R. Wiśniewski, Christian Divination in Late Antiquity

Mardi, 17 Novembre 2020 08:09 Robert Wiśniewski
Imprimer

christian_divination.png

Robert Wiśniewski, Christian Divination in Late Antiquity, Amsterdam, 2020.

Éditeur : Amsterdam University Press
Collection : Social Worlds of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
288 pages
ISBN : 9789462988705
105 €

In Late Antiquity, people commonly sought to acquire hidden knowledge about the past, the present, and the future, using a variety of methods. While Christians acknowledged that these methods could work effectively, in theory they were not allowed to make use of them. In practice, they behaved in diverse ways. Some probably renounced any hope of learning about the future. Others resorted to old practices regardless of the consequences. A third option was to construct divinatory methods that were effective yet religiously tolerable. This book is devoted to the study of such practices and their practitioners, and provides answers to essential questions concerning Christian divination. How did it develop? How closely were Christian methods related to older, traditional practices? Who used them and in which situations? Who offered oracular services? And how were they perceived by clerics, intellectuals, and common people?

 

Source : Amsterdam University Press