and Her Work."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (October 30, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 175 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 080284913X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802849137
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.42 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

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Antonia Tripolitis

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4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Marco Antonio Abarca
5.0 out of 5 stars Brief Survey of the Religons of the Greco-Roman World
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2010
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This book covers a seven hundred year period from the rise of Alexander the Great until the Fall of Rome. As the Greco-Roman world started becoming more cosmopolitan, the old locally based fertility religions no longer held the same appeal. A new emphasis on personal salvation arose and a flood of new religions and cults established themselves throughout the Mediterranean World. "Religions of the Hellenistic-Roman Age" is a brief survey of the religious landscape of this time. All the major religions from the Mystery Cults and Hellenistic Judaism to early Christianity and Gnosticism are covered. Professor Antonia Tripolitis is a clear writer who has laid out the basic tenants of these different religious belief systems in an organized manner. At a hundred and fifty pages, this book was quick and pleasurable read. Recommended.
5 people found this helpful
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Jeanne L. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars My archaeologist son-in-law says this is somewhat dated but I ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
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My archaeologist son-in-law says this is somewhat dated but I think it's very interesting and well written. I think it is quite good--broad and very complete.
4 people found this helpful
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James G. Poulos
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Landscape Hellenistic/Roman World
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2019
A Work like this is so needed in Christianity today. It will give a very practical understanding of so many of the conflicting forces and where they came from that exist today in the world and Christianity.

Yes, there are probably more thorough references for each of the individual topics but this book brings those topics together in a very understandable and challenging way.

Peace
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Earl Baucom
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2014
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Good, met our expectations
One person found this helpful
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Alvaro Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars adding only
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2003
I would like to add to the two reviews written earlier, only that this work makes available for introductory students an intelligent skimming of the surface of religions of the Hellenistic-Roman period. This period description is crucial as it refers not exclusively to the traditional span of the Hellenistic Age from 323 B.C.E. to 31 B.C.E., but from the death of Alexander the Great to the fourth century of the common era. This recalibration nearly doubles the space under review and as a result allows or requires that most of the book addresses the early Jewish diaspora and the early Christian religion.
The author handles each religion or way of life relatively well, clarifying with polish and style the major characteristics, rituals and contexts of the belief systems. New ideas are not the order of business here, instead this concise summary fills a need.
Approximately thirty pages cover all of the "mystery cults" (Isis, Magna Mater, Dionysus, Demeter), with a separate chapter given to Mithraism. What I mean to suggest is that the gross majority of the work summarizes the information available about the beginnings of religions that remain, however changed, not those earlier religions of the Mediterranean that have disappeared. For me the lack of attention to the religions of the Greek and Roman landscapes proved a disappointment, but the book is of exemplary quality as it is for what it is.
A final note: the maps are truly outstanding.
8 people found this helpful
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thuggi
2.0 out of 5 stars Not Even Average
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2014
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Tripolitis' book is like the Discovery Channel version of Hellenistic religions. It is superficial and presents only the most simplistic "facts" as if they were the full and uncontroverted extent of all scholarship. There is no depth or any attempt to add substance to the topic. It comes across more as a high school essay than an attempt at serious scholarship.

That would be bad enough in its own right, but Tripolotis doesn't even manage to get her simple facts correct. Her description of the relationship between Mitra and Varuna is just plain wrong. Although she has an extensive discussion of Hellenistic Judaism, her characterization of it as an aberration of "true" Judaism obscures its historical and cultural significance.

Your time will be much better spent reading one of Burkert's books.
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Terry Jennrich
3.0 out of 5 stars Quick Summary of the major Roman religions from 300 BC to 400 AD
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2021
For people who are seeking a quick overview of the major Roman religions or quasi religions present in the territories under Alexander the Great's and then eventually the Roman Republic and the Roman Empires control from about 330 BC to about 410 AD, this book would be worth your time to read. However as the reviewer by the name of Thuggi said in his two star review , in his opinion, this book was neither accurate in content nor devoted enough discussion to the topic to allow the reader to gain a clear understanding of the major religions and beliefs of the inhabitants of the above mentioned political entities during the time period referenced above.
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Kevin White
4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Overview
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2007
This book provides a good introduction to the diverse and bewildering world of Hellenistic-Roman religion. The treatment of each movement is sympathetic and non-polemical. The section on Gnosticism is of particularly valuable, because it gives a fair and open treatment of the various Gnostic groups while avoiding the exaggerations that are common in popular level writings on the subject. I would highly recommend it for those who are interested in studying the context of early Christianity. It is accessible to the average reader, and has enough scholarly rigor to serve a college student or first-year seminary student well.

I would only list two flaws. First, some of the descriptions of the mystery cults are portrayed so strongly from the perspective of its practitioners that it almost posits three different universal gods or goddesses of the masses. Secondly, I almost wonder if the author is trying too hard to make the ancient world into a reflection of our own pluralistic, globalizing, and angst-ridden times.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Trismegisto
2.0 out of 5 stars Eher nüscht
Reviewed in Germany on October 8, 2004
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Ich hab noch nicht das ganze Buch gelesen, aber das Kapitel über Gnostizismus bringt mich dazu, von der Lektüre dieses Buchs doch eher abzuraten, zu oberflächlich werden hier Klischees wiedergekaut. Zwar sieht Tripolitis hier die Vielfalt der religiösen Anschauungen, trotzdem meint sie dass man "Gnostizismus" noch als Religion zusammenfassen kann. Nachdem ich "Rethinking Gnosticism" von Michael Allen Williams gelesen habe, kann ich dem einfach nicht mehr zustimmen. Dazu kommt noch der alte Hut, der möglicherweise zuerst von Hans Jonas präsentiert worden ist, dass nämlich die Gnosis sich aus Revolte gegen die Weltenherrscher entweder für strenge Askese, oder moralische Freizügigkeit entschieden hat - auch hier ist die Beweislage kaum ausreichend. Was man gewissen "gnostischen" Gruppen nachgesagt hat, nämlich dass sie diverse perverse sexuelle Rituale pflegten, liegt wohl eher an der tantrischen Ausrichtung mancher Gruppen - wie zum Beispiel den Anhängern von Karpokrates - denn Tantra ist dafür bekannt, in seiner Sprache sehr mißverständlich zu sein.
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