Attraction and danger of alien religion
Subtitle: studies in early Judaism and Christianity
By: Karl-Gustav Sandelin
Series: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament -- 290; Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament -- 290.
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Tübingen, Germany
Language: eng
Number of pages: 270
ISBN-13: 9783161517426
Subjects: Judaism; Frühjudentum; Christentum; Christianity and culture; Interreligiöse Beziehung; Interfaith relations; Relations; Heidentum; Religious pluralism; History; Christianity and other religions; Early church
Description: Early Judaism and early Christianity emerged during the Hellenistic and early Roman imperial era. They were, naturally, confronted with the Hellenistic and the Roman religion. The question therefore arose as to whether Jews or Christians were free to participate in religious activities alien to the religious heritage of their own. In his articles, Karl-Gustav Sandelin presents documentary material showing that this problem was a burning issue within Judaism from the beginning of the Hellenistic period until the end of the first century C.E. Several Jewish individuals converted to the Hellenistic or the Roman religion. Such behavior was also discussed and generally condemned, for example by the Books of Maccabees and authors such as Philo of Alexandria and Flavius Josephus. A similar problem is to be found in the New Testament, notably in the letters of Paul, especially in the First letter to the Corinthians and in the Revelation of John.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-243) and indexes.
Table of contents: title: Jews and alien religious practices during the Hellenistic age; title: The danger of idolatry according to Philo of Alexandria; title: Philo's ambivalence towards statues; title: Does Paul argue against sacramentalism and over-confidence in 1 Cor 10:1-14?; title: "Do not be idolaters!" (1 Cor 10:7); title: Drawing the line : Paul on idol food and idolatry in 1 Cor 8:1-11:1; title: Does Paul warn the Corinthians not to eat demons?; title: Philo and Paul on alien religion : a comparison; title: The Jesus-tradition and idolatry; title: Attraction and danger of alien religion in the Revelation of John.