Universität Wien

010102 VU Ancient Mystery Religions in Dialogue with Early Christianity (2022S)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 1 - Katholische Theologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Monday 23.05. 09:45 - 14:45 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Tuesday 24.05. 11:30 - 16:30 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Wednesday 25.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Thursday 26.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 (Kath) Schenkenstraße 1.OG
Friday 27.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Seminarraum 5 (Kath) Schenkenstraße 1.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

• Aims of the course
The course aims to offer a comprehensive introduction on the history of early Christianity from a new, transdisciplinary methodology. The history of the Jesus-movement is interpreted here as a small group religion of the Roman Empire in constant interaction and dialogue with several other, non-Christian (Roman) religious groups and the Roman state. The course will present not only the historical evolution of the Jesus-movement, but will focus on the variety of the literary, archaeological and epigraphic sources of early Christianity in the first four centuries.
• Contents of the course
1. The notion of „second paganism”: religious transformations in the Hellenistic world
2. The formation of the Jesus-movement in the 1st century AD
3. Archaeology of early Christianity in the 1st century AD
4. Religious appropriations in the 2nd-3rd century AD: the case study of Rome
5. Religious appropriations in the 2nd-3rd century AD: the case study of Dura Europos
6. Imperial cult and early Christianity: literary and archaeological sources
7. Roman sacrifice and ealy Christianity: comparative analysis
8. Comparative analysis of Christian and Roman literary and iconographic sources
9. The world of the dead: necropola and the topography of death
10. The cult of Mithras and early Christianity
11. Religious appropriation after Constantine he Great
12. Death of religion? Concluding remarks
• Method of the course
Lectures, class discussion, reading

Assessment and permitted materials

Final essay: min. 5 pages and bibliography (70%); active participation in lessons (30%)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The language of instruction as well as class discussions will be in English. Students cannot miss more than a maximum of two meetings. The course will be examined as follows: Final essay (70%); active participation in lessons (30%). The seminar paper (written and send to the lecturer) need to be presented also in front of the colleagues in a 15 minutes power point presentation.

Examination topics

1) The notion of „second paganism”: religious transformations in the Hellenistic world (3rd-1st c. BC)
- Discussion of the notion invented by P. Veyne. Soteriology and orphism (literary and archaeological soures). Religious connectivities in the Near East and beyond. The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls
2) The formation of the Jesus-movement in the 1st century AD: the modell of small group religions and their diffusion
- Historical context of Roman Palestine. Small group religions: theoretical approaches (the modell of Ann Taves and P. Lichterman). Textual sources.
3) Archaeology of early Christianity in the 1st century AD
- Comparative analysis of the textual and archaeological evidences in the 1st century AD. Palestine, Rome. The problematic case study of Pompeii.
4) Religious appropriations in the 2nd-3rd century AD: the case study of Rome
Archaeological sources, topography, religious coexistence and dialogue in urban context. Religion, as urban factor
5) Religious appropriations in the 2nd-3rd century AD: the case study of Dura Europos
Archaeological sources, topography, religious coexistence and dialogue in urban context. Religion, as urban factor. The military calendar (Feriale Duranum) and its possible impact
6) Imperial cult and early Christianity: literary and archaeological sources
Comparative analysis of Christian and Roman (legal and religious) literary, epihraphic and iconographic sources. Discussion on religious tolerance and intollerance in the first 4 centuries
7) Roman sacrifice and ealy Christianity: comparative analysis
8) Comparative analysis of Christian and Roman (legal and religious) literary and iconographic sources
9) The world of the dead: necropola and the topography of death in the first 3 centuries
10) The cult of Mithras and early Christianity: a problematic case study
Comparative analysis of the two religious movements (literary and iconographic, archaeological sources)
11) Religious appropriation after Constantine he Great: Roman Fasti and the transformation of the visual narratives
Comparative analysis of Roman and Christian iconographies and religious calendars, the notion of reinvented tranditions. Iconographic problems and iconoclasm
12) Death of religion? Concluding remarks on the transformation of Roman religion and the reappropriation of Roman religion in contemporary Christian contexts

Reading list

Huttunen, Niko, Early Christians Adapting to the Roman Empire. Mutual Recognition, Supplements to Novum Testamentum 179, Leiden-Boston, Brill 2020
Robinson, Arthur, Who were the first Christians? Dismantling the Urban Thesis, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017
Rüpke, Jörg, Pantheon. A new history of Roman religion, Princeton, 2018
Taves, Ann, Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2016

Association in the course directory

066 800 M2.6, M15, M18, 033 195 17rwb

Last modified: We 06.04.2022 12:07